Made Perfect in Him

In this message, Pastor Alan teaches on John 3 and Hebrews 10, focusing on being born again, holiness, and baptism. He says the kingdom of God is not a physical place but God himself, and that a person can only enter it by being born again. He contrasts religion, which tries to earn acceptance through behavior, with God’s work of making a person new from the inside. He explains two kinds of holiness: the act of holiness and the fruit of holiness. The act of holiness is choosing not to give in to sinful desires in the moment, while the fruit of holiness grows as the Holy Spirit matures the inner life. He says believers should make good choices, but they should not let failure keep them from God’s love. Pastor Alan uses the image of children coming in from the mud (after playing outside) to describe how God sees believers. He says the mud represents the outward man and its struggles, but it is not the true person. He emphasizes that God sees his children through their struggles and does not reject them when they fail. He then turns to Ephesians 4 and Hebrews 10 to explain that the new man is created in true righteousness and holiness. He says Jesus’ one sacrifice is once for all, and that believers are perfected forever even while they are still being sanctified. Baptism is described as an act of faith and agreement with God, symbolizing burial of the old man and identification with the new life. The message closes by urging listeners not to defend the old nature, but to live from their born-again identity. He encourages prayer in tongues as a way the Holy Spirit strengthens the inner man. He ends with prayer, asking God to help listeners receive that they are born of righteousness and to walk in confidence rather than shame.