All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Born of God, Part IV
John 3:3-7: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?' Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'"
Nicodemus, a devout religious man, secretly came to Jesus earnestly seeking to know how he can live a true righteous life. Without meandering Jesus went to the core of Nicodemus' problem and presented the solution. Jesus right away declared that Nicodemus’ fundamental need was to be born of God. The teaching of Jesus to Nicodemus on the importance of being born of God focused on three significant points, which are relevant to everyone who wants to live a true righteous life.
First, to be born of God is not a reformation of human nature. It is not human nature simply being made over again. It is not human nature being born again of human nature. Nicodemus inquired, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born” (John 3:4)? Jesus’ forthright answer was “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Jesus in essence was pointing out that this new birth was not a fresh beginning of the human nature, but a birth by the Spirit of God of a new spiritual being. By the new birth, the earthy carnal man must give place to a heavenly spiritual man.
Second, Nicodemus was hungering and thirsting for the righteousness of God. But he had vainly sought the righteousness of God by trying to pursue the laws and commandments of his religion. Jesus knew that what Nicodemus needed was not greater efforts to practice the rules and precepts of his religion but to come under the rulership of God in his heart – to enter the Kingdom of God. There is a difference between following a religion or being a church-goer and being in the Kingdom of God where God rules in your life and affairs. To enter into God’s righteousness, Nicodemus needed to enter the Kingdom of God, which is the spiritual realm of the rule and righteousness of God in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17).
Thus, Jesus pointed out that the new birth was absolutely necessary for any human being to enter the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is a spiritual entity and only spiritual beings can see or enter the Kingdom of God. Man born in flesh is by nature in rebellion against God and cannot understand or submit to the spiritual realm of God’s rule and righteousness. Therefore, it is necessary for a human being to be born again into a spiritual being in order to see or enter the Kingdom of God.
Third, Jesus explained that human nature cannot reproduce a spiritual being. Flesh cannot produce spirit. That which is born of flesh is flesh. Man, born of the flesh, is flesh and cannot convert or transform himself into a spiritual being by no amount of religious exercise. Only Spirit can reproduce spirit. Therefore, to become a spiritual being, to enter into the Kingdom of God, man needed to experience a new birth by the Spirit of God.
The new birth, being born again, or being born of God, is not the mending or rehabilitation of human nature. It is not the disciplining or refining of the carnal nature. It is not the civilization or moral education of man. It is a miracle wrought by the power of God by grace in a believer in Christ. By the new birth God by the Spirit reproduces His life through Christ into a believer to give birth to an entirely new spiritual being, who can live in the spiritual realm of God’s rule and righteousness in the Kingdom of God.
We may conclude then that salvation involves not only grace by which God accepts us as we are and forgives us of our sins. It also involves grace by which God actively and effectively changes us from our original carnal nature into a spiritual being, possessing God’s righteousness.
Dear Jesus, I thank you for the miracle of the new birth, whereby I am born of God into a spiritual being able to enter into your righteousness in the Kingdom of God and live the life of an offspring of God.
Nicodemus, a devout religious man, secretly came to Jesus earnestly seeking to know how he can live a true righteous life. Without meandering Jesus went to the core of Nicodemus' problem and presented the solution. Jesus right away declared that Nicodemus’ fundamental need was to be born of God. The teaching of Jesus to Nicodemus on the importance of being born of God focused on three significant points, which are relevant to everyone who wants to live a true righteous life.
First, to be born of God is not a reformation of human nature. It is not human nature simply being made over again. It is not human nature being born again of human nature. Nicodemus inquired, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born” (John 3:4)? Jesus’ forthright answer was “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Jesus in essence was pointing out that this new birth was not a fresh beginning of the human nature, but a birth by the Spirit of God of a new spiritual being. By the new birth, the earthy carnal man must give place to a heavenly spiritual man.
Second, Nicodemus was hungering and thirsting for the righteousness of God. But he had vainly sought the righteousness of God by trying to pursue the laws and commandments of his religion. Jesus knew that what Nicodemus needed was not greater efforts to practice the rules and precepts of his religion but to come under the rulership of God in his heart – to enter the Kingdom of God. There is a difference between following a religion or being a church-goer and being in the Kingdom of God where God rules in your life and affairs. To enter into God’s righteousness, Nicodemus needed to enter the Kingdom of God, which is the spiritual realm of the rule and righteousness of God in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17).
Thus, Jesus pointed out that the new birth was absolutely necessary for any human being to enter the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is a spiritual entity and only spiritual beings can see or enter the Kingdom of God. Man born in flesh is by nature in rebellion against God and cannot understand or submit to the spiritual realm of God’s rule and righteousness. Therefore, it is necessary for a human being to be born again into a spiritual being in order to see or enter the Kingdom of God.
Third, Jesus explained that human nature cannot reproduce a spiritual being. Flesh cannot produce spirit. That which is born of flesh is flesh. Man, born of the flesh, is flesh and cannot convert or transform himself into a spiritual being by no amount of religious exercise. Only Spirit can reproduce spirit. Therefore, to become a spiritual being, to enter into the Kingdom of God, man needed to experience a new birth by the Spirit of God.
The new birth, being born again, or being born of God, is not the mending or rehabilitation of human nature. It is not the disciplining or refining of the carnal nature. It is not the civilization or moral education of man. It is a miracle wrought by the power of God by grace in a believer in Christ. By the new birth God by the Spirit reproduces His life through Christ into a believer to give birth to an entirely new spiritual being, who can live in the spiritual realm of God’s rule and righteousness in the Kingdom of God.
We may conclude then that salvation involves not only grace by which God accepts us as we are and forgives us of our sins. It also involves grace by which God actively and effectively changes us from our original carnal nature into a spiritual being, possessing God’s righteousness.
Dear Jesus, I thank you for the miracle of the new birth, whereby I am born of God into a spiritual being able to enter into your righteousness in the Kingdom of God and live the life of an offspring of God.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by DEE Lighted on
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(The new birth, being born again, or being born of God, is not the mending or rehabilitation of human nature. It is not the disciplining or refining of the carnal nature. It is not the civilization or moral education of man.)
As always, PoemiaDei, I am blessed by the thourough way in which you write. Men get so lost in religion and their own precepts of what it means to be in Christ... I know for a fact that many were seeking to refine themselves or were attempting to discipline themselves. Unfortunately many turned around because they found it too hard a task! I know that the changes in me are not of my own doing. I wonder in amazement at the distance that God has brought me from who I used to be. Praise God for His love and patience! -
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Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on
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I really like what you said,
The new birth, being born again, or being born of God, is not the mending or rehabilitation of human nature. It is not the disciplining or refining of the carnal nature. It is not the civilization or moral education of man. It is a miracle wrought by the power of God by grace in a believer in Christ. By the new birth God by the Spirit reproduces His life through Christ into a believer to give birth to an entirely new spiritual being, who can live in the spiritual realm of God’s rule and righteousness in the Kingdom of God.
Real change comes forth from the inside out from a changed heart. We can modify behavior to a point, but if the heart isn't change, the change is only temporary. When we are born again we are brought to life spiritually by the Spirit of God. Then the motivating factor in our lives is to live for the Lord and we are no longer are dominated by lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life in which the Devil used to control us with and which brought spiritual death into our lives. We now have a new life that is dominated by the Spirit of God and not by the flesh therefore we are a new kind of person -
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Permalink Reply by PoiemaDei on
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Dear Dee, Bob, and Ian, thanks so much for your contributions. The new birth is amazing and the truth is profound. And, indeed, humanity needs its full reality, nothing less. It is not a figment of man's imagination nor another theory of existence. It is real. It startles our minds. And some men misguidedly have followed the temptation to dilute the concept into more down to earth notions. But, Dee, we are very safe when we let the word the Spirit uses speak. We who believe the word know we have been "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the living Word of God, and abiding forever" (1 Peter 1:23).
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Oh praise the Lord who chose that way to deliver us from the dominion of sin and death that had ruined our nature. Another marvel is to reckon that by the new birth we were born of God into children or offspring of God. The depth of that truth is profound and powerful if we can accept it as the word of God and wake up to its reality that we are born of God to be offspring of God.
It tells us who we are; doesn't it? It certainly tells us that the power within to change us from inside out far surpasses our attempts at self-discipline and behaviour changes. The certainty of it is reinforced by the truth that it was not just a haphazard plan improvised by God when He looked and saw man's downfall and enslavement to sin. But it was a predestined plan which was all part of His eternally wise purpose before the foundations of the world.
We can only stand in awe and amazement, when we realize we are included in this great plan of salvation and we have experienced its implementation. Glory to Him who is the beginning and the end! -
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In my search for answers I've found myself at this post again. I think that I have found it in this:
"That which is born of flesh is flesh. Man, born of the flesh, is flesh and cannot convert or transform himself into a spiritual being by no amount of religious exercise. Only Spirit can reproduce spirit."
I gave my heart to Christ, damaged as it was. He healed it, but then He showed me that I had left it encased. I think that He had to reveal it to me; make me see that I was not being honest with Him. As it were I was not being honest with myself. I hadn't realized that I had built a protective sheild around my heart. It instantly became as stone when I became fearful of further danger. When I felt discomfort I'd naturally shut down. Of course this realization brought about much soul searching. I'm guilty. I gave the Lord my heart inside a steel box. Unacceptable! I'm almost ashamed to admit this and I have all kinds of defenses, escuses, honest to goodness reasons..... but none of it will get me to where I want to go in the Lord. After the self-examination and sincere effort to make ammends {to the person whom I had closed my heart to}, I then began to wonder would this be an on-going process. How could I leave my heart open at all times? How could I relax and no longer be fearful of being hurt or further damaged?... while knowing that there's no guanrantee. Certainly I can make an attempt. I can now make a sincere effort, but I certainly cannot transform myself. What I must do is give the Lord my heart yet again; trusting Him with my heart as I trust Him with my life. I know that I'll be tested and I must pass. No matter how much pain I've endured throughout my life; it could never be compared to the Cross.
I wrote the poem below many years ago when I realized that I had shut all people out of my life. Little did I realize, until lately, that I had only let the 'pleasant' ones back in!! God help me!!!!
The Wall
There was this wall that stood so high
Built over time, though I didn’t try
A wall so strong... you could not penetrate
Nothing could come in... not love nor hate
Then one day... I realized how brick by brick
The wall was built... and just how thick
Uncertain was I of the other side
Dare I try to escape or continue to hide
The wall forced upon me so long ago
I made a decision, I needed to know
I tore the wall down and was amazed to find...
An abundance of pleasure and peace of mind!
SATURATED SOUL COLLECTIONS 1999 D-VISIONS
Please continue to pray for me as I grow in our Lord
Dee -
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Dee, thanks so much again for your sincere open testimony. I am glad that Charles found inspiration in it, as I and many others have. It's the work of God in us we want and God too wants; and nothing of ourselves. I am praying for you, my sister. And I thank you for your prayers.
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Charles, thanks for sharing this testimony. It seems we all have similar experiences of the failure of our own struggles and efforts to be what we believe the Lord wants us to be. Let us continue to earnestly pray that the Lord will help us to trust Him, to rely on Him, to allow Him to do in us what He wants to do in us and how He has purposed to operate in us. This is the growth path, Charles. It is allowing God to have his way.
Today I was meditating on the truth in Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." It astonishes me that the Lord really wants to do it all for us. He creates us His workmanship - His artistic design - to function in works He Himself beforehand prepared for us to walk in. It's amazing. If we can only settle down, Charles. Find that rest in Him. And let Him do His thing in us and through us. But the intense battle is in the mind where the worldly logic and philosophy of self is contending to cheat us of the generousity of the grace of God in our full salvation.
Don't worry about the experience He has taken you through with humanity. God certainly does not want us to trust man. However, we trust Him to work in man to will and do of His good pleasure. What you saw in man was the untrustworthiness of the flesh. You will by the Spirit of Christ in you discern the Spirit of Christ in others as they who are of God will by the Spirit of Christ in them discern the Spirit of Christ in you.
God bless you. Thanks for your comments, both here and on the group page. -
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