Title 2018

To grasp the full meaning of being “born again,” it helps first to consider natural birth. Before a child is born, much about their life is already shaped by their family lineage and heritage. The genetic traits, physical characteristics, and social identity are largely determined by ancestors. Scripture affirms this continuity of lineage and inheritance, as Paul notes the importance of family heritage and spiritual inheritance (Romans 5:12-14).

For example, you were naturally born into a specific ethnic group—African, with black skin and curly hair. Your family knew this even before you were born because these traits come from your parents and ancestors. Similarly, if your family is royal or has a particular social status, this too shapes expectations about your identity and role.

Spiritually, however, there is a second birth—a birth into a new family, the family of God, through Jesus Christ. This is the “new birth” Jesus spoke about in John 3:3 (NIV):

“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’”

This second birth is not physical but spiritual. It places a person into a new lineage—the kingdom of God—a royal, holy family chosen by God Himself (1 Peter 2:9). To be born into this family means inheriting new spiritual traits, a new identity, and a destiny aligned with God’s will.

Before one can be spiritually born again, several realities must be understood:

1. The Father who gives new birth: Jesus Christ is the source and author of this new life (John 1:12-13).

2. The new family name: Believers are given the name “Christian,” meaning “little Christ,” reflecting their new identity (Acts 11:26).

3. The characteristics of the new family: Holiness, love, humility, and righteousness (Ephesians 4:22-24).

4. Our commitment to live accordingly: Following Christ’s example and commands (1 John 2:6).

The Bible clearly states the exclusivity of salvation through Jesus:

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” — Acts 4:12 (NIV)

Just as natural birth requires water and physical processes, spiritual birth involves:

• Repentance: Turning away from sin, a heartfelt change of mind and behavior (Acts 3:19).

• Baptism in water: Symbolizing cleansing and death to the old self (Romans 6:3-4).

• Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ: Invoking the authority of Christ Himself, as practiced by the apostles (Acts 2:38; 8:16).

• Receiving the Holy Spirit: The inward seal and power for the Christian life (Ephesians 1:13-14).

The importance of baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” is underlined by the early church’s practice. Unlike later traditions that baptize in the Trinity formula, the New Testament consistently describes baptism in Jesus’ name alone. This connects the believer directly to the authority of Christ.

Being born again transforms the believer’s nature. The indwelling Holy Spirit renews the heart, producing fruit such as love, joy, peace, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The believer begins to naturally reject sin and live a holy life (Romans 8:9-11).

John writes:

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” — John 1:12-13 (ESV)

This spiritual heritage includes sharing in Christ’s sufferings and rejection by the world:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” — John 15:18 (NIV)

It is important to note that not everyone who claims to be born again truly has experienced this new birth. Many join the church but lack genuine repentance and proper baptism. Such people often struggle with sin because the new nature of God’s seed is not within them:

“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.” — 1 John 3:9 (ESV)

The kingdom of God is the highest authority and realm:

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” — Revelation 11:15 (ESV)

Jesus Christ reigns over all creation—heaven, earth, and spiritual realms (Colossians 1:16-17). His return will bring believers into eternal glory.

Jesus commanded Nicodemus:

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” — John 3:5 (NIV)

Therefore, being born again is not optional but essential for salvation and eternal life.

In summary:

• The natural birth defines our physical identity and heritage.

• The new birth in Christ defines our spiritual identity and destiny.

• This new birth is experienced through repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and receiving the Holy Spirit.

• It transforms us into God’s children, empowering us to live holy lives and secure eternal life.

May God bless you as you seek this true new birth.

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Have you ever asked yourself: “Will I be among those who sit with Abraham in the Kingdom of God?” This is not just a hopeful thought; it’s a reality promised in Scripture. But who qualifies to sit at that table? It’s not about your background, title, or how long you’ve been in church. The key is faith—genuine, Abraham-like faith.

1. What Does It Mean to Be a Child of Abraham?

Being a child of Abraham means sharing in the faith that defined his relationship with God. God didn’t choose Abraham because he was perfect or strong—He chose him because Abraham believed (Genesis 15:6 NKJV):

“And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”

This verse is foundational. It’s the first time in the Bible we see righteousness given not by works, but by faith. Paul later confirms in Galatians 3:7 (NKJV):

“Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.”

2. Abraham’s Faith Went Beyond the Natural

Abraham didn’t just believe when things were easy. His faith endured the impossible. God promised him a son when he was nearly 100 years old, and he believed. When God tested him by asking him to sacrifice that very son, Isaac, Abraham didn’t doubt. Hebrews 11:17–19 (NKJV) tells us:

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac… concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead.”

That is radical faith. Abraham trusted God beyond logic, beyond emotion, and beyond human reasoning. He knew that God’s promises could not fail, even if circumstances seemed to say otherwise.

3. Faith That Moves God: The Roman Centurion

In Matthew 8:5–13, Jesus encounters a Roman centurion—a Gentile, not a Jew—whose faith astonishes Him.

The centurion’s servant was sick, and Jesus offered to come heal him. But the centurion responded:

“Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” (Matthew 8:8 NKJV)

He believed in the authority of Jesus’ word. He knew Jesus didn’t need to be physically present to heal. Jesus marveled and said:

“Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (v. 10)

Then He added a remarkable prophecy:

“And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness.” (vv. 11–12)

4. God Looks at the Heart, Not Religious Status

This statement challenges our assumptions. Jesus was saying that many outsiders—people from unlikely places, people the religious world ignores—will enter the Kingdom, while some who thought they were guaranteed a place (the “sons of the kingdom”) will be left out.

Why? Because God looks at the heart of faith, not religious titles or rituals (1 Samuel 16:7).

Just like Abraham, the centurion accounted God as faithful and able. He didn’t need physical evidence or religious ceremony. He simply believed in God’s authority.

5. Other Examples of Radical Faith

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus responds differently when He sees extraordinary faith:

• The woman with the issue of blood believed, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” (Matthew 9:21 NKJV). She didn’t need attention or prayer—just faith in His power.

• The Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21–28) kept pressing Jesus for her daughter’s healing, even when she seemed ignored. Her persistent faith moved Jesus to heal.

• Zacchaeus, the tax collector (Luke 19), climbed a tree just to see Jesus. His hunger to encounter Christ led Jesus to say, “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9)

All these people had one thing in common: they didn’t approach Jesus through normal channels. They pushed past obstacles, traditions, or expectations—and touched the heart of God.

6. Don’t Depend Solely on Religious Systems

Today, many people think they need to go through religious leaders or places to access God. They wait for prophets to visit them, or travel to other nations for healing or answers. But God is not far. He is near—even in your own heart and mouth (Romans 10:8 NKJV):

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” — that is, the word of faith which we preach.

You don’t need a middleman. Jesus Christ alone is the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). You can approach God directly, just like Abraham, just like the centurion, and just like the woman with the issue of blood.

7. The Challenge: Account God as Able

Ask yourself: When you face trials or needs, do you run first to human help, or do you account God as able?

• If you believe God can use others to bless you, then believe He can also use you.

• If you trust Him to answer a preacher’s prayer, then trust He can also answer your own.

God desires faith that pleases Him, not just crowds that follow Him (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV):

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Conclusion: Let’s Imitate Abraham’s Faith

In the end, it is not just about being near religious things. It’s about having a heart that truly believes.

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”
—2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV)

Let us strive to reach that level of Abrahamic faith—the kind that doesn’t waver in uncertainty, the kind that moves mountains, and the kind that causes God to say,

“This one will sit with Abraham in My Kingdom.”

May the Lord bless you and increase your faith. Amen.

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1. Introduction: Who Was Job?

Job is introduced in Job 1:1 as a man who was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” His righteousness was not only outward but deeply personal. Job lived with integrity, maintained pure worship, and even interceded for his children (Job 1:5), fearing that they might have sinned against God unknowingly.

Satan, whose name means “accuser,” appeared before God and accused Job of serving God only because he had been blessed (Job 1:9–11). In response, God permitted Satan to test Job’s faith—showing that Job’s loyalty was not dependent on circumstances, but rooted in genuine love and reverence for God.

2. The Three Great Trials of Job

A) The First Trial – Loss of Possessions and Family (Job 1:13–22)

Satan took away all of Job’s wealth—his oxen, sheep, camels, servants, and even his children. Job’s response was remarkable:

Job 1:21 (NIV)
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Despite overwhelming grief, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing. (Job 1:22)

Theological Insight:
This reflects Job’s deep understanding of God’s sovereignty. His worship was not based on gifts, but on God’s nature. True faith acknowledges that everything we have is from God and belongs to Him (see Psalm 24:1).

B) The Second Trial – Physical Suffering (Job 2:1–10)

Satan, having failed to break Job’s spirit through external losses, attacked his health. Job was struck with painful sores from head to toe. He sat on ashes, scraping himself with broken pottery. Even his wife said:

Job 2:9 (NIV)
“Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

Job answered:

Job 2:10 (NIV)
“Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

Theological Insight:
This response shows a mature understanding of divine providence. God is not only the God of blessings but also sovereign in allowing suffering for a purpose (see Romans 8:28, James 5:11). Job’s wife, overwhelmed by grief, represents the human tendency to measure God’s love by our comfort—a dangerous theological error.

C) The Third Trial – Spiritual Attack Through Friends (Job 3–37)

The final and most dangerous trial was spiritual and doctrinal. Satan now used Job’s own friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—to sow doubt and confusion through seemingly religious counsel. They accused Job of hidden sin, insisting that suffering is always the result of wrongdoing.

Let’s look at each of their arguments.

3. The Counsel of Job’s Friends

A) Eliphaz (Job 4–5; 15; 22)

Eliphaz was the first to speak. He claimed that Job’s suffering must be the result of sin:

Job 4:7–8 (NIV)
“Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?
As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.”

Eliphaz believed in a strict retribution theology—that good things happen to good people and bad things to sinners.

Theological Error:
While God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4), the book of Job shows that suffering is not always a punishment. Eliphaz’s view ignores the mystery of divine testing and spiritual growth through trials (see John 9:1–3; 1 Peter 1:6–7).

B) Bildad (Job 8; 18; 25)

Bildad’s argument was harsher. He accused Job’s children of dying because of their sins:

Job 8:4–6 (NIV)
“When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.
But if you will seek God earnestly and plead with the Almighty,
if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf…”

Theological Error:
Bildad assumes a direct cause-and-effect between sin and tragedy. But Job had continually interceded for his children (Job 1:5). His theology failed to recognize the grace of God and the reality of righteous suffering (see Hebrews 11:35–38).

C) Zophar (Job 11; 20)

Zophar was the most blunt. He implied Job was getting less punishment than he deserved:

Job 11:6 (NIV)
“Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.”

Later, he mocked Job’s downfall:

Job 20:5–7 (NIV)
“…the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.
Though the pride of the godless person reaches to the heavens…
they will perish forever, like their own dung.”

Theological Error:
Zophar lacked compassion and misapplied divine judgment. He made Job feel condemned instead of comforted, violating the spirit of true pastoral care (see Galatians 6:1–2, Romans 12:15).

4. The Real Danger: Misusing Scripture

These friends spoke some truth—but wrongly applied it. They used scriptural ideas (like sowing and reaping, God’s justice) to make Job feel guilty. Worse, they claimed divine dreams and revelations to support their accusations (Job 4:12–17).

2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved… who correctly handles the word of truth.”

They became Satan’s instruments, not by cursing God, but by using twisted theology to tempt Job into abandoning his faith.

5. Job’s True Strength: Inner Relationship with God

Unlike his friends, Job knew that faith is not about outward blessings but about the heart’s connection with God. He never claimed to be perfect, but he was confident in his innocence before God:

Job 13:15 (NIV)
“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.”

Job’s hope was not in prosperity or healing—it was in God’s righteousness and mercy.

6. The Message for Us Today

This story is a timeless warning. Satan still uses hardship to test believers. When that fails, he sends false voices—even from religious people—to make us question our standing with God.

Today’s “Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar” are often prosperity preachers or false prophets who say:

• If you’re struggling, God must be against you.

• If you’re sick or poor, your faith is weak.

• If you’re not successful, you must be cursed.

But the Bible teaches:

Romans 8:35–37 (NIV)
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Faith is not measured by success but by perseverance and relationship with God, even in suffering.

7. Final Encouragement: Hold On Like Job

In the end, God rebuked Job’s friends for speaking falsely about Him (Job 42:7–9) and restored Job’s fortunes—doublewhat he had before (Job 42:10). Job’s reward was not just material; it was spiritual vindication.

Let us also stand firm, not shaken by outward losses or human opinions. Like Job, let our faith be rooted in knowing God, not in what we possess.

James 5:11 (NIV)
“You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”

Conclusion

Remain faithful in every season—wealth or poverty, health or sickness. Don’t judge your spiritual standing by outward conditions. And don’t be misled by religious voices that lack the Spirit of truth.

Stand on the Word. Keep your heart close to God. And in due time, He will lift you up.

1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

May the Lord bless and keep you always.

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Answer:

From a biblical perspective, by counting the genealogies and lifespans recorded in Scripture, many scholars estimate the timeline as follows:

• From the Garden of Eden to the Flood: approximately 2,000 years
• From the Flood to the birth of Jesus Christ: about 2,000 years
• From Jesus’ birth to today: roughly 2,000 years

This adds up to around 6,000 years from Eden to the present day (see Genesis genealogies; Luke 3:23-38 for Jesus’ genealogy). However, this timeline refers to the period starting from Eden, not the initial creation of the Earth itself.

The Bible begins with the statement in Genesis 1:1 

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

This verse affirms God as the eternal Creator who brought the universe into existence, but it does not specify how long ago this occurred. It could have been thousands, millions, or even billions of years ago. The exact timeframe is not detailed.

Verse 2 of Genesis introduces a condition of the Earth:
Genesis 1:2 

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.”

The phrase “without form, and void” (Hebrew: tohu va bohu) suggests a state of desolation or chaos. Many theologians interpret this as evidence that the original creation was subjected to judgment or ruin prior to the six-day creation account described afterward. This is often linked to the rebellion of Satan, who brought disorder to the creation (cf. Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-17—passages traditionally interpreted as referring to Satan’s fall).

This interpretation aligns with Isaiah 45:18

“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.”

Here, God emphasizes that He did not create the Earth to be empty or desolate, but to be inhabited. The presence of chaos in Genesis 1:2 implies a disruption of God’s original perfect creation.

Therefore, the six-day creation narrative in Genesis 1 is best understood as a re-creation or restoration of the Earth following that disruption. This means that while humans and all living creatures were created about 6,000 years ago, the Earth itself existed beforehand.

Regarding Satan’s presence: the Bible indicates that Satan existed before humans were created. He appears as the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), tempting Adam and Eve into disobedience. Revelation calls him “that old serpent”:

Revelation 20:2 

“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.”

This reveals that Satan is a fallen angelic being who rebelled against God and was cast down from heaven to the Earth prior to humanity’s creation (cf. Luke 10:18; 2 Peter 2:4).

The biblical narrative supports that creation is not static but has undergone spiritual conflict and cosmic disturbance due to Satan’s rebellion (cf. Job 1:6-12; Colossians 1:16-17). God’s restorative work in Genesis 1:3 and onward shows His power to bring order from chaos and life from desolation.

May this understanding deepen your faith and trust in God’s sovereign plan!

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