The New Birth Part I
The scriptures have a lot to say about being born
again and the
consequent effects upon those who are born again.
Many erroneous ideas
have been put forth about what man must/can do to
cause himself to be
born again. One highly popular evangelist wrote a
book on the subject of
how man can be born again. The problem with such
concepts is that they
simply are not true. The plain biblical teaching is
that God is sovereign in bringing about the new
birth. By the term, sovereign, we mean "independent
of all others." God is under no dependency on man to
bring about the new birth. God does not cause anyone
to be born again because of their actions of either
belief, works, or following a prescribed course of
action.
John 3:8 describes God's sovereignty in causing
someone to be born
again. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou
hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh or
whether it goeth: so is
everyone that is born of the Spirit." Just as God is
sovereign, the wind
is also independent of the actions of man. "The wind
bloweth where it llisteth" No man has ever had the power or knowledge
to direct or
control the direction or force by which the wind
blows. Likewise man
does not have the power or knowledge to bring about
the new birth. "And
thou hearest the sound thereof--" While we have the
evidence of the
wind's blowing, this knowledge is not a cause of the
wind's blowing, but
is an effect of the wind's blowing.
Likewise there are
many evidences of the new birth given unto us to
assure us of that birth, but those evidences are an
effect of the birth and not the cause. "But canst
not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth" we
are not able to pinpoint a place on earth and say
the wind originates here, or pinpoint a place
on earth and say this is the final destination of
the wind. Thus we conclude the wind is totally
independent of man in its blowing, its direction,
its origination and its destination. Likewise the
Holy Spirit is totally independent of man in
bringing about the new birth. The new birth takes
place when and where the Holy Spirit chooses.
Likewise it is God's choice and not man's choice as
to who will be born again and who won't be born
again.
Likewise John 3:6
teaches us the sovereignty of God in the new birth
and affirms that the new birth is not a cooperative
endeavor between God
and man: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit." In our natural birth
it is the actions of
the flesh that brought about our natural birth into
the world. Even
here, it was not our actions, but our parent's
actions that brought
about our natural birth. By parallel, the spiritual
birth is brought
about by the Holy Spirit. Again it is the actions of
the Holy Spirit
that brings about this spiritual birth and not our
actions. The Lord
said in John 6:63, "It is the spirit that quickeneth;
the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and
they are life." Now if I in my flesh could do
something to help bring
about the new birth, then there would be a profit in
the flesh, but the
Lord affirms that there is no profit in the flesh,
but that the Holy
Spirit does the quickening (new birth).
Similarly, John 1:11
13 teaches us that God is sovereign in bringing
about the new birth: "He came unto his own...even to
them that believe
on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of
the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." This
passage teaches the
Sovereignty of God in causing us to be born again by
first ruling all
other possible causes. First, man's belief is ruled
out as a cause for
the passage shows that the birth took place prior to
man's belief. This
leaves us with the only logical conclusion that
belief cannot be a cause
of the new birth. Secondly, the new birth is not the
result of a blood
relationship to Abraham or anyone else. Thirdly, the
new birth is not
the result of the will or desire of the flesh. Man,
by nature, does not
desire to be born again. Fourthly, the new birth is
not the result of
man's will or choice. Thus, man does not choose to
be born again and
because of his choice the new birth comes about.
Therefore, having
ruled out all other possible causes of the new
birth,
John simply states that the new birth is "of God."
While there are other
scriptures, which show God's sovereignty in bringing
about the new
birth, these sufficiently prove God's independence
of man in causing
anyone to be born again.
The New Birth Part
II
In our last installment we looked at the sovereign
work of God in
bringing about the new (spiritual) birth in an
individual. In this
installment we will look at the condition of man
prior to being born
again and see his total inability to do anything to
bring about the new
birth.
Ephesians 2:1, "And
you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses
and sins..." The word, "quicken," means to make
alive." When we "were
dead in trespasses and sins" we were "made alive"
spiritually. Our
condition prior to being born again was "dead in
trespasses and sins."
Verses 2 and 3
describe this condition of being "dead in trespasses
and
sins," "Wherein in time past (i.e., prior to being
born again) ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to
the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of
disobedience: Among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past
in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of
the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath
even as others." When
we "were dead in trespasses and sins," we "walked
according to the
course of this world." The course of this world is
abomination to God.
The scriptures say
that whosoever is the friend of "this world" is the
enemy of God. Thus, we conclude that when we were
dead in trespasses and
sins that we were the "enemies of God."
Secondly, we followed
after the "prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience." Jesus is the
"prince of peace." Satan is the "prince of the power
of the air." We,
being dead in trespasses and sins walked after Satan
and had the spirit
of Satan working in us as he now works in the
children of disobedience.
Thirdly, we had our
"conversation" or life style "in the lusts of our
flesh..." Paul said "that in me that is in my flesh
dwelleth no good
thing." "The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride
of life is not of the father but is of the world" (1
John 2:16). For our
life style to be after fleshly lust is to live
selfishly and carnally.
Fourthly, we
"fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the
mind." Thus
we weren't just walking after them, but we were
actually doing those
things.
Fifthly, our nature
was the same nature that the children of wrath now
possess, i.e., we "were by nature the children of
wrath even as others."
This was our condition before we were born again.
We have described in
Romans 3:9 18 our condition under the law of sin
and death from which bondage we were delivered by
the law of the spirit
of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2). It is said of
man before the new
birth that "There is none righteous, no, not one."
Thus we conclude that
before we were born again we were in our fleshly
state totally
unrighteous before God.
Secondly, we are told that "there is none that
understandeth." I
Corinthians 2:14 says that "the natural man
receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him:
neither can he know
them, for they are spiritually discerned." Without
the new birth we
cannot discern spiritual things, we cannot know them
and we cannot
understand them. We must be born again to understand
the gospel, to know
God, and to discern spiritually the word of God.
Thirdly, we read where
"there is none that seeketh after God." Prior to
being born again, no man will nor can seek after
God. How foolish it is
that men will say that seeking after God is a
prerequisite condition for
being born again. Contrariwise a man must be born
again in order to be
able to seek after God.
Fourthly, "there is
none that doeth good, no not one." Prior to being
born again a man cannot do good. Is being baptized,
or believing the
gospel, or repenting, or believing on the Lord Jesus
Christ doing good?
If it is, then man must be born again prior to doing
any of those
things.
Finally, we read that
"there is no fear of God before their eyes." A
man who does not fear God will not come to God.
Therefore, a man cannot
come to God prior to being born again.
Jesus said in John
6:63, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and
they are life." If I through preaching the gospel or
you through
believing the gospel can bring about the new birth,
then there is a
profit in our fleshly undertakings and the Lord was
wrong. He never has
nor will make a mistake. His spoken voice gives
life, not our deeds!
We conclude with John
5:25, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour
is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of
God: and they that hear shall live." When we were
"dead in trespasses
and sins we heard the life giving voice of the Son
of God speaking
spiritual life into our very being and thus we now
live spiritually.
Having that spiritual
life we can understand spiritual things, seek
after God, know God, do good, worship God, fear God,
believe the gospel,
repent, and become the disciple of Jesus Christ.
Thanks be to God for
his unspeakable gift!
The New Birth Part
III
The new birth is compared to or said to be many
things including:
resurrection, circumcision, and creation. In this
installment we will
look at the new birth as a spiritual "creation."
First, the bible tells
us that God is the only creator as follows:
a. Ephesians 3:9, "...who created all things by
Jesus Christ."
b. Colossians 1:16, "For by him were all things
created, that are in
heaven, and that are in earth, visible and
invisible...all things were
created by him, and for him."
c. Revelation 4:11, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to
receive glory and
honour and power: for thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure
they are and were created."
Since God is the only creator, thus, by inference
man has created
nothing, nor is he capable of creating anything.
Secondly, while God
completed his natural creation in six days and
rested on the seventh, his creation of spiritual
things continues as
evidenced by Revelation 4:11 where it is said that
for God's "pleasure
they are and were created." The word "are"
indicates a now creation
whereas the word "were" indicates a past creation.
Natural creation is
past, spiritual creation continues.
Third, those who are
born again are said to be the created workmanship
of God in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should
walk in them." In Ephesians 4:24 we read, "And that
ye put on the new
man, which after God is created in righteousness and
true holiness."
Thus, we conclude that the "new man" is the creation
of God. In the new
birth the inner or new man is created in
righteousness and true holiness
by our faithful Creator.
Fourth, those who are
born again are said to be new creatures as
follows:
a. II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new
creature..."
b. Galatians 6:15, "For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision availeth
any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."
Furthermore, the use of the term, creature, in the
New Testament has
reference to those who are born again in all but a
few scriptures in
which natural creation is indicated by the context.
Fifth, when we are born again (created) we are given
a new set of
senses. We are told in I Corinthians 2:9, 14 that
the natural senses and
the natural man cannot discern spiritual things. It
is only after we
have been born again (created) that we are enabled
to have senses that
can discern spiritual things. Eight times in the
gospels and eight times
in the book of Revelation we are told, "He that hath
ears to hear, let
him hear..." These verses have reference to
spiritual ears for we cannot
discern spiritual things through the natural man.
Also we are told that
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God." Thus it takes spiritual eyes to
perceive that spiritual kingdom. In addition, since
God is a Spirit we must have spiritual feeling in
order to "feel after him" (Acts 17:27). Furthermore,
to "taste the heavenly gift" (Hebrews 6:4) and to
"taste the good word of God" (Hebrews 6:5) and to
"taste that the Lord is gracious" (I Peter 2:3)
takes spiritual taste
buds that we come into possession of when we are
born again (created).
Finally, to perceive
the odor of a sweet smell from Christian sacrifices
(Philippians 4:18) we must possess a spiritual nose.
In conclusion, God
alone and without the help or assistance of man
creates us spiritually (causes us to be born again).
We must have been
created spiritually in order to perceive spiritual
things. Thus to hear
and respond to the gospel we must have been born
again. For these reasons we may conclude that the gospel is for those
already born again
and not for those who haven't been born again.