Born Again
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg 162; “Being born again, comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances.”
John 3:3-6; “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Ordinances are performed in the flesh, not the spirit.
How can we be born again of the spirit if we’re performing ordinances? The regeneration process takes place through the works of God, not man.
God implants a new character and disposition inside of us when we confess Jesus is God and we need His redeeming power because of our sin nature. Without His power to redeem and create a new heart in us we can’t please God. Romans seven tells us that even when we want to do what is right we struggle – we do what we don’t want to do and don’t do what we know we need to do.
The word regeneration is only found in Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5 and it literally means a new birth. In Matthew it is the equivalent to the restitution of all things as in Acts 3:21. In Titus it denotes a change of heart and becoming a new creature as in 2 Cor 5:17, being born again in John 3:5, renewal of the mind in Romans 12:2, resurrection from the dead in Ephesians 2:6 and Ephesians 2:1,5 in being quickened.
All these things have to do with the heart or mind and not with your physical capabilities of performing an ordinance.
If it comes through the Spirit of God then God is the one performing the ordinances, not man. So this would mean God is the one changing us and making us a new creature in Christ.
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