Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
-John 3:3
[Can someone be "born again" if the "old man" is still alive? We can only serve one master: Luke 16:13, and we are a slave to who we obey: Romans 6:16-17]
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." -Acts 3:19
[Can someone be considered "converted" while the "old man" is still alive and functioning? The following is from the definition of "converted": "to change (something) [someone] into a different form or properties [see: 2 Corinthians 5:17 & 2 Timothy 2:19]; transmute; transform; to turn to another or a particular use or purpose; divert from the original or intended use; to change in character; cause to turn from an evil life to a righteous one."]
"...that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance [see: 2 Corinthians 7:9-11]." -Acts 26:20
[Can one "repent and turn to God" while still alive to the old way of life? Is there darkness in the Light? 1 John 1:5-6 & John 12:46]
"...to open their eyes, in order to turn them FROM darkness TO light, and from the power of Satan to God [can we face two directions, or serve God and Satan simultaneously?], [so] that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified [see: 2 Timothy 2:20-21] by faith in Me [see: 1 Peter 1:22 & Acts 15:9]." -Acts 26:18
“The lamp of the body is the eye [mind; heart]. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [the world and the glory thereof]." -Matthew 6:22-24
"The light of the body is the eye [mind; heart]: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil [see: Romans 8:6-8 & James 1:7-8], thy body also is full of darkness [see: Colossians 1:21]." -Luke 11:34 (KJV)
"Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. IF then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” -Luke 11:35-36
"Then [Jesus] said to them all, 'If ANYone DESIRES [see: Psalm 34:12-14 & Isaiah 26:8-9] to come after Me, let him deny [die to, crucify] himself, and take up his cross daily [stay crucified], and follow [obey] Me [and My example]'." -Luke 9:23
"Then He said to another, 'Follow Me.' But he said, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father [see: Luke 14:26-27].' Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.' And another also said, 'Lord, I will follow You, BUT let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.' But Jesus said to him, 'No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back [see: Genesis 19:26], is fit for the kingdom of God'.” -Luke 9:59-62
"And whoever does not bear his cross [die with Christ - see: Romans 6:5-8] and come after Me [follow My example - see: 1 Peter 2:20-24] cannot be My disciple." -Luke 14:27
"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees [see: Colossians 2:20-23, Matthew 15:4-9, Matthew 23:23-28, 1 Timothy 1:5 & Romans 9:30-32], you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye [see: Romans 8:5-8, 1 John 2:16 & Matthew 6:22-23] causes you to sin, pluck it out [deny it; crucify it] and cast it from you [see: Romans 13:12-14]; for it is more profitable for you that one [see: Matthew 6:22 & Ephesians 6:5-6 in KJV] of your members perish [are denied], than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand [see: John 3:19-21, Psalm 28:4 & Micah 3:4] causes you to sin, cut it off [deny it; crucify it] and cast it from you [resist it steadfastly; see: 1 Peter 5:8-9 & James 4:7-8]; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish [are denied; see: Titus 2:11-14], than for your whole body to be cast into hell [see: Mark 8:35-36]." -Matthew 5:20-22; 27-30
"And if your foot causes you to sin [see: Isaiah 59:7 & Jeremiah 14:10], cut it off [Deny it - see: Proverbs 4:24-29 & Proverbs 1:15-17] . It is better for you to enter life lame [see: Philippians 1:29, Romans 6:7 & 1 Peter 4:1-6], rather than having two feet [see: James 1:8, Luke 16:13 & 1 John 1:5-6] to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched [see: Revelation 14:11].’" -Mark 9:45-46
"And He said, 'What comes out of a man, that defiles a man [see: James 1:13-15]. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness [see: Luke 12:15], wickedness, deceit, lewdness [see: Jude 1:4], an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness [see: Matthew 7:26, Ephesians 5:3-5 & Luke 11:39-40]. All these evil things come from within and defile a man' [see: Hebrews 3:12-15].” -Mark 7:20-23
“Whoever desires [see: John 8:43-45] to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" -Mark 8:34-36
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." -John 12:24-26
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin [past tense] live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For IF we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now IF we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. <-- Likewise YOU ALSO, reckon [consider; regard] yourselves to be DEAD INDEED TO SIN, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present YOURSELVES to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness [see: 1 John 3:7-10]? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 6
"And IF Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life [see: Romans 8:5-6 & Galatians 6:8] because of righteousness [1 John 3:7-10]. But IF the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you [see: 1 John 2:3-6 & 2 John 1:9], He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die [spiritually, to God]; but if by [obeying] the Spirit YOU put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by [obey] the Spirit of God, these are sons of God [see: 1 John 5:2-3]." -Romans 8:10-14
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice [see: Romans 6:12-13 & Mark 12:33], holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind [see: Ephesians 4:21-24 & Colossians 3:9-10], that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." -Romans 12:1-2
"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." -Romans 13:11-15
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." -1 Corinthians 6:9-11
"Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." -1 Corinthians 6:18-20
"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." -1 Corinthians 9:24-27
"I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." -1 Corinthians 15:31
"Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies [see: John 12:23-26]." -1 Corinthians 15:36
"For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you." -2 Corinthians 4:11-12
"Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences." -2 Corinthians 5:9-11
"For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." -2 Corinthians 5:14-15
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." -2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." -2 Corinthians 7:1
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." -Galatians 2:20
"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit [evidenced in a true disciple of Christ] is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law [condemnation]. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." -Galatians 5:13-25
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." -Galatians 6:7-9
"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." -Galatians 6:14
"This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given THEMSELVES over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that YOU put on the new man which was created according to God, in TRUE righteousness and holiness." -Ephesians 4:17-24
"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die [to self] is gain."
-Philippians 1:21
"In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism [see Mark 1:4 and Romans 6:4], in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." -Colossians 2:11-12
"Therefore, IF you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world [see: Matthew 15:1-9], why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh." -Colossians 2:20-23
"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked [in the past] when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him..." -Colossians 3:2-10
"Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more [see: 2 Peter 1:5-10 & Philippians 1:9-11], just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God [see: Ephesians 5:1-7, Colossians 1:9-14 & 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 ]; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification [see: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 & 2 Timothy 2:19-22]: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such [see: [Romans 11:22], as we also forewarned you and testified." -1 Thessalonians 4:1-6
"This is a faithful saying: 'For IF we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. IF we endure [see: Matthew 24:13 & James 1:12], we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him [see: Titus 1:16], He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself'. " -2 Timothy 2:11-13
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. " -Titus 2:11-14
"Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness [see: 1 Peter 1:13-17], without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled." -Hebrews 12:12-15
"Therefore [repent and] lay aside ALL filthiness and overflow of wickedness [crucify the old man --the flesh-- with its passions and desires], and receive with meekness [lowly, obedient, penitent heart] the implanted word [incorruptible seed - 1 Peter 1:22-23], which is able to save [cleanse, renew] your souls. But be doers of the word [1 John 1:7], and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves [see: Matthew 23:27, James 1:26-27 & 2 Timothy 3:5]." -James 1:21-22
"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear." -1 Peter 1:13-17
"Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation." -1 Peter 2:11-12
"[Christ] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died [with Him] to [our] sins, might live for righteousness.
-1 Peter 2:24
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, [us] being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit..." -1 Peter 3:18
"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles —when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead." -1 Peter 4:1-5
"[Christ's] divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." -2 Peter 1:3-4
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." -1 John 2:15-17
"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." -1 John 5:2-4
