BORN AGAIN
Thursday – October 18, 2018, Cheshvan 9, 5779
Greetings and welcome back to this wonderful, faith building, thought provoking Bible Study from the Book of John. God is so very good! Today, I will again spend some time on this concept of being born again and what that is referring to, hopefully provide a paradigm or construct for our understanding.
John 3:3-7 (KJV)
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Nicodemus has come to Jesus by night, and it seems he is more than a little curious about Jesus. From the text he is not alone in being curious about Jesus (verse two) and knowing He is from God and doing the works of God. This is not uncommon today however envy can come in and in the end that is what sent Jesus to the Cross. Yesterday I spent some time on the Kingdom of God and now we are moved back to the reality of being born again. I have taught extensively on the Kingdom of God in the past and it is a huge topic as one might expect. To be clear the word man in our text does not refer to the male gender alone but refers to mankind made in the image and likeness of God both male and female. In order to be born again one would have to be born at least once before. Nicodemus being a natural man is thinking in the natural or physical concerning the use of this term and asks Jesus about re-entering his mother’s womb.
As many of you have heard me say many times, all things originate in the spirit realm and are then manifest in the natural world. The spirit or immaterial part of man, that part which is of God, was created first and then the body of the earth or natural realm. Adam had citizenship in Heaven and in the earth for he (and Eve) were of Heaven and of earth. Jesus today is of Heaven and of earth. You and I who are born again (saved) are of Heaven and of earth. We have dual citizenship and as such have obligations or responsibilities and benefits in Heaven and in the earth.
Okay, back to being born again. I will be discussing how we are born, begat or conceived, the first-time spirit and body? The natural or physical part of us came into being when the sperm of our father contacted the ovum (egg) of our mother. At that moment in time all of the physical potential and reality that you are today was present. People are creative just as the one who made them is creative, who is God. What about the spirit part of man, it was conceived in the same moment as the physical conception. You see the sperm contains half of the man’s genome and the egg contains half of the woman’s genome and when united there is a whole genome (genetic makeup). Likewise, there is a coming together of the spiritual, part from the man and part from the woman creating another new spirit person. This person is conceived spiritually dead for only God (Holy Spirit – Grace) can make it alive and that requires a conscious decision on the part of the person in response to the Word of God. So, this is the first birth, the second birth, is when we are born again. Our first birth is by the will of man and is of corruptible seed. However, when we declare Jesus as Lord we are born again of incorruptible seed, the Word of God.
1 Peter 1:23 (KJV)
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
When we are born again, we are a new creature or creations in Christ Jesus. We are not like Adam, nor exactly like Jesus in the earth who as the last Adam. The difference is that we are in Christ Jesus, in a Blood Covenant making us a new creation, not subject to the Law of Sin and Death. Jesus like Adam was working without a net so to speak but praise the Lord Jesus passed the temptation test Adam failed.
Romans 8:2 (KJV)
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Let’s take a look at this new creature thing as we close for today.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
This verse like many in Scripture is jam packed with an abundance of wonderful things, all of our God. Being “in Christ” is much like being in America or some corporation but way better. In America we have certain responsibilities, rights, and benefits. One of those benefits is the full protections of this nation. It is the same in the Kingdom of God, in Christ, but way better. One cannot be in Christ without being in the Kingdom of God, He is the door (way). In Christ we are a whole new type of being that has not existed before nor will any like us ever be again. The definition of the word “creature” in our secondary text means builder, creator, owner, son, heir, possessor, and one who occupies. Wow!!! The word “things” can also mean “words” and words change relationships and arrangements. To name a few we had arrangements to go to Hell now that is changed to Heaven, our father was Satan now our Father is Father God. This born-again thing is well worth the effort, if you have not received Jesus as your Lord do it right now and move into eternal life, abundant life beyond human language.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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