My Response

[My Friend], there is a place up ahead where we can sit and rest for a while and talk about what we have covered so far.

First, we looked at the person known as Jesus Christ. We considered how unique he was as a man as he walked among us. We considered, as the Bible declares, that he was the Son of God who came and lived in a body of flesh as a man. He was fully God and fully man. We considered his creative powers, several of his miracles, and the seven claims he made about himself. As the author of life he claimed to be the only source of spiritual life. He declared his ability to overcome death, to satisfy God’s judgment against our guilt of sin, and provide us with eternal life.

Second, we considered that all men are physically born spiritually dead and unless they are born spiritually they will enter eternal destruction at physical death. This spiritual life is not simply a decision to live according to some spiritual rules, but requires one to humbly bow in submission to the authority of God and accept from Jesus Christ the gift of eternal life and be born again. This is not simply a decision of the mind to walk according to some external spiritual rules. It is something that God causes to happen deep within our heart. It is a compelling desire to make the decision for Jesus Christ even if in doing so it means sure physical death as it does for so many in various parts of the world today.

Third, I asked you to begin to talk with God as a measure of your spiritual relationship. If God is at work in your heart there will be a growing desire, even against your physical will, to want to ask God to help you understand spiritual things. The proud will resist and push on in their own strength until one day they are broken. That may take place in many different ways. You are beginning to sense that unless something changes you may be facing something that will break you. If a person is willing to be humble, even if it means asking God to help, then that person begins to connect with God and with spiritual life. The point of spiritual birth raises one up as a new man, a spiritual being, who possesses strengths, abilities, and wisdom to deal with the problems that are burdening the proud person in an attempt to crush him.

““God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God . . . Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:6 – 7 ESV). Humility is the key, but we would rather remain proud. What do you think?

More on your email later.