Proud to be “born again”He that is born of the flesh is flesh;
He that is born of the Spirit IS SPIRIT!
This is a real stopper… it stopped the march of a perverted gospel at my doorstep.
[Updated March 30, 2012]
To many people “born again” is an experience of a “rebirth” or “regeneration” marked by exhilarating joy that happens at baptism – a view that effectively hide the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
A favorite verse used to explain “born again” is John 3:5:
Joh 3:5 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.
What did Christ really mean by that? Are we born again when we were baptized or have “accepted Jesus”?
Understanding the Concept of Spiritual Birth
To understand the subject of “born again”, we need to understand the concept that Jesus was trying to explain to Nicodemus in John 3. But first, let me point out the crucial fact that the Greek word gennao from which “born again” is translated, is the same word translated “begotten” elsewhere. This is often the cause of confusion about this subject. The context should guide us as to what sense of gennao is meant, which becomes easy when we understand the underlying concept of “born again”.
Now, going back to verse 3:
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him [Nicodemus], Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus somewhat got the gist of Christ’s use of human birth to explain “born again”. But he couldn’t quite figure out how a re-birth was possible. So Jesus explained that this birth involved “water’ [which clearly refer to water baptism], and the Spirit [v.5]. He explained further:
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
There’s the concept. This is quite elementary even for a grade-schooler who would have no problem figuring it out: The one born of the flesh IS FLESH. The one born of the Spirit IS SPIRIT!
Christ could not have put it any simpler than that. To say that we have been born again is to ignore the obvious fact that we are still “flesh and blood”!
This is thoroughly discussed by the apostle Paul in his message in 1 Corinthians 15 that he described as “the gospel that I preached unto you” [v.1]
In verse 22-23 Paul says: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”
Notice the word “firstfruits”. Christ is the firstfruits, the first to be “made alive” — the firstborn. How can Christ be the firstborn when many humans were born BEFORE He was born of Mary?
Paul says that Christ is the firstborn from the dead [Col.1:18]. He was the first to be resurrected from the dead to SPIRIT BEING! No one has been “born” that way before. Paul further says that “they that are Christ’s” shall be likewise be made alive [v.23]. WHEN? At His coming!
Paul continues:
1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
…
1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
This, if you recall, is exactly the purpose that God stated when He created man.
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
Christ is now the image of God, the heavenly. Paul says that we too will bear the image of the heavenly [v.49]. It goes without saying that we are still “flesh and blood”. We still bear the image of the earthy [Adam]. And Paul explains:
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Put this against the backdrop of what Christ told Nicodemus:
Joh 3:5 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.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Can you see that? The one born of the flesh is flesh [like you and I]. But the one born of the spirit IS SPIRIT. This shows we are not born again — YET!
Paul continues:
1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be CHANGED,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and WE SHALL BE CHANGED.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Notice the time reference of this event: “at the last trump“. When Christ returns there would be loud trumpet blast and a LOUD shout of the archangel [1 Thes 4:16] That is the time when those in Christ will be changed into spirit beings — glorified, as Heb 2:10 says we would be. Christ, as the captain of our salvation has been glorified — He is bringing [leading] us to glory.
God’s Children Now
Many are confused by the fact that God regards us as His children now. From this they quickly conclude that we are already “born again”. To illustrate, let’s take an expectant couple. The baby that is still in the tummy of the mother, is the child of her husband. The child was begotten by the husband. But the baby is NOT YET BORN — but he is correctly called son by his father. In the same way, we are God’s children, but the fact that we are still “flesh and blood” shows we are not yet born. God had merely begotten us. It is when Christ returns, that the dead will be raised and we changed to SPIRIT. That is when it can be said we are “born again”!
Today we are merely begotten – sealed with the earnest [down payment] of the Holy Spirit unto [future] redemption [Eph 4:30]. We are in reality in “gestation” period. We are awaiting birth, or delivery into the kingdom!
1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Our resurrection or change into glorified spirit state is the climax of our birth into the kingdom of God. This is what salvation – and the TRUE GOSPEL -is all about. You sure can understand why Paul is so upset by the false gospel that hides this blessed truth of God and which have misled most Christians.