A Note from Michael Gossett
Birthmarks of the Reborn
We live in an age of moral relativism (the individual determines morality) and theological ambiguity. However, the Apostle John helps us during this age by providing a bold and uncompromising truth about regeneration. Regeneration is not some mystical abstraction, nor is it a subjective feeling. It is a definite act of God with objective evidence in the life of EVERY believer. In 1 John 5:1-6, the Apostle outlines the evidences of regeneration. These are not the causes of our salvation but the clear and necessary results of our salvation.
Throughout Scripture, the radical nature of the new birth is always emphasized. From Luther’s Bondage of the Will to John Calvin’s doctrine of effectual calling to other theologians alike, there is a clear recognition that salvation is monergistic, which means it is accomplished by God alone. The new birth is not a cooperative effort between God and man but the sovereign act of the Holy Spirit who “blows where He wishes” (John 3:8). Jonathan Edwards also taught that regeneration is not a moral reformation but “a supernatural and divine light, immediately imparted to the soul by God.”
However, in this act by God, man has a clear response. This is also seen throughout Scripture and taught throughout church history from her earliest beginnings. Salvation (true conversion) is an inward act by God alone and will manifest outwardly, commonly known as fruit. The spiritual DNA of the believer is visible in three fundamental marks as outlined by the Apostle John. First, there will be love for one another. Secondly, there will be a longing to do what God commands. Lastly, there will be victory over the world.
- Love for One Another“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him” (1 John 5:1). Belief in God the Son evidences birth from God the Father and love for the Father necessitates love for His children. This is not sentimentalism or a superficial community that meets together now and then. This is a genuine love for one another. This type of love puts others before ourselves. John is teaching that this is a sacrificial love. Sacrificial love gives so the Church can continue to move forward, put others first, serve one another, and be unified around the same mission. It is a love forged in the furnace of heavenly adoption. It reflects the theological reality that we are united to one another because we are united to Christ, the head of the Church. Richard Sibbes wrote, “Where there is union with Christ, there is union with all that is Christ’s.” Thomas Watson also said, “He cannot have God for his Father who does not have the church for his mother.”
Therefore, true, meaningful, and biblical church membership is not optional. It is not a cultural thing but a covenantal declaration of familial identity. It is covenanting together in love and for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our love is proven, sharpened, and matured through the local Church. We are not called to abstract love but rather to bear one another’s burdens according to Galatians 6:2. We are to exhort one another daily according to Hebrews 3:13. We are called to forgive one another as Christ forgives us according to Colossians 3:13. This is not a casual commitment, it is a clear covenant with Christ and His bride. The regenerate heart cannot remain isolated from Christ’s body. Just as a newborn cannot survive apart from its family, we cannot thrive apart from the Church.
Is this your testimony? Is this your priority?
Today, it is more common for people to confess Christ in word but deny Him in practice. The cultural drift we see today is the lack of priority in many people and families when it comes to gathering with the Church. Sunday used to be known as the Lord’s Day (it still is), but so many have turned it into a catch-up on chores day. It has become another day to fit in little league games, homework, house projects, and anything else that may take its place. Many will say, “I do not have to attend church to be a Christian.” That statement is true but is more commonly abused to permit our lack of commitment. You do not have to go to Church to be a Christian, but all Christians go to Church because of a heavenly desire to be with the bride of Christ.
The early Church saw gathering as not just a privilege but a necessity. Acts 2:42–47 reveals a body of believers devoted to fellowship, teaching, prayer, and the breaking of bread. They did not ask, “Do I feel like going today?” They asked, “Where else could I go but among the people of God?”
However, today, we have trained ourselves to believe that sports, sleep, recreation, and relaxation are reasonable excuses for missing the gathering where God has promised to speak through His Word and feed His people with grace. We would never treat our secular obligations this way—so why do we treat Christ’s Body so flippantly?
In short, a faithful follower of Jesus will continually reorient their lives to His ways no matter what it costs or what is convenient. It will compel us to reorder our schedules, preferences, and comforts around God’s glory and the good of His people. - Longing for God’s Commandments“This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey His commands. For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. And His commands are not a burden.” (1 John 5:2–3)
For the unregenerate heart, God’s commands can seem restrictive and burdensome. However, the regenerate heart will find the law of God precious, life-giving, and liberating. This is one of the clearest marks of spiritual rebirth. John says that true love for God expresses itself not in emotional sentiment but in obedience fueled by a surrendered heart. This is not a begrudging obedience but a joyful, willing, and submissive posture of the heart sealed by the Spirit of God Himself.
The grace that saves us also sanctifies us. The transforming power of the truth of Jesus sets us free from the law. The burden and the curse are broken, which gives freedom to walk in the beauty of holiness. As Paul writes in Romans 8:4, God sent His Son “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
This is the positive end of the law by continuing to shape our lives today. For the one that is not in Christ, the law is a reminder of failure. For the one that is in Christ, the law is a guiding mirror for a life of sanctification. John Calvin wrote in his Institutes that “the law is the best instrument for enabling the faithful to learn more thoroughly each day the nature of the Lord’s will to which they aspire, and to confirm them in the understanding of it.” The law is not contrary to grace; it is the schoolmaster of grace.
One of the ways this can be dangerous (in the pharisaical sense) is that without the Spirit’s guidance, you could be on the fast trek to live the life of a Pharisee. Before you dismiss me and think this is not applicable, let us first do a little test: A Pharisee knows the law better than anyone. However, a Pharisee has somehow transitioned from the law serving as a mirror and turned them into binoculars.
You have probably heard of Jeff Foxworthy’s “You might be a redneck…”
Well… You might be a pharisee if you use God’s word as a way to look at others’ progress instead of a mirror to hold up against your own heart.
You might be a pharisee if you read God’s word for information rather than intimacy.
You might be a pharisee if God’s word has become a tool rather than your treasure.
You might be a pharisee if you are frustrated with the lack of spiritual maturity around you.
You might be a pharisee if you are quick to dismiss someone who needs spiritual guidance, physical help, or mentoring.
You might be a pharisee if you are quick to complain and slow to compliment.
You might be a pharisee if you cannot extend grace to others but expect it from others.
The list can go on, but you get the picture.
As God’s people, we must continue to lean into the law, which will highlight every blemish in our hearts so that we might become more like Him. This sounds brutal, but it is actually for our good and God’s glory. This is a gift from God. Psalm 119:15-16 says, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”
Do you treasure God’s word in your heart? Or has it become a tool only for your mind? - Victory for Today“For everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4–5)
This is the third birthmark that John gives us. This is not a hopeless or naïve optimism from a motivational speaker. This is the blood-bought reality of a life truly living in Christ. This is the idea Jesus said in John 10:10 about the abundant life! The abundant and victorious life is not reserved for super-Christians but is an inheritance for all who have been born again.
However, what does it mean to conquer the world? John’s use of the word “world” refers to the entire system of beliefs, values, and priorities that stand in opposition to the Lord. The world, the flesh, and the devil wage war against God’s people. This unholy trinity is overwhelmed and defeated by Christ Himself. It cannot be accomplished by power, intellect, or skill but by faith alone in the victorious One.
This language of victory would have deeply resonated with the early Church, who were living under the threat of persecution and martyrdom. John was writing in a world ruled by Roman emperors who demanded worship. However, John does not speak about the despairing life but about the victorious life! Why? Because Jesus has already overcome the world (John 16:33). The believer’s victory is not achieved by their strength but is received by their union with Christ. Wow… what a thought that only leaves us to say, “Praise be to God!”
William Gurnall’s classic work, The Christian in Complete Armour, serves as a reminder that believers are soldiers in an invisible war. But praise God that we do not fight for victory, but from victory!
Remember these things:
- We conquer through our spiritual rebirth. We are no longer citizens of this world but of heaven.
- We conquer through our belief. Our faith is anchored in a Savior who cannot fail.
- We conquer through His blood. It is the blood of Jesus that secures our forgiveness, our adoption, and our eternal inheritance.
Paul said in Romans 8:37: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” This is the victory that sustains the disciple of Jesus through persecution, temptation, suffering, and death! It is the unshakable assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God through His Son, Jesus. The believer’s life is not marked by defeat but by a victory that provides us with confident perseverance today. Is this what marks your life?
This is why Easter Sunday is so important! The resurrection of Jesus is the hope of our rebirth and salvation found only in Him!
As we approach Resurrection Sunday, the MOST hope-filled day in human history, I want to challenge you to invite THREE people to join you for Easter at Green Acres.
Think of friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and even family members who do not know the risen Lord yet. They may be hurting, searching, or simply waiting for someone to care enough to invite them. They are not marked by rebirth or living a life of victory – show them where victory comes! You might be the one God uses to open their hearts to the gospel.
Remember, Easter is not just a holiday but the clear declaration of our victory in Christ. It is the day we celebrate that sin has been defeated, death has been conquered, and hope has been secured for all who trust in Jesus. Let us not keep this victorious news to ourselves.
Who are your three? Pray for them today.
A Prayer for today:
Heavenly Father,
I am so thankful for the rebirth and the power of salvation in your Son, Jesus. Thank you for opening my blind eyes to see the beauty of Christ and for adopting me as your child in your eternal family. Strengthen me today to love others well and let this be a marker of my life. Please help me lay down my preferences and priorities for the sake of your Kingdom and your mission. Please help me to have a growing longing and desire for your word, which is life-giving. Help me walk in the victory you have graciously provided and given to me. Protect me from spiritual apathy and conform me to be more like you today. Help these marks to be the marks of my life that confirm my salvation in you. Lord, help me have the courage to get 3 people to come with me this Easter. Please help me see people who are desperate for you and lost right now without you. Pave the way for me to ask them today.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
CALLING ALL MEN: GUYS’ NIGHT 2025!
Men, this is your night—a night of challenge, brotherhood, and real faith. On May 2 from 6:00-9:00 PM, we’re bringing together Dr. Robby Gallaty, and Tim Tebow for one EPIC night that will push you to grow as a man, leader, husband, father, and disciple of Jesus.
This one-night event is your chance to be challenged, sharpened, and strengthened in your walk with Christ. We’re talking bold truth, powerful testimonies, and real encouragement—plus some legit barbecue because, let’s be honest, no guys’ night is complete without it.
WHO’S IT FOR?
✔️ High school & college guys
✔️ Husbands & fathers
✔️ Grandfathers & mentors
✔️ Men who want more than just going through the motions
Cost is $25 per person
Bring your crew, grab your tickets, and get ready for a night that will fuel your faith and challenge you to step up as the man God has called you to be.
Don’t wait. Don’t sit this one out. Step up and be part of something bigger!
GOOD FRIDAY I hope that you will join us tonight at 6PM as we worship together, participate in the Lord’s Supper, reflecting on the sacrifice that Jesus made, and anticipate the celebration of Easter.
This Sunday – EASTER Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, we will have MANY opportunities to CELEBRATE together – starting with our annual Easter Sunrise Service at 7:00am at the Cathedral in the Pines Memorial Garden. For Easter Worship Services, we have 2 options at Tyler Campus: 9:30am and 11am. At Flint Campus: 8am, 9:30am, and 11am. Then, GABC Español will worship together at 11am. There will be NO Connect Groups at any of our campuses.
THIS EASTER SUNDAY! “His Death / Our Hope”
Jesus didn’t just rise from the grave—He rose to declare the verdict over your life: forgiven, redeemed, justified. We’ll be looking at Romans 4:23–5:2 and discovering what it means to stand in grace because of the risen Christ. We’d love for you to be there—and to bring your three people with you who need to hear the gospel.
Text them. Invite them. Bring them with you.
This Sunday at 9:30 am or 11:00 am at our Tyler Campus, Español Campus (Crosswalk of Tyler Campus at 11:00 am only) or Flint Campus at 8:00, 9:30, or 11:00.
We also have our Easter Sunrise Service at 7:00am at the Cathedral in the Pines Memorial Garden. There will be NO Connect Groups at any of our campuses.
The tomb is empty and so is the verdict! Come and see why!
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett