All Things Being Equal

Degeneration vs. Regeneration

I recently saw the graphic to the right, which has become a recurring theme in the world.  "Inside we're all the same", it claims.

Notice that on the image, you have the misappropriated rainbow symbol that the homosexual community uses to promote its cause.  I say misappropriated because the rainbow is a covenant sign that God made with Noah to never destroy all flesh again...with a flood (Genesis 9:9-17).

The flood in Noah's day was God's judgment against the pervading sin of man.  The sons of God (who were fallen angels) lusted after the daughters of men and mated with them (Genesis 6:4).  The children resulting from these unions are a hybrid creation referred to as the nephilim (meaning fallen ones), or what the Bible calls "giants".  Immediately after this perversion, we see its influence as the Scriptures say that, "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5).

The reality of that time seems almost impossible to consider; EVERY imagination and thought of man's heart was ONLY evil CONTINUALLY?   There was not even one good intent of the heart...ever?  Yet, when we look around us today, we can see mankind coming to the same place now.  The debauchery, unrestrained lust, sociopathic tendencies, and hatred for all things good which we see on a daily basis are unfathomable. One needs to only look at the news, or just look around you, to see that something has gotten hold of man and made him less than human.

Therefore, when I see people using the rainbow as a sign of their solidarity with, and support for, sexual perversion, I always get the mental picture of them shaking their fists at God.  One on hand, it is like they are hiding behind the rainbow, reminding God that He promised to not destroy the earth by flood again - as if they can put off their own judgment.  On the other hand, it is as if they are mocking God; daring Him to do something about their rebellion.  You can be assured that God will do both; He will destroy the earth again (although not by water) and He will judge all unrighteousness (Romans 2:2).

So what is the common refrain now?  "We are all the same on the inside."  Our differences do not matter because they are just external things.  Don't judge those who are different than you.  If you look with the eyes of love, diversity, and tolerance (as defined by the world), you will see that we are all the same.  We are all sharing in the same human struggle.  We are all a part of the human experience.  Deep down inside, we are all equal.  This is the sort of perspective which goes hand-in-hand with the "God loves us all" proclamation.

Many will say, "It is what is on the inside which matters."  And I wholeheartedly agree!  Problem is, the assertion that we are all the same on the inside is not true.  The big question - the only thing that matters - is "What are we on the inside?"  It is there we will find our differences or commonalities, based on the source of life which is within us.   

"Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more." II Corinthians 5:16

The world likes to judge according to the flesh (John 8:15).  What is your race, your political affiliation, your income level, your education, etc.  None of these superficial things mean anything in the Kingdom of God.  Yet this is what most of the world (including the so-called Church) seeks after.  Man has many causes and many injustices he seeks to recitify, but most of them are not the cause of Christ; they are merely the championing of the flesh.  This is why the Lord commands us to judge according to that which is spiritual (John 7:24; I Corinthians 2:15).  It is the spirit of man - what is on the inside - which determines who he really is. In this regard, the Bible says that we are either spiritually degenerating or regenerating.  Those are the only two options.

degenerating: to fall below a normal or desirable level in physical, mental, or moral qualities; to deteriorate; to diminish in quality;  to bring about a decline or reversion in.

regenerating:  to effect a complete moral reform in; to re-create, reconstitute, or make over, especially in a better form or condition; to revive or produce anew; bring into existence again; to renew or restore.

We need to understand this.  In God's eyes, there are only two types of people: those who are degenerating and those who are regenerating.  There is no other [eternal] distinction in man.  We are either soulish or saved; dead to God or born again; carnal or spiritual; God's enemy or His child, for Christ or anti-Christ, damned or redeemed.

If we are truly in Christ, then we ought to also see as He sees.  We should not primarily identify ourselves or others by appearances.  Not Black, White, Hispanic, Asian...not rich or poor...not young or old...  We are either in Christ and bearing forth His righteousness from within or in Satan and bearing forth his degradation from within.  The only people who are the "same inside" are those who are united by the same seed of life within; either the seed of the serpent or the seed of God.

"The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one" Matthew 13:38

Unlike the world will tell you, we are not all children of God (Galatians 3:26; Romans 8:15).  God only recognizes those who have been born again and are led by His Spirit.  Many are the children of the devil by means of the spirit working within them (Genesis 3:15; John 8:44; I John 3:8-10).

So what does degeneration look like?  The process is outlined in Romans Chapter 1.  It starts with ingratitude towards God producing a darkened heart that lacks wisdom.  The empty vanity of man's mind then leads him into idolatry and the worship of himself, which is first seen through fornication.  If unabated, God gives the fornicator up to the  "vile affections" of homosexuality.  Finally, God gives man over to reprobation, where he is filled with unrighetousness and completely unable to be saved. 

What is the answer for those on the path of degeneration?  Repent!  Turn from your ways (which is what repent means) and humbly present yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ to be cleansed. Through all of these stages of degeneration, God is longsuffering, letting man experience more of the "depths" of Satan so that man might turn to Him.  No one gets to reprobation by chance; it is the determined, continued rebellion of a mind which is set against God.

In regeneration, everything that man experienced in the fall is reversed back to the normal state of man when he was originally created.  Man is reconciled with the Father as he is translated from the power of darkness to the Kingdom of His Son.  He is made a partaker of the divine nature and given a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:24-28).  He is cleaned from his filthiness and given the Spirit of the Lord within so that he may walk in obedience to God. 

As evidence of these two different types of life within, we will either display the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-25).  This is why Jesus said that we will know those who belong to Him by their fruit (Matthew 7:17-20; Luke 6:33-34).  It is the manifestation of the life within us which declares to whom we truly belong. 

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:6

It is only what is on the inside which matters, and know for certain that we are not all the same. 

For more on this topic, please see the following resource:

Children of the Beast