A new creature in Christ

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

II Cor. 5:17 ... if any man be in Christ (being born again of Christ's Spirit), he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

After we are born again, another Spirit, the Spirit of God works in us.  We are a new creature now.  We are not as we once were.  All that is passed away.  Once we lived for ourselves.  Now we live for God.

II Cor. 5 ... 14For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 

My cousin once said to me, "I know you are a Christian ... I just don't know how you are."

She had been in church all her life but she didn't understand being born again.

Later her husband did a similar thing to me.  He and his dad were leaders in Church of Christ denomination.  But he didn't understand being born again.

To these people, they think salvation is a matter of your own will and your own works.  That by will power you do things of the Bible.  They do not understand having the Spirit of God in you and being born again.

I was born again by God by His Spirit in 1975 when HE revealed (by His Spirit) truth to me ... saying ... "Joan, you know all these mistakes you've made... they weren't mistakes ... they were sin."  I was shocked at this revelation.  And in a blink of the eye, instantly, I was born again and changed from the previous life and given HIS Spirit to lead me in the new life.

Many in church groups have not been born again.  They just copy other people and think themselves to be of God and try to be of God.  

Jude ...  17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators of the real people of God) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

But you cannot be of God this way.  You must be born again to be of God and follow God by HIS Spirit.

Jn. 3 ... 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 

6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

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After you are born again, are you perfected by the flesh?

How were you born again?  I was born again by the Spirit of God speaking to me.  I was born of the Spirit.  And I was given the Spirit to dwell in me to teach me and guide me and to remind me of all God has said to me.

Working of the Spirit of God in us:

Jn. 14:26 ... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

Jn. 16:13 ... Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

"One step at a time ... One step at a time ... it is enough",  I heard from the Spirit and over the past 39 years what I have tried to do is that step given me by the Holy Spirit.

And God taught me, putting in me HIS laws, HIS ways ... as HE said HE would do for the NT church.  Heb. 8 & Heb 10 .. God says:  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts:

So now what?

Paul exhorts:  Gal. 3:3 ... Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Recently I received a letter from a young man who asked me to send him books that he might need.  He said he is born again.

The book you need is the Bible.  I just read the Bible over and over from Genesis to Revelation.  And then I begin again at Genesis.  And along the way the Spirit that is in me enlightens me to the way of God.  Often I see scripture whereby I can correct myself.  The Spirit often causes scripture I especially need at that time to stand out to me.  When this happens, I focus on that scripture, not trying to read more but to let that scripture take root in me.  There have been times I will keep one scripture in front of me for several months until I know it is established it me. 

Do we turn to the flesh of man ... how were we born again... If we are born again, it was by the Spirit, not by following a man.

Now we continue by following the Spirit, not by following a man.

It is the Spirit that teaches you.  Read the Bible and pay attention to the Spirit.  Meditate on those scriptures called to your attention by the Spirit.  Meditate on those things called to your mind by the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit keeps us in the way of God by reminding us of the truth from God.  We cling to this truth.  We walk in this truth.  And we refuse to entertain the lies of the devil.  For the devil is a liar and there is no truth in him.  Jn. 8...  Jesus said to the religious people ... 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:for he is a liar, and the father of it.