Born of the Spirit: Experiencing The New Birth

Born of the Spirit: Experiencing the New Birth

This article is a continuation of the previous one entitled “Born of the Spirit: What Is Wrong with My First Birth?” You may recall we explored how our fallen human nature directly contributes to our natural rebellion again God. Sin comes naturally for us even from the very beginning of our lives because we were born with the wrong spiritual father and nature. As such, we are not qualified to enter an eternal relationship with God because our first birth, physical, is from the wrong source, Adam. I realize that many people feel they are 'good people,' but the problem with that is we cannot do only good. We do not even live up to our own expectations on a daily basis. Can we manipulate ourselves into believing we have lived up to the PERFECT requirements of a holy God? We have a sin nature that is anti-God. It is not so much the individual sins that we commit, (though these are awful!) but the fact that we have a sinful orientation that drives us to indulge in the wrongs that so violently offends a holy God! 

In short we cannot embrace an eternal relationship with a righteous and perfect God in our natural fallen condition because we have the wrong father and the wrong nature. Unless God undertakes to change us, we are condemned forever to the Lake of Fire without any other recourse or hope for all eternity. This is why the new birth through faith in Jesus Christ is so vital to our spiritual welfare. Again, the Lord Jesus insisted that we must be born again. Now that we understand what is wrong with our first birth we need to concentrate on how to be born from the correct Source, the Divine Source—how to be Born of the Spirit.

FIRSTLY, BY ACCEPTING GOD’S PROVISION OF CHRIST SUFFERING

We must first understand that our spiritual birth was preceded by the travail of the Lord Jesus our Savior. Travail always precedes a natural child birth; the same is true regarding our spiritual new birth. In our text, John 3:14-18, Christ’s travail is focused on Calvary. Christ, in obedience to the Father’s will, experienced fantastic agony of spirit, soul, and body as He paid for our sin and secured our redemption.

The Natural Birth is Preceded by Great Physical Suffering; So it is with the Spiritual. No doubt we all have heard of precious wives who endured hours of hard labor to bring children into this world. Likewise, our great Savior travailed in an extraordinary manner as waves of agony flooded His righteous soul! He did not merely stroll up to the point of death; no, He raced straight in to seize our salvation. Greatly He suffered to make our new birth possible. Consider Doctor Luke’s description of some of our Lord’s travail in Luke 22:44, where he says, “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Certainly, we recall reading about this as our Lord struggled in Gethsemane ultimately yielding Himself to satisfy the will of the Father. No, Calvary was not easy for our Lord Jesus, nor was the anticipation of it easy. He suffered in mind, spirit, soul, and body in excruciating ways we perhaps will never fully understand. The great prophet of Israel Isaiah says in Isaiah 53:11, that “He [The Father] shall see of the travail of his [Jesus] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” Christ sufferings were not in vain; the Father saw it all and He was absolutely pleased with our Lord’s Sacrifice for our sins/iniquities. Certainly there was indescribable sorrow, travail, pain, and agonizing of soul as Christ suffered in Gethsemane, and as He writhed excruciatingly for our sins on the Cross of Calvary. We learn here that sin is an extremely hideous thing because it is so offensive to God. In fact, The Most High went to the absolute extremes to serve justice  and eradicate sin in Christ's suffering at Calvary. It was there God took sin upon Himself (in Christ) so that we could be freed of sin's penalty of eternal death--forever without God in Hell (John 3:16; Rom. 6:23).

The Savior’s Physical and Spiritual Sufferings Made the Spiritual Birth Possible. This important connection is made in John 3:13-15. The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, came from Heaven became human in order to die for the sins of all humanity—yes, his death has special importance. That significance had been “taught” by God throughout the national experiences of Israel, His people. To illustrate this, Jesus compared his coming death to a story well known to Nicodemus, because it was a rich part of their Jewish history (Anders).

An Illustration of God’s Provision for our Sin Problem is Submitted by our Lord Jesus. The account reaches back to Numbers 21:6-9, when the nation of Israel was wandering in the wilderness. Because of the people’s ingratitude and rebellion, God unleashed a wave of lethal snakes to discipline them. God, being so gracious, also offered the medicine for the poisonous snakebites—He directed Moses to erect a pole upon which he was to attach a bronze snake (Anders). Those bitten by the poisonous snakes could be healed by obeying God’s command to look up at the elevated bronze snake while believing that God would heal them. Their healing came when they looked upon this elevated (up lifted), bronze snake.

Our Lord Jesus used this occasion to paint a picture of his future redemptive work on the cross (John 3:14-17). To be lifted up in our Lord Jesus’ time—according to the usage in John (see 8:28; 12:32-34)—was a euphemism for death on the cross (the victim was literally lifted up above the earth—suspended between Heaven, Earth, and Hell—while impaled to a cross). Being lifted up or exalted also pointed to his anticipated glorification beyond Calvary (Anders). Christ upon Calvary is God’s provision for our extraordinarily lethal sin problem. If only we will look to Christ in faith, we will live indeed!

An Application of God’s Provision for Man’s Sin Problem is also Afforded by the Lord Jesus. Notice now how faithfully the Lord Jesus makes the transition to apply this truth to Nicodemus and us in John 3:15, where Christ says, “Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Back in Numbers 21:6-9, the perishing Israelites looked upon the lifted-up snake and lived. Similarly, the new birth happens the instance we look up to Jesus, believing He will save us. God has provided this way for us to be healed of sin’s deadly bite. Look to Jesus and live is the admonition! The Israelites were spared their lives; the Believer in Jesus, who shed His blood suffering to pay for our sins, is spared eternal destruction in Hell and given eternal life.

Beloved, without this GREAT TIME OF EXTRAORDINARY SUFFERING there would be no possibility of a New Birth! Our Lord Jesus’ suffering on Calvary shedding His precious life's blood made the spiritual birth possible! Each individual must personally apply the value of His death and bloodshed to their own sin and life to be born again. It does not matter how good we think we are, we still need the Sacrifice of Christ as payment for our sinfulness. If perhaps you feel you have goon to far and sinned too much, I want to assure you also that Christ has already paid for every one of your sins. The question is will you receive His payment. God accepted it; why don't you accept it as well?  Look to Jesus Christ and live!

SECONDLY, BY THE SPIRIT’S WORK OF REGENERATION

The new birth is identical to regeneration which basically means ‘another generation’ or ‘generated over again’! The term “regeneration” is employed by the Apostle Paul in Titus 3:5, where he says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”. Accordingly, regeneration is accomplished by the Spirit of God. This is not a reference to water baptism or a baby being christened! This is not a ritual or ceremony, but the actual impartation of life to the repentant sinner who believes the Gospel. When we look to Christ in faith the Spirit awakens our dead human spirit making it alive to God (Eph. 2:1-10). This is precisely the reason we cannot save ourselves or earn our salvation—regeneration transpires deep within the repentant/trusting soul and our human spirit is awaken—made alive to God for the first time ever! This is the work of the Spirit of Grace! As such regeneration is identical to the concept of "being born again,” or the “new birth.” Further exploration reveals more of what regeneration actually is.

Regeneration is a Brand New Beginning!

This obviously points to the spiritual change brought about in a person’s life by an act of God. In regeneration a person is instantly given a new nature, and she or he is enabled to respond to God in faith. Furthermore, the literal meaning of regeneration is “born again.” There is a first birth and a second birth. The first, as Jesus said to Nicodemus (John 3:1-12) is “of the flesh”—merely physical; the second birth is “of the Spirit”—thus, supernatural and spiritual. Being born of the Spirit is essential for a person to “enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5) Again the Bible insists the new birth is effectuated by the Spirit of God, not a church, not a preacher, not a priest, and not a ceremony (John 3:6-8). Just as we were passive in our natural and first birth, the same is truth with regards to our second birth. God does all the work the instant we believe. Without the new birth there is no present relationship, nor eternal future with the Most High God. Regeneration is the beginning of that spiritual relationship just as when we were born to our natural parents.

Regeneration is Instantaneous!

The “new birth” and “regeneration” do not represent successive nor continuous stages in our spiritual experience. The two terms refer to the same event, but view it in different aspects. The “new birth” stresses the impartation of Spiritual Life in contrast to spiritual death. “Regeneration” stresses the beginning of a New State of things in contrast with the old state of things. Both terms suggest a sudden event and not a process.

In short, the new birth is prompt/direct, and not step-by-step or progressive. It is spiritual and not physical in nature—it transpires in the human spirit and not the physical body.  It is only for people capable of believing the Gospel and receiving Christ. This is not true of infants and babies as such. Regeneration marks the beginning of the new creation in Christ! It is how we are made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. Regeneration is how we pass from death into life. The literal meaning of regeneration is “born again” and it happens the very instant we believe.

THIRDLY, BY BEING BORN INTO GOD’S FAMILY

For most of us our first birth placed us in the family of our biological parents. Likewise, when we are born again our second birth places us into the family of our spiritual parent—God! The critical problem with our first birth is that it was from a sinful, fallen, earthly source. What makes the new birth corrective is the fact that it is from a sinless, faultless, perfect, and heavenly Source--God. So, what does it mean to be born of the Spirit? (John 3:6-8)

It means the Spirit of God becomes the Source of our birth—God is our spiritual birth parent. We become a part of God spiritual family by means of the new birth!

This is Being Born Spiritually Alive!

We all were born spiritually dead in sin with our first earthly and natural birth (Eph. 2:1).  In the new birth we are finally made alive to the living reality of God and brought into a relationship with Him who is “life!” The Lord Jesus insisted upon this fact in John 3:5-6, “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. 6, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” He continues in John 3:7, saying to Nicodemus, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. Firmly our Lord asserts this requirement. The life giving element of the new birth is aptly communicated by the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:23, where he says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. We safely conclude that the new birth comes from God’s Word also. Accordingly, theses verses tell us our new birth is the product of the Spirit and the Word of God. The Spirit uses the Gospel (God’s Word) to bring about regeneration in the soul and spirit of the repentant/believing person. Being born again is the impartation of a new and divine nature-life; a new creation; the production of a new thing deep within (2 Cor. 5:17). It is a New Birth from above, from God—the new life giving Source! Now instead of being lost, separated from God, and in the death of our sins, we are saved, alive to God, and free of the guilt and responsibility for our sins.

This is Being Born With God’s Own Nature!

Now, please consider carefully what is stated so clearly in 2 Peter 1:4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Just as every creature on the planet reproduces after its own kind (Gen. 1:21, 24, 25-28) so it is with God. Baby giraffes, wolverines, and kangaroos share the natural traits, characteristics, biological distinctions of their respective parents. This is true with birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and human beings. This has been observed and validated now for thousands of years. Bears beget bears and raccoons begat more raccoons—the offspring possess the natural tendencies of their parents. Accordingly, when God regenerates us He plants His very own nature within us that we would live like children of the Most High God. He shares His nature with every genuine Believer! 

So, since I am a child of God, I have my Father’s nature! We can only be ‘born’ into God’s Family, just as we were born into our human parents’ families.  Believers have two spiritual parents, the Spirit of God and the Word of God! This is critical to living out these spiritual realities on a daily basis.

Again, in the New Birth we are made "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4).  Accordingly, we are new people who were created after God in holiness and righteousness. The Apostle Paul testified to this very matter in Ephesians 4:24, saying, “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Paul challenges us to live out this reality. Christ now lives in Believers and Christians have been placed in Christ rendering us brand new creations of grace. Paul taught this in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” As children of God we now bare something more of the image of God than before we were saved. Paul says this in Colossians 3:10, “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him”. Thus God’s seed has been planted in us and we are possessed of TWO natures. In the faculties of our new nature we can live in righteousness like God’s family members ought.

LASTLY, BY CHOOSING TO TRUST AND DEPEND ON CHRIST—FAITH

How Can We Experience the Spiritual Birth? The answer is by consciously opting to place our faith/trust in Jesus Christ--His death, burial, and resurrection as the full payment for our sins. We acknowledge that God indicated His acceptance of Christ’s redemptive work by raising Him from the dead. Therefore, we accept what God accepts as the fair and complete payment for our sins. Recall what the Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:14-18,

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15, That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Each person must utterly depend upon Christ as the One who paid our sin debt fully. Thus we believe the gospel of Christ—to believe means to trust Christ. We entrust our eternal salvation to Jesus Christ the Son of God without any reservations.

The story has been told many times with varying emphasis about the man who stretched a cable across a certain deep canyon. He first walked across the cable displaying fascinating balance and control. Secondly, he took a wheelbarrow and made his way across with it and back again. Finally, he asked the watching audience if they believed he could carry someone across in a wheelbarrow. Many of them gleefully responded with a “yes.” Then he asked for a volunteer and no one stepped forward. You see they did not really believe enough to trust him with their lives. When we trust Christ, it is like jumping into the wheelbarrow and utterly depending on Him to transfer us form no relationship with God into a relationship, from guilt to forgiveness, from condemnation to full acceptation, from death into life, and from earth to heaven. We must believe on Christ Jesus!

This is exactly what Paul outlines in Romans 10:9-10, writing, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. We cannot simply believe anything about Jesus, we must believe that the Son of God, died for our sins, was buried, and God raise Him up again the third day for our justification before The Father. It is crucial that we understand that it is faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel that is the power of God that saves us (Rom. 1:14-17).

Christ’s suffering at Calvary was God providing payment for our sins. That what Calvary was about--justice was served and sin was paid for in full. Now sinners can be saved--born again to enter a relationship with God. It is the Spirit who regenerates us and gives us new life when we trust Christ. We cannot save ourselves no matter how good, sincere, or diligent we are. Being born again means we become a part of a new family, God is our Father who shares with us His very own divine nature. All of this is realized the moment we humble ourselves before God acknowledging our sins while trusting Christ and His payment for them. We must accept this payment personally. Beloved, we must exercise faith in the Person and Work of Christ to experience the spiritual birth. What about you? Do you have one or two births?