Articles by Bill Furioso

How Do You Know If You Are Born Again?

Are there biblically-based affirmations as to the authenticity of one having been regenerated by the Holy Spirit?[1]  I’d like to list some indicators from the Bible that I believe point to the reality of having been born of the Spirit because they indicate the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit in one’s life experience. This is something that Jesus said about the Holy Spirit in John 16:8: “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and

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A Biblical Experience of Regeneration

Regeneration as a spiritual experience is represented in a multifaceted way in the Scriptures.  It means “believing in” and “receiving” Christ and “becoming a child of God”.[1]  It means being “saved by grace”.[2]  It means “passing out of death into life”[3], that is, “having eternal life and not coming into the judgment” (of the sentence of death)[4].  It means passing out of the state of spiritual death (which is separation from God because of sin) and “being made alive together

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The Heart of Repentance

18 “To open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ 19 “For that reason, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but continually proclaimed to those in Damascus first, and in Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they are to repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.” Acts 26:18-20 This passage of Scripture

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Seeking God for Guidance in the Work of God

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”  1 Corinthians 3:9  We must seek God for guidance in the work of God. When I speak of “seeking God for guidance”, it can be equated with “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit”[1]. Reflect on how Jesus described the ministry of the Holy Spirit towards us who are His disciples: 25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will

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Christ The Pattern

To discern the mystery of Christ fully, we must have revelation of Him as the Pattern of the New Covenant, because the New Covenant is all about Christ. This is the subject matter of this article. “Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.”[1] “In these last days (God) has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and

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What is the New Covenant All About?

What is the essence of the New Covenant? The most significant scriptural reference to the New Covenant is Jeremiah 31:31-34. Its significance is attested to in that the writer to the Hebrews, who was focused on distinguishing the New Covenant from the Old Covenant, chose to quote Jeremiah verbatim in Hebrews 8:8-12. Let’s look the passage in the Amplified Bible translation: 8 “However, God finds fault with them[1] [showing its inadequacy] when He says, “Behold, the days will come, says the

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Seeing from God’s Point of View

 “We are asking God that you may see things, as it were, from his point of view by being given spiritual insight and understanding.” Colossians 1:9, J.B. Phillips Translation  “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7  God’s point of view is primarily internal – not external. God considers the heart – not external activities. From God’s point of view, what does it mean to

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The Eternal Gospel & Eternal Covenant

“I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations.”[1] Isaiah 42:6 In the midst of this Messianic prophecy in Isaiah,[2] we see disclosed the fact that the Father has given Jesus Christ as a covenant – specifically, Jesus Christ personified (incarnated) the New Covenant. As with the Old Covenant, the New Covenant is between God

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Defining “The Elementary Principles of the World” (Article)

This article will be an investigation into the nature of “the elementary principles of the world” (ta stoicheia tou kosmou) – a phrase penned by Paul, the apostle. We will look into the meaning of the Greek word, stoicheia; review the passages of scriptures in which Paul uses the term “elementary principles of the world”; reference the major interpretations of the term; state what seems to be the most consistently accurate meaning of the term; and discuss the sacralization of

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Revelation & Relationship

The Foundation I Corinthians 3:10-11  10 According to the grace of God, which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. No Christian would deny that Christ is the Foundation of the Church. After all, Paul said it was

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