The New Birth

by Tony Alamo

“Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in THY law” (Psa. 119:70). Having described actions and methods of proud persecutors against the Godly (V. 69), David now vividly relays or explains to me, to us, their hearts and inward character. The statement “fat as grease” can only be indicative of an exceedingly unhealthy condition if applied to the heart, the organ which sustains the life of the physical body of mankind. If through obesity and lack of exercise the heart becomes as fat as grease, it is weak and in continual danger of failing entirely, with death as the result.

A sinner’s heart becomes “fat as grease” spiritually through the indulgence of sensual lusts and covetous desire, becoming surfeited with the cares and entangled with the affairs of the world, of this earthly life (Luke 21:34, II Tim. 2:4). This includes living after the works of the flesh: “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like” (Gal. 6:8, 5:19-21). Not only does the wording of these verses describe a sensual life, it also refers to a senseless spiritual condition, one in which the conscience has become “seared with a hot iron” (I Tim. 4:2). In such a conscience sin has become so indelibly imprinted on the soul that it will never be removed. The Apostle Paul speaks of such persons as “being past feeling: [they] have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Eph 4:19). Just as the calamities of obesity and alcoholism do not immediately take a person over, but are the results of the habits of gluttony and drunkenness, which do their work, spiritual blindness and insensitivity follow persistent unbelief and disobedience, which increase and gain strength with every new rejection of truth pressed on the conscience, as we see when the prophet Isaiah was commanded by GOD to “Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed” (Isa. 6:9-10). It is a fearful thought that many in our sinful nation today may be under this very judgment of GOD, for the true gospel of the grace of GOD is very little known, not preached much, and not tolerated much where it is preached. Still, the sinner who is aware of the “plague of his own heart” (I Kings 8:38), can yet obtain mercy by coming to CHRIST in the spirit of the publican, saying, “GOD be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).1 Such a prayer flows from the work of the HOLY SPIRIT in the heart, described by Ezekiel: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put MY SPIRIT within you, and cause you to walk in MY statutes, and ye shall keep MY judgments, and do them” (Ezek. 36:26-27).2 This transformation of heart and life is both willing and joyous, and if a person continues in the faith it will be permanent.3 This is the experience of every true saint.4

Delight in the LORD, or love for GOD’S law, is only possible when the new birth has taken place 5 “not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the WORD of GOD, which liveth and abideth for ever” (I Pet. 1:23). Though a natural man is able to do many things in keeping the commandments of GOD, he cannot love the strictness of HIS law, which applies to his thoughts and motives as well as to his outward actions, or have a longing for greater holiness rather than a perverse delight in seeing how much rebellion he can get away with.

Sin, whether committed by the unregenerated or by a believer, is unchanging in its nature and effects.6 It deceives and hardens the soul; therefore, we have the command “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living GOD. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:12-13). Make this your daily rule. If you don’t know JESUS, say this prayer and you will:

Prayer

My Lord and my God, have mercy upon my soul, a sinner. 1 I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. 2 I believe that He died on the cross and shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of all my sins. 3 I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit 4 and that He sits on the right hand of God at this moment, hearing my confession of sin and this prayer. 5 I open up the door of my heart and I invite You into my heart, Lord Jesus. 6 Wash all of my filthy sins away in the precious blood that You shed in my place on the cross at Calvary. 7 You will not turn me away, Lord Jesus, You will forgive my sins and save my soul. I know because Your Word, the Bible says so. 8 Your Word says that You will turn no one away, and that includes me. 9 Therefore, I know that You have heard me, and I know that You have answered me, and I know that I am saved. 10 And I thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving my soul, and I will show my thankfulness by doing as You command and sin no more. 11

You've just completed the first step in a series of five steps which are necessary to receive salvation. Your second step is to deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow JESUS for the purpose of mortifying your flesh, that is, for putting to death your own will, your soulful self, and the world with all of its lusts. All these must be baptized into the death of CHRIST.

Step three is your resurrection from the satanic life of Adam unto the sinless life of CHRIST. Step four is your ascension into a position of authority to reign for GOD with CHRIST on earth, and the fifth step is to reign for GOD in CHRIST on earth to the end for the purpose of bringing about the kingdom of Heaven on earth. You must learn the WORD of GOD, submit yourselves one to another, and do what the WORD says so that the church and the world may see evidence of your submission to GOD’S WORD, HIS order, and HIS authority in and by you. Praise the LORD. May GOD bless and reward you abundantly. Yours in the wonderful name of JESUS,

Praise the Lord. May God reward you abundantly.

Pastor Tony Alamo

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The New Birth footnotes:

1. II Chron. 7:14, Jer. 26:2-3, Hos. 14:1-3, Mark 1:14-15, John 6:37, 10:9, Acts 13:38-39, Rom. 2:4, 10:9-13, Eph. 5:14, I John 1:9 return

2. Deut. 30:6, Ezek. 11:19-20 return

3. Psa. 97:11, Isa. 61:1-3, 65:14, Matt. 10:22, 13:23, 44-46, 25:20-21, Luke 8:15, 38-39, 24:52-53, John 15:10-11, 16:22-24, 17:13, Acts 2:40-47, 5:38-42, Gal. 6:14-16, Tit. 3:1-7, Heb. 9:11-15, Rev. 7:13-17 return

4. Ruth 1:15-18, I Sam. 2:1, Psa. 4:7, 9:1, 97:11, Isa. 61:1-3, Luke 24:52-53, Acts 2:40-47, 5:38-42, 8:35-40, Heb. 11:5, 8-10, 13-16, 24-26, 31-32 return

5. Deut. 30:6, I Sam. 2:1, 10:9, Psa. 22:26, 57:7, 119:97, Ezek. 11:19-20, 36:26-27, Rom. 2:29, 7:5-6, 22, 8:1-2, 5-7, II Cor. 5:17, Eph. 4:22-24, Heb. 9:14, I Pet. 1:8-9 return

6. Gen. 6:5, 8:20-21, Jer. 17:9, Zeph. 1:4-6, Luke 8:13, Rom. 8:1-8, I Cor. 9:26-27, Gal. 5:16-21, 6:8, Eph. 4:22, II Thes. 2:3, I Tim. 4:1-3, II Tim. 4:10, Heb. 3:12, 10:26-29, 38-39, James 4:4, I Pet. 4:1-3, II Pet. 2:20-22 return

Prayer footnotes:

1. Psa. 51:5, Rom. 3:10-12, 23 return

2. Matt. 26:63-64, 27:54, Luke 1:30-33, John 9:35-37, Rom. 1:3-4 return

3. Acts 4:12, 20:28, Rom. 3:25, I John 1:7, Rev. 5:9 return

4. Psa. 16:9-10, Matt. 28:5-7, Mark 16:9, 12, 14, John 2:19, 21, 10:17-18, 11:25, Acts 2:24, 3:15, Rom. 8:11, I Cor. 15:3-7 return

5. Luke 22:69, Acts 2:25-36, Heb. 10:12-13 return

6. I Cor. 3:16, Rev. 3:20 return

7. Eph. 2:13-22, Heb. 9:22, 13:12, 20-21, I John 1:7, Rev. 1:5, 7:14 return

8. Matt. 26:28, Acts 2:21, 4:12, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14 return

9. Matt. 21:22, John 6:35, 37-40, Rom. 10:13 return

10. Heb. 11:6 return

11. John 5:14, 8:11, Rom. 6:4, I Cor. 15:10, Rev. 7:14, 22:14 return