Devotion 326
“Born Into A Denomination”
Reference: II Kings Chapter 13
I had a conversation with a cashier yesterday. I asked him if he was saved. He asked me to repeat the question which I did. He began to deflect to a different subject. I redirected him by asking the question again. Are you saved? He said “yes I am saved.” I asked him when did he get saved, and he answered “since birth.”
This cashier went on to explain he was born in a particular denomination. He was equating his birth into a denomination as salvation instead of his birth into Christ by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
We are born into Christ by one Holy Spirit. Our faith in Christ must bring us to receive God the Holy Spirit.
This is Born Again. We are born originally without God. We are Born Again of God. That means God has come to dwell in us by His Spirit; the Holy Spirit.
This cashier was born into this particular denomination and had not been Born Again.
Jehoahaz is born into the denomination of Jetoboam.
Let’s read:
2 Kings 13:1-2 “In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. [2] And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.”
All denominations cannot be right. If the Catholic denomination is right, then all other denominations are wrong. If the Pentecostal denomination is right, then all other denominations are wrong. If the Lutheran denomination is right, then all other denominations are wrong, and so forth.
The denomination of Jetoboam was evil in the sight of God.
You can make the case that Jehoahaz was born into the denomination and didn’t know any better. But God doesn’t deal with denominations. He deals with individuals.
If your faith is in your denomination, you are not saved, you are not Born Again. For we are only saved by birth into Christ by the Holy Spirit coming to dwell in us, and not by shaking the hand of a priest, rabbi, or joining a denomination through association or even birth.
We continue our reading:
2 Kings 13:3 “And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben–hadad the son of Hazael, all their days.”
God hated the denomination of Jeroboam for it misled the people just as many denominations mislead the people who are seeking truth; which is the personal oneness with God through the New Birth.
We continue our reading:
2 Kings 13:4-19 “And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. [5] (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime. [6] Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.) [7] Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing. [8] Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? [9] And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead. [10] In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. [11] And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein. [12] And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? [13] And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. [14] Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. [15] And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. [16] And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. [17] And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. [18] And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. [19] And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.”
When in trouble, Israel sought after the true God and not their denominations.
It’s only when trouble strikes that many leave denominational creeds for the true God.
Many are Born Again through adversity.
We continue our reading:
2 Kings 13:20-21 “And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. [21] And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.”
The body of Elisha was dead but the Spirit of God in Elisha never died. The same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
He is the same Spirit today, yesterday, and forever.
We conclude our reading:
2 Kings 13:22-25 “But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. [23] And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet. [24] So Hazael king of Syria died; and Ben–hadad his son reigned in his stead. [25] And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben–hadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.”
We are not saved by a denomination. It’s a personal New Birth into Christ provided and kept only by the Holy Spirit in the man or woman.
In the days of Jesus Christ, there was the denomination of the Pharisees, the denomination of Sadducees, the denomination the Orthodox Jew, and so on and so forth. But all those denominations missed the Messiah Who was standing right in front of them. They missed the Word Who was standing right in their midst.
Let the Word of God bring you into the personal New Birth. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. One God; the Father, Holy Spirit, the Son, all in Christ!
Reference: II Kings Chapter 13
I had a conversation with a cashier yesterday. I asked him if he was saved. He asked me to repeat the question which I did. He began to deflect to a different subject. I redirected him by asking the question again. Are you saved? He said “yes I am saved.” I asked him when did he get saved, and he answered “since birth.”
This cashier went on to explain he was born in a particular denomination. He was equating his birth into a denomination as salvation instead of his birth into Christ by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
We are born into Christ by one Holy Spirit. Our faith in Christ must bring us to receive God the Holy Spirit.
This is Born Again. We are born originally without God. We are Born Again of God. That means God has come to dwell in us by His Spirit; the Holy Spirit.
This cashier was born into this particular denomination and had not been Born Again.
Jehoahaz is born into the denomination of Jetoboam.
Let’s read:
2 Kings 13:1-2 “In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. [2] And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.”
All denominations cannot be right. If the Catholic denomination is right, then all other denominations are wrong. If the Pentecostal denomination is right, then all other denominations are wrong. If the Lutheran denomination is right, then all other denominations are wrong, and so forth.
The denomination of Jetoboam was evil in the sight of God.
You can make the case that Jehoahaz was born into the denomination and didn’t know any better. But God doesn’t deal with denominations. He deals with individuals.
If your faith is in your denomination, you are not saved, you are not Born Again. For we are only saved by birth into Christ by the Holy Spirit coming to dwell in us, and not by shaking the hand of a priest, rabbi, or joining a denomination through association or even birth.
We continue our reading:
2 Kings 13:3 “And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben–hadad the son of Hazael, all their days.”
God hated the denomination of Jeroboam for it misled the people just as many denominations mislead the people who are seeking truth; which is the personal oneness with God through the New Birth.
We continue our reading:
2 Kings 13:4-19 “And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. [5] (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime. [6] Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.) [7] Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing. [8] Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? [9] And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead. [10] In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. [11] And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein. [12] And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? [13] And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. [14] Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. [15] And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. [16] And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. [17] And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. [18] And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. [19] And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.”
When in trouble, Israel sought after the true God and not their denominations.
It’s only when trouble strikes that many leave denominational creeds for the true God.
Many are Born Again through adversity.
We continue our reading:
2 Kings 13:20-21 “And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. [21] And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.”
The body of Elisha was dead but the Spirit of God in Elisha never died. The same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
He is the same Spirit today, yesterday, and forever.
We conclude our reading:
2 Kings 13:22-25 “But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. [23] And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet. [24] So Hazael king of Syria died; and Ben–hadad his son reigned in his stead. [25] And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben–hadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.”
We are not saved by a denomination. It’s a personal New Birth into Christ provided and kept only by the Holy Spirit in the man or woman.
In the days of Jesus Christ, there was the denomination of the Pharisees, the denomination of Sadducees, the denomination the Orthodox Jew, and so on and so forth. But all those denominations missed the Messiah Who was standing right in front of them. They missed the Word Who was standing right in their midst.
Let the Word of God bring you into the personal New Birth. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. One God; the Father, Holy Spirit, the Son, all in Christ!
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