Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Present - Repents - Serpent (07/17/25)
-
TITLE: Changing Directions | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
07/22/25 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
As you continue on, you get the ever-increasing, sinking feeling that you must have made a wrong turn somewhere along the way.
You hesitate leaving your present course, thinking it may result in leading you even further away from your desired destination.
Sooner or later, you stop to ask for directions, or you come upon a sign along the roadway, making it clear that you’re on the wrong road, headed in the wrong direction (1).
The situation gets even more critical if you realize your time could be running out for you to make the necessary changes before the window of opportunity closes.
The same scenario can take place in the spiritual realm.
You’ve been on the same road; traveling along on your merry (or not so merry) way; following the traditions and practices of your chosen religion; doing your best to conform to moral standards; producing some form of human good; convinced you are Heaven bound.
But, as in the case of Nicodemus, who was a very religious and morally-behaved individual, something happens, and you sense something is amiss in your religious experience, motivating you to look for more definite answers.
In the Church Age, these “something happens” events are arranged, and are a part of the pre-salvation Work of God the Holy Spirit, circumstantially setting the stage for you to be presented with the unadulterated Gospel Message (2).
At first, Nicodemus was confused, not understanding what Jesus meant when He spoke of the need to be born-again. He understood the concept of natural birth, but did not understand how one can be born “again,” thinking in terms of only the natural, and not the spiritual realm.
Furthermore, Nicodemus must have thought, what (if any) significance is or was there, in all of his religious activity, human good, and moral behavior up to this point in his life, if he was not to enter the Kingdom of God.
Jesus made it crystal clear that the ONE and ONLY way to be born-again was to BELIEVE in the Person, that being WHO (3) and WHAT (4) He is, and in the atoning WORK that He would FINISH (5) on the cross (6). He made it equally clear that unless one IS born again, he or she cannot enter the Kingdom of God (7).
All of these details are included when the unadulterated Gospel Message, encapsulated in John 3: 16, 18, is presented.
Sad to say, but there are many who go to Church, dot the “i”s and cross the “t”s, fulfilling the requirements of their chosen denominational religion, but do not understand the concept, necessity, means, or the significance of being born again (8).
One cannot truly believe (put his full faith) in something that he or she does not understand. The inability to understand and doubt goes hand in hand.
Apart from the pre-salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit, Man, under the influence of the fallen nature, is not only incapable of understanding the things of God (9), but is inherently hostile towards God, and the things of God (10).
The ability to understand the unadulterated Gospel Message comes from the pre-salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit when the unadulterated Gospel Message is presented.
God the Holy Spirit makes the unadulterated Gospel Message understandable at that moment, but the recipient then chooses to believe or to disbelieve it, reaping the eternal blessings or consequences of that decision.
Evidence that one has truly understood and has been saved, is that he or she perceives the futility in attempting to obtain salvation by any other means.
These “other means” include, but are not limited to, the meaningless traditions of men (11) that have wormed their way in, and have taken root, in many of the denominations of the so-called Christian Community at large.
Repentance, as it pertains to salvation, calls for a change of mind, perceiving the need to be born again, rejecting all other means of salvation (12).
Repentance, as it pertains to discipleship, calls for ongoing changes of mind, turning away from any teaching, accompanying practice, or behavior, that is inconsistent with what the Word of God requires or prohibits.
This is the result of ongoing learning (13) and consistently applying (14) the mind of Christ (15), as the advancing disciple becomes more and more conformed to the likeness (16) of Christ.
(1) Matt. 7:13, 14 (2) John 3:16, 18/Rev. 20: 15 (3) John 1: 1 (4) John 1: 29 (5) John 19: 30 (6) 1John 2: 2 (7) John 3: 5 (8) John 3: 18 (9) 1Cor. 2: 12 (10) Rom. 8: 7 (11) Matt. 15: 9 (12) John 14: 6 (13) 2Pet. 3: 18 (14) James 1:25 (15) 1Cor. 2: 16 (16) Rom. 8: 29
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
