NEW BIRTH in JESUS!
Nothing is more lovely to Parents than a new born Baby, but what does God see in us? God can remodel us from the inside out. Jesus called it a must. Only God can give us a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26) and it is in this new heart and mind, or spirit, that God also writes His holy law if we co-operate. Without growing up into Christ we cannot become like Him. It is very unnatural for a baby not to grow. But stunted Christians are not uncommon.
"The human heart is deceitful above all things" according to Jeremiah 17:9 and who doesn't like to get rid of that kind of heart? No wonder that 'all have sinned' (Rom.3:20).
Luther and other Protestant Reformers pointed out that the Bible teaches the common priesthood of all believers. We are to be priests of God (Isa.61:6; Revel.1:6) and Paul had a great concern of what we also encounter here now: 'For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk (just as babies mention above) and not of strong food.
For he that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. But strong food belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil' (Hebrews 5:12-14).
You cannot join the family of God, you must be born into it. Jehovah Jesus called it a must! We must become partakers of the 'Divine nature" of God, the heavenly Parents. (John 3:3; 2.Peter 1:4).
Only God's nature in us allows us to escape the corruptions that are in our world through the lust of the flesh. (2.Pet.1:4).
"Whosoever is born of God does not sin: because his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1.John 3:9).
The Devil in Eden persuaded Eve saying her eyes would be opened to be like God and discern both good and evil. But of course it was false. it opened the flood gates of sin instead. Paul therefore continues in Hebrews with telling us what to do: 'Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go onto maturity; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of baptism etc.'.
One would think that Protestants with the cry 'the bible only' would be eager to study more and with the new found spirit in Roman Catholicism, they also would be putting more emphasis on bible studies.
No wonder the roman church forbad people the holy Bible during the dark ages. But in order to grow into Christ we must study and learn for ourselves and every Christian must drink in and eat the word of God to feed himself.
We are also so perplexed why God is allowing the new birth to be counterfeited by the Devil, because today's Spiritualism also speaks of "Rebirthing".
So how do we know the difference between the genuine and the false? It can only be by faith in God' holy word alone:
"And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion (Zion) the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." (Romans 11:26).
The context of this chapter makes it very plain that Paul was not talking about Israel after the flesh. Who is Israel who will be saved? Paul had just finished spelling it out in verses 16-25. he described how the Gentiles would be grafted into the olive tree representing the Jewish people. As the Gentiles (represented by the wild olive tree) were grafted in, they began to partake of "the root and fatness" of the Israelites (verse 17). "The natural branches, " or Jews (verse 21), were cut off because of unbelief, and believing Gentiles were accepted as spiritual Israel.
In Galatians 3:29 Paul said, "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
The picture grows clearer still as we read Romans 9:6-8. "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:....That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."
So it is faith that makes one a spiritual Israelite, not the accident of physical birth. In the new birth that places Jew and Gentile into the spiritual family of God, all of whom will be saved.Born again what does it mean?
Regeneration, Conversion, Living Faith, justified, fallen in love, forgiven of past sins, right with God, spiritual new man/woman (2.Cor.5:17) a new creation by Christ the Creator, become sons and daughters, no longer slaves of sin but slaves of righteousness (right doing), renewed into the image of God, a spiritual resurrection.
Born again demonstration:
Big John was captured by the slave traders and sent to markets. I will not work for any body, said big John. A strong man like him would fetch much money. A kind old gentleman bid for him successfully, but big John told him, I will not do any work for you old man. The reply of the kind old man utterly surprised big John, you don't have to, I bought you to set you free.
John was speechless, never in his entire life had anyone shown him so much kindness. In response John said, I have no where else to go, I will work for you the rest of my life.
God send us His only Son Jesus Christ to buy us back from sin and set us free from its slavery and power. Will you respond ?
Miracle Birth of JESUSJust as JESUS was miraculously born into the human family, so must we experience a miracle of GOD personally and directly. This change of heart by which we become children of GOD is in the Bible spoken of as birth. Again, it is compared to the germination of the good seed sown by the husbandman. In the same manner those who are just converted to CHRIST are, "as newborn babes," to "grow up" to the stature of men and women in CHRIST JESUS. [1.Peter 2:2; Ephesians 4:15].
If any man be in CHRIST, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.--- 2 Corinthians 5:17
A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or trace all the chain of circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted. CHRIST said to Nicodemus, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit."--John 3:8
Those who become new creatures in CHRIST JESUS will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."---Galatians 5:22,23.
John Wesley, the famous Protestant reformer is a classic example of what can happen if you have the right gospel doctrine of justification by faith and yet does not know God. Not until he heard the commentary on the book of Romans read in a sermon by Moravian missionaries in London, that he found JESUS and his heart was changed by the power and love of GOD.
The book of Romans tells us of our sinful nature we all are born with naturally. By studying GOD's holy word, we will be convicted of sin. The author of the book of Romans did not know what sin was until the Ten Commandments told him [Romans 7:7-14]. From then on the apostle Paul made sure he died to self and sin daily [Galatians 2:20].