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who read these words will not be–
lieve these scriptures.
Do you know why? Let's take
time to understand!
Just what does take place in the
mind of the average person when
confronted with a Scripture state–
ment contrary to his own belief?
The average mind reacts in this
manner: Whatever he has been
taught, or has heard or read, and is
the accepted belief of his church, he
has assumed to be true.
lt
has be–
come rooted in his mind as if it were
true fact.
lt
has become fixed–
lodged hard and fast in his mind.
Millions have the firmly rooted be–
lief that to be "born again" means
the experience of a sinner being
converted and put under grace.
Every scripture that has anything
to do with being "born again" is
viewed from this concept. lt- what
he already believes, not what God
says-is the fixed concept by which
he approaches anything on this sub–
ject. His own conviction, erroneous
though it may be, is his starting
point for considering any scripture
on the subject-his approach- the
very basis by which he seeks to un–
derstand or explain this scripture.
It never will even occur to him
that his belief-his definüion of
what "born again" means-could be
wrong. He has firmly assumed this
conception to be fact. His mind,
therefore, will seek to understand
this scripture according to his er–
roneous belief-but never to ques–
tion or harmonize his belief
according to the scripture.
If he is unable to square the scrip–
ture with his own belief, then he
does one of two things. Either he
tries to interpret the scripture ac–
cording to his idea of being born
again, oc his mind .becomes con–
fused, and he simply runs away
from it-changes the subject- dis–
misses this scripture from his mind.
In other words, the average per–
son who says he has already been
"born again" is spiritually blinded
to seeing the truth on this point.
Perhaps it is impossible for him to
even see the truth. He has accepted
one of the fables to which God said,
through Paul, the world would be
turned.
The
PLAIN TRUTH March 1978
The world is, spiritually, drunk on
false teachings. A physically drunk
man cannot see material things
clearly and distinctly. They become
blurred out of focus. A spiritually
drunk person cannot see God's
Word clearly and distinctly. The
above explains the reason. He tries
to see God's Word through the eye–
glasses of these false teachings he
has absorbed.
The average mind
reacts
in
this manner:
Whatever he has
been taught, or has
heard or read, and
is
the accepted belief of
his church, he has
assumed to be true. It
has become rooted
in his mind as if
it were true fact.
It
simply cannot seem to occur to
his mind that what he has so care–
lessly accepted could be wrong.
Tell such a person that being
"born again," as Christ taught we
should be, does not mean that expe–
rience that takes place when a sin–
ner has his sins forgiven, is
converted and put under grace, and
he will say: "You can't teJI me that!
I know! I've had the experience,
brother!" He may have had an "ex–
perience"-but it was a different ex–
perience than what Christ meant by
being born again!
What the Bible ls
What's wrong? Not only are mil–
lions spiritually blinded by the false
doctrines that carne out of spiritual
Babylon , but almost no one, it
seems, realizes just what the Bible is.
lt
is God's message which He sent
for mankind.
It
is the revealed
knowledge, inspired by God- basic
knowledge man needs, but cannot
otherwise acquire.
lt
is the founda–
tion of a
JI
true knowledge.
And what is the purpose of the
Bible? You'll find it in 11 Timothy
3: 16. 1ts purpose is to correct us
where we are wrong. To reprove us.
To reveal to us true doctrine, and
correct us where we have accepted
false doctrine. lts purpose is to in–
struct us in truth, in righteousness.
To change our minds!
This, right here, is going to be a
crucial test .for many readers of
The
Plain Truth.
Ask yourself: Are you
willing to be corrected by God's
Word on points where you have
been deceived? Remember, the
whole world has been deceived!
God says so! Read it in Revelation
12:9 and 20:3. A deceived person is
one who really and sincerely be–
lieves he is right.
Yes, you may be wholly sincere
and honest in your conviction, and
still have been deceived, and there–
fore wrong! And if you now reject
this knowledge from God's Word,
God will reject you! (God says in
Hosea 4:6: "My people are de–
stroyed for lack of knowledge: be–
cause thou hast rejected knowledge,
1will also reject thee, that thou shalt
be no priest to me: seeing thou hast
forgotten the law of God, 1 will also
forget thy children.")
Are you able to Jet God's Word
correct you when you have accepted
and believed something contrary to
the truth? Can you admit that it just
might be that you and millions of
others may not have been told the
whole truth about being born again?
When Christ Was Born Again
Notice again, carefully, Romans
8:29. It is speaking of Christ, the
Son of God. It says, plainly, that
Jesus Christ was "the firstborn of
many brethren."
This shows that
many brethren
were to be born- but that Christ was
the first of these brethren-the first
to be so born.
Who are the "brethren"? In Ro–
mans 8:12, Paul shows his epistle
which we call the book of Romans
was addressed to the "brethren." He
says: "Therefore, brethren...."
Now to whom is this epistle ad–
dressed? Notice Romans 1:7- to
those "beloved of God,
called to be
saints."
Paul addresses his Jetter to
(Continued on page 42)
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