"Truly Born Again" Kathryn Kuhlman 1 John Chapter 3

Today, we're going to have another one of those heart -to -heart talks. Somebody says, oh, I was hoping so. That's right. And I pray that as you sit there with an open mind, but most of all, an open Bible, that our little heart -to -heart talk today will mean much to you. the other morning and it was quite early because we were coming into the office and mr loesch was driving we were talking about something very seriously when suddenly i realized that there was a car parked the side of the road and the thing that got my attention first was the fact that the hood of the engine was open, and I was seeing the most beautiful engine I ever saw in my life. There were two young teenagers standing there looking at it, their hands on their hips, but this engine, it was a masterpiece. I care you so, help me. You never lifted the hood of a Rolls Royce and saw what I saw. Every part of that engine had been chrome -plated. It was a beauty. The sun was shining, and I'm going to tell you, that chrome shone. Oh, I saw a masterpiece. And the engine looked so big. And the second thing that I saw were these three teenagers with the look of despair on their faces. They were the most forlorn, most dejected -looking teenagers that I've seen for a long time. And I said, did you see that engine? Yeah, he said. I said, what was it? Oh, he said, it was one of those hot rods. He said, those teenagers probably bought it for $10, $15. And I said, a hot rod? Sure, he said. I said, did you see that motor? Did you see what I saw? Oh, sure, he said. He said, the teenagers probably went out and got each part of that motor chrome plated. I said, but why were they looking so dejected? He said, well, for pity's sakes, Miss Coleman, it's because the thing won't run. I said, Loach, I'm telling you, I have seen with my very eyes the best illustration that I can give of tens of... thousands of professing Christians. They've got the old hop rod. They've got the motor all chrome -plated. They go out looking like the first horse in the parade. They sing loud. They're all fixed up. On the outside, you would think they were saints of God, ready for the rapture. sit on little thrones, judging everybody that comes near them. They can testify, they can sing, they can quote the scripture. The only thing that's wrong with the hot rod, it isn't running. There's no power there because there's no life there. They're dead. No matter how they look, my friend, if the Spirit of the Lord is not there, if they are not a part of His body, if... He does not abide within. If his words are not within, if they are not abiding in him, my friend, it's a dead life. And it's just like that. Mm -hmm. I left you in our last little heart -to -heart talk in the sixth chapter of Hebrews. And we have a picture of one who even tasted the things of the Spirit, so completely enlightened. They have even tasted the good word of God. They have tasted the powers of the world to come. If they shall fall away, it's impossible to renew them again unto repentance. Why? Because there's nothing more left. Nothing more. What more can God do? Jesus offered himself through the Holy Spirit to God the Father to be given. That they might have life everlasting. That we might have life everlasting. The pardon is there. Then we have the Holy Spirit, the mighty convicting power. He is the one who sends mighty conviction. And after they have rejected the pardon, after they have rejected the Holy Spirit, there is nothing more that God can do. He has done everything in his power. The rest is left with the individual. Now, we come to this thing. But, beloved, we're persuaded better things of you. You who have been born again. You who have had that glorious new birth experience. There are two births. The one thing that we all have in common as a part of humanity is the first birth, the birth of the flesh. That's one thing we all have in common. Rich or poor, regardless of nationality, we've all come into the world the same way. That first birth in the flesh. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, the Bible says. But there is another birth that we do not all share. The birth of the Spirit. His Spirit. We call it the new birth experience. Explain it. I can't. It's something you have to experience. It's something that's personal. That's why you will never hear Catherine Kuhlman ever say, there were 150 who were born again at the close of the service yesterday. You will never hear me say, oh, we had a great altar call. There were 200 who were born again. I'll never say it. I have no right to say it. Perhaps there were a hundred and fifty who came forward and accepted the altar call. There could have been two hundred, three hundred who came forward at the close of the service, responding to the altar call. The three hundred, the two hundred, or the fifty. could have knelt. That many wept and wept bitterly. But only God knows and the individual knows whether or not they were born again because it's a personal transaction. I can stand right there with my hand on that shoulder of that one. I can pray with them. Dear Father, God, in Jesus' name, blot out their every transgression in this moment. I can even weep with them. I can give them the handkerchief with which they'll wipe the tears from their cheeks. I can be there and see them as they get up from their knees and walk away. But... I do not know whether they had been born again. I do not know whether they wept because they'd been caught, whether they wept because of some emotion. I do not know. Many a woman listening to me has had a husband who... has promised her time after time that he's going to give up his liquor. She's heard the same story. He has come home so drunk. And he has said to her, Anna, this is the last time. This is... So I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. It's almost like... Putting a record on, she's heard the same thing over and over again, and he goes out and he does it again. Beloved, being sorry isn't enough. It's when the old boy comes home and he's so sorry that he's not going to do it again that he changes. And it's like that. Mainly a person cries when he's caught. It isn't because he's so sorry for his sin. It isn't because he's so sorry he did the same. No, really. He enjoyed what he was doing. And he'd be the sorriest person in the world if that sin was taken away from him because he's had so much pleasure in the sin. He weeps because he was caught. He weeps because he's afraid his wife's going to leave him. He weeps because he knows he's going to have to pay the price for his sin. Tears, oh, tears are so cheap sometimes. My friend, it is only when that somebody comes, the Lord Jesus Christ, and is so sorry for his sin, he is so... Sorry for his sinful life. He wants Jesus so much that he'll turn not halfway, but he'll make a complete turn. A hundred and eighty degree angle and he comes all the way over. And he says, I want a new master. I'm tired of serving the devil. I want a new life. I want Jesus Christ to forgive my sins. I'm so sorry for my sin that I don't want to sin anymore. I'm sick of it all. And in that moment, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth that one from all unrighteousness and that one becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. That's what we call being born again. Old things pass away and behold, all things become new. How much do you want Jesus Christ? How much do you want to be born again? It's what's in the heart and only God knows the heart. And I put out a challenge right now to any man. Any woman who wants to be born again, you can be born again this very moment. Do you want to be delivered from sin? You can be delivered this very moment. I don't care how sweet in sin you may be this very hour. Do you want to be delivered from liquor? Don't come to me and say, I just can't. I'm weak. I get so sick of these people who come to me and they use their weakness, their physical weaknesses, as an excuse for living a victorious Christian life. I don't care what your physical weaknesses may be. I don't care what... with this you have inherited from your father or your grandfather. I promise you upon the authority of God's word and watch. You can be set free from the power of sin the very moment you are willing to surrender to him lock, stock, and barrel. But many a person enjoys his physical weakness so much. Many a person enjoys his sin, his living in sin, so much that he really doesn't want to be delivered from the sin. Therefore, who am I to say 200 people accepted Jesus their Savior? That's the reason there are thousands who are prof... testing Christians who have never been born again. But I'm going to tell you something. If you have ever really been born again, you'll know it. You will know it. And there will be the evidence. It's a Day by day proposition. I want you to read something with me. Turn, if you will, please, to 1 John. You know, there's 1 John, 2 John, 3 John. It's 1 John, the second chapter, the fourth verse. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar. And the truth is not in him. But whosoever keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that we are in him. If you say you're a Christian, if you say that you've been born again, and you do not keep his commandments, I didn't say it. The Word of God says. You are a liar, and the truth is not in you. And the only person that you deceive, if you really think that you are a Christian, and yet you're not keeping His commandments, you're living exactly as a man on the outside, the man of the world. the unregenerated man, if you are living exactly as he lives, then, my friend, the Bible says you are a liar. The truth is not in you, and the truth is that you are not a Christian. This is so plain a child can see it. That's the reason I'm telling you. It means something to be a Christian. This is exactly what Jesus was talking about when he said, working out your own salvation. All right. You've had the experience of being born again. You've accepted that Christ is your personal Savior. From there on out, you work out your own salvation. How? By keeping his word. Keeping his commandments. God isn't going to force you to do it. That's one thing about it. To the very end, to the last day I live, to the last breath that I breathe, one thing I know, God will never force me to do a thing. I am not... forced to give my life as a living sacrifice unto Him. I preached the gospel all these many years. I can walk away from this microphone right now and never preach another sermon. I am perfectly free to walk out of this studio right now and never again open the Word of God. I am still a free moral agent. I can exercise my own will anytime that I want to. I am free to either keep his commandment or live contrary to his word. And so are you. But my friend, you cannot be a Christian and think that you are still. a part of his body, a part of the body of Christ, a member of his church, and not keep his commandment, and not keep his word. I'm saying something. Oh, I know you'd rather that I preach on the love of God, but my friend, this is necessary. I pray that right now the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart. I don't care what you profess. You may be partakers of the Holy Spirit. You may be partakers of the things of God. But if you are not keeping His word, if you are not keeping His commandments, then you're a phony. It's a false life that you're professing. And the Bible says you are a liar and the truth is not in you. That is the Word of God. Amen.