Romans tells how it is possible for a man who is dead in trespasses and sins and without God and without hope to be made alive.
Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
What faith? The faith of Jesus Christ. This faith comes when the man of body and soul hears the Word of God and believes.
Romans 10:9:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
What is it to "confess it with thy mouth"? It is to say it. Does one have to say it at an alter? Romans 10 does not say that. But, could one confess Jesus as his Lord at an alter? It does not say where one has to confess Jesus as Lord: the Bible simply says to confess. Does a person have to say it out loud? Romans 10 does not say so; it is possible to confess the Lord Jesus Christ silently without making an audible sound.
"Confess with thy mouth" does not say confess one's sins. If it had said "confess your sins," salvation would be of works; and we are not saved by works, but by grace. A man does not confess his sins; he confesses the Savior from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I wonder how many thousands of people believe that they are born again of God's spirit but are not. They may have a feeling on the inside that they are saved, but a feeling does not save them. A person is saved by being born again of God's Spirit. Feelings may come and go, but the Word of God lives and abides forever. I could go to an altar, cry out all my sins, and get a good feeling. But a person can get that same good feeling on a psychiatrist's couch. We are not saved by feeling, we are saved by doing what The Word says. It says "confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus." That is, say, "Jesus, you are Lord in my life." Who has been lord as long as a person is just body and soul? The person himself. But now that person is going to change lordships when he confesses with his mouth a new Lord -- Jesus Christ.
That is what is says, but that is not all. Romans 10:9 further says, "and shalt believe in thine heart." The heart is the seat of the personal life; today we would say, "Believe with all your mind, all your strength, every ounce of your being." What is a person to believe? That Jesus Christ is the greatest prophet of all time? No. The Word says, "believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead." One must confess with his mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in the innermost part of his being that God raised Him from the dead; then a man shall -- absolutely, unquestionably -- be saved. When? Not when he dies, but right when he confesses Jesus as Lord and believes that God raised Him from the dead.
Of all the great religious leaders there is only one who has been raised from the dead and that is Jesus Christ. This is the proof that He is God's only begotten Son. Do you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead? Do you believe that He is your Lord? Have you confessed it with your mouth? The Word says that you are saved.
Romans 10:10:
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The moment I fulfill these two requirements, I am born again of God's Spirit. This is eternal life. This is such a tremendous truth that it is almost unbelievable; but I do believe it because God's Word is true and abides forever. Now I am His son for I have confessed with my mouth the Lord Jesus and I have believed that God raised him from the dead.
The moment a person confesses with his mouth Jesus as Lord that person is converted, saved, born again. A man can be a natural man of body and soul one minute; but as he hears the Word of God and believes to the point that he says, "Jesus is Lord of my life and I know God raised Him from the dead," he is born again of God's Spirit. That person has instantly changed lords; he is now on the way to heaven and all hell cannot stop him from going because he is a son of God having Christ in him. He has eternal life. He is no longer a natural man because he has received the spirit from God.
I will continually disagree with you on this point. This is not because PFAL didn't say this -but rather because the VERBAL tradition was so different from the Written tradition.
If one were to write to the BOT only the Written tradition would be cited. Yet, there were so many reverends that taught something different than what was written - one has to take pause and wonder why.
Besides, imagine a new twigger in a branch meeting. Bobby Moyn-han teaches what Belle heard. Do you really think that this new person will go and write anyone? And given all that talk of MOGs and all - do you really think that anyone would question him?
I know, I know, you're gonna say that I did when a certain person tried to tell me that so and so was an unbeliever - but that was a situation where I knew the person and I was comfortable with confronting her. Had it been BM I doubt I would have done so, especially given what I hear was the air of distrust in the '90's.
Overall, most people are more likely to go with what is taught by someone they trust over what has been taught or written. On top of all this - remember that "revelation" was changing so often in that era....
I know this thread is about being born again so I hope(yes, I used the H word) that I don't get too far off topic. One thing that strikes me is how often we see a perceived difference in the written and verbal teachings and policies of TWI. Funny ,though, how so many people from varied times, places, and training programs seem to refer to very similar insights. These include,but are not limited to, such practises as sleep deprivation, program expulsions in the middle of the night with no obvious explanation, a ban on discussion of differences of opinion,isolation from society, and adaptation of an elitist attitude being virtually mandatory . Did these differences between the written and the verbal simply happen randomly and coincidentally? Did they simply happen in a fashion that is strikingly close to identcal? It is my opinion that we need to accept that there were in fact differences between written and verbal and they did not happen by accident. (remember being taught there are no accidents in life?)With this in mind , I hope ( oops, the H word again) we can agree there may have been differences in how being born again was presented and taught at different times and in different locations. ALL CLEAR I'm off the soap box now.
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oldiesman
Noni,
The following is an excerpt from PFAL:
Excerpted from PFAL
Part IV -- The New Birth
Chapter 19 -- Born Again of Incorruptible Seed
Pgs. 295-98
Victor Paul Wierwille
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doojable
OM,
I will continually disagree with you on this point. This is not because PFAL didn't say this -but rather because the VERBAL tradition was so different from the Written tradition.
If one were to write to the BOT only the Written tradition would be cited. Yet, there were so many reverends that taught something different than what was written - one has to take pause and wonder why.
Besides, imagine a new twigger in a branch meeting. Bobby Moyn-han teaches what Belle heard. Do you really think that this new person will go and write anyone? And given all that talk of MOGs and all - do you really think that anyone would question him?
I know, I know, you're gonna say that I did when a certain person tried to tell me that so and so was an unbeliever - but that was a situation where I knew the person and I was comfortable with confronting her. Had it been BM I doubt I would have done so, especially given what I hear was the air of distrust in the '90's.
Overall, most people are more likely to go with what is taught by someone they trust over what has been taught or written. On top of all this - remember that "revelation" was changing so often in that era....
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waysider
I know this thread is about being born again so I hope(yes, I used the H word) that I don't get too far off topic. One thing that strikes me is how often we see a perceived difference in the written and verbal teachings and policies of TWI. Funny ,though, how so many people from varied times, places, and training programs seem to refer to very similar insights. These include,but are not limited to, such practises as sleep deprivation, program expulsions in the middle of the night with no obvious explanation, a ban on discussion of differences of opinion,isolation from society, and adaptation of an elitist attitude being virtually mandatory . Did these differences between the written and the verbal simply happen randomly and coincidentally? Did they simply happen in a fashion that is strikingly close to identcal? It is my opinion that we need to accept that there were in fact differences between written and verbal and they did not happen by accident. (remember being taught there are no accidents in life?)With this in mind , I hope ( oops, the H word again) we can agree there may have been differences in how being born again was presented and taught at different times and in different locations. ALL CLEAR I'm off the soap box now.
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