June 27, 2004

BORN AGAIN, THE NEW BIRTH

John 3:1-13

   "Ye must be born again" (John 3:7), is not the gospel, but it does state clearly the spiritual need of all fallen men. While we must admit that none of us had anything to do or say about our natural birth entering into this world, this spiritual birth of a different order.

   First, it is not simply born again, but born anew or born from above. The word for again is translated "from above" when speaking of Christ in John 3:31, the One Who came "from above." After all, if we were simply born again, our problems would be the same with sin and the old fallen human nature. A re-run or even a "second chance" in hopes of finally "getting it right" would be to no avail.

   The new birth is brought about by the word of God for Peter wrote, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible [seed], by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever" (1 Pet. 1:23). James wrote, "of His own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" (James 1:18). And Paul wrote similarly to the Corinthians, "for in Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel" (1 Cor. 4:15), and to Philemon of "my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds" (Phem. 10). Thus spiritual begetting through the gospel, the new birth, comes to everyone who believes God's message and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

   This was the case with Nicodemus evidently for the John 3 passage says, "whosoever believes in Him [the Son of Man lifted up like Moses did the serpent in the wilderness] should not perish but have eternal life," and continues, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him will not perish, but have everlasting life" (3:15-16). Nicodemus pondered well what the Lord had said. When other Jews were ready to condemn Him, he defended the Lord saying, "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" (7:51). Finally it was Nicodemus [born from above for sure] who assisted Joseph of Arimathaea taking the Lord's body off the cross and anointing it for burial!

   Paul also spoke of new creation, for "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new, and all things are of God..." (2 Cor. 5:17-18).

Ivan L. Burgener