Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.6. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.7. “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’8. “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:5-8
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
1 John 3:9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4. to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
1 Peter 1:3-4
The point is that doctrine does not save us. Jesus saves us. He saves by the Cross & the Spirit. He saves us by the regeneration which is a miracle done in the Spirit in the inner man.
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,17. that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18. may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19. to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.20. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,21. to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:16-21
23. “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Matthew 13:23
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,2. as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,3. if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1 Peter 2-3
that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,23. and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,24. and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,15. and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,17. that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
Just like babies need a safe environment and specific inputs and specific challenges, growth opportunities for exercise so our church meetings and engagement with one another is critical to facilitate growth. Making little babies sit in an auditorium listening to complex teaching is practically useless for growth. Babies need to crawl around, play with blocks and learn age appropriate skills. The assumption that our synagogue model of church is conducive to spiritual growth is presumptions at best, and outright deception at worst.
Honest who of us thinks he has been growing optimally in the Spirit over the last 5 years? The passive spectator status of the normal Christian in Sunday morning Synagogue is a terrible platform if you are to become like Jesus that we see in Matthew. Most of us don’t even begin to think that the Jesus we see in Matthew is indeed the Christlike person we are supposed to become.
The model of weekly meeting in the early church is not of one man preaching and all listening. The priesthood of all believers means that all speak by the spirit, and also that that all judge truth. Not the elders, and certainly not the pastor. (there was no pastor but many elders all pastoring).
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16. from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:15-16
26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. 30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
36 Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? 37 If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
” (1 Corinthians 14:26–40, NKJV)