THE NEW BIRTH!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2023.

SUBJECT: THE NEW BIRTH!

Memory verse: "Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2 vs 38.) 

READ: John 3 vs 3 - 8:

3:3: Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 

3:4: 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?"

3:5: Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 

3:6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. 3:7: Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 

3:8: The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

INTIMATION:

The new birth is the birth of the spirit by being regenerated by the power of God. Jesus discussed what will be necessary for inclusion of the kingdom reign of Jesus in the hearts of men, and thus, one’s participation in the community of God. To be part of the kingdom of God, that is, to enter into the kingdom of God, Jesus stated a condition for one’s participation in it. The condition will be the manifestation of one’s response to all that God as done in order to bring one into a covenant relationship with Him. 

In the passage we read today, in verse 3, “…unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jesus, in this one statement, gives the condition (the new birth) established for one’s participation with Him in the kingdom of God. He is not establishing a commandment as a work of merit or a condition that will put God in debt to save one. 

This birth is not the result of one’s ancestral heritage from Abraham. Neither is it the physical birth that would result from a sexual relationship between a man and a woman. Neither is the birth generated from the religious inventions of men who would pronounce themselves righteous before God. The new birth is from God. The cleansing of sin at the point of baptism by immersion originates from the One against whom sin has been committed—God. However, His forgiveness and justification are given when men respond by faith to be buried and resurrected with the One who died for our sins (Romans 6 vs 3 - 6). It is at the point of baptism, therefore, that one is born again.

In the passage we read today, Nicodemus’ first question was certainly or the purpose of generating further explanation by Jesus concerning what He said about a new birth. Jesus answer is that to be in God’s kingdom, one would have to be spiritually born again in order to come into a covenant relationship with God. One must be born of the water of baptism, at which point one is renewed by the Holy Spirit. What Jesus is saying is that unless one truly repents because of obedient faith, and is immersed into Christ via immersion baptism in water, he or she cannot participate with Jesus in the kingdom of God. 

One is thus born anew in baptism by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. “Born of water” is the response of the individual to the grace of God. “Born of Spirit” is the work of God in a realm we do not fully understand. We are simply told that it is the Spirit who does His work to bring us forth from the grave of baptism pure of sin because we have relinquished to obedience to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The apostle Paul says, “Therefore we are buried with Him through baptism into death: that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6 vs 4.)

When one is born of the Spirit, He is spiritually rejuvenated by the Holy Spirit through the sacrificial blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1 vs 7). To be saved we must be spiritually regenerated in order to be reconciled to God. Just as the wind cannot be seen by the physical eyes of humans, and so is the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration. The Spirit does His work in the regeneration of the soul of man at the point of immersion. In the new birth, the Spirit does His work of sanctification without the perception of men. 

Baptism parallels the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and it also portrays the death and burial of our sinful old way of life followed by resurrection to new life in Christ. Remembering that our old sinful life is dead and buried with Christ gives us a powerful motive to resist sin. Not wanting the desires of our past to come back to power again, we can consciously choose to treat our desires as if they were dead. Then we can continue to enjoy our wonderful new life with Christ. (Galatians 3 vs 27; Colossians 3 vs 1 - 4). 

Every one who believes must repent. All must change their hearts, thinking, and lives in response to God’s grace that was revealed through Jesus. However, their belief and repentance would not take care of their sins. Belief and repentance should be their response to what they should do in reference to the Savior of the world. The response must lead one to do that which God requires as a manifestation of remorse for one’s sin. Their response, therefore, can never be a work of merit. 

Baptism is not a meritorious work in order to earn salvation. It is a response to the gospel of Jesus. The Greek word that is used here (baptizo) means “to deep,” “plunge,” “immerse,” or “overwhelm.” Therefore, the mode of baptism is immersion, which means that one must do that in order to come into the saving relationship with God. Every person who responds to God’s grace that was revealed through Jesus on the cross, therefore, must be immersed in water (John 2 vs 23) in obedience to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. 

In doing this one comes into a covenant relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Since Jesus died for us, we must die for Him. Therefore, we must crucify ourselves in a spiritual manner as Jesus was crucified physically. Therefore, the confession of our believe in Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, is a step in our obtaining new birth in Him. The baptism by immersion into water parallels our death, burial of our sinful old way of life followed by our resurrection to new life in Christ. One is this born anew by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for our death, burial and resurrection with Christ by baptism, new birth of the Spirit and regeneration by Your power to walk in the newness of life as Your child, and entering into a covenant relationship with You the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!