John 1:12 English Standard Version (ESV) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

How old were you when you believed by saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ?

There will be some who have never heard it put to them in that manner. The gospel is preached to us in very simple terms. 

The only gospel that addresses the issue of being born again is the last gospel, the gospel of John. It is the only gospel that is not synoptic. There is a reason for this and its order was preordained by God. It is the same reason that the word predestined was not mentioned in any of the gospels and does not appear until Acts.

We were not spiritually developed enough to accept those truths. At least not yet.

John 3:3 English Standard Version (ESV) Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

It is difficult for a new believer to understand when they are born again that they are born spiritually blind. They have heard and read the gospel and they believe in Christ and upon their baptism they wake up in the world that is visually the same. They are yet to see the spiritual kingdom.

The reason I asked how old you were when you believed by saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is because many of us seek to come to Him as just our savior. We have not yet seen Him as Lord. That identity is spiritual and is not seen with earthly eyes,

Just as babies that are introduced to their earthly parents, those identities come into focus as the natural eye adjusts to being alive. They recognize their parents by repetition of relationships. They see nothing of the world until the parents introduce them little by little as they are ready to receive those experiences.

The kingdom of God is no different. We will not see into the spiritual realm when and how the Lord our God deems us ready to receive those truths. The truth that opens our eyes to more truth is the one where we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and submit to Him.

No one is a servant until we submit to His Lordship.

Isaiah 41:10 English Standard Version (ESV) fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

When we first come to Christ it is all about self. The life we lived is no longer desirable for a number of reasons but the reason we come to Christ is initially all about being saved. What we are being saved from at that point is not important. We just want to feel better about ourselves.

My moment came when I uttered my first prayer to God, “I don’t want to be like this.” What I was in my personal life wasn’t working for me. I wanted something different.

Look again at Isaiah 41:10 and ask ourselves these questions. Do I want to be strengthened? Do I want help? Do I want to be held up in righteousness? It would seem that we do. In doing this we have taken the I in Isaiah 41:10 and transformed it from meaning God to self.

There is a message that has been preached at us over and over again.

Romans 8:29 English Standard Version (ESV) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

“I am going to look like Jesus.”

The message preached to some of us is all about changing self and making it acceptable to God. Here is the truth about that thinking, it is still about me, self, and what I want. No one tells us the truth about Isaiah 41:10.

Isaiah 41:9 English Standard Version (ESV) you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”;

God was speaking to His servants.

When do we begin to see Jesus as Lord and not just Savior?

I didn’t see that when I asked to be changed. It was still all about me back then.