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Understanding the new birth - Part 2
Necessity of the new birth.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 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.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Like we discussed in part 1, man inherited the fallen nature from Adam.
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
By the reason of this fallen nature:
1. The natural man is spiritually dead
2. The natural man cannot obey, understand or please God. Rom.8:6-8. Jer.17:9, Eph.2:3,1Cor.2:4
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
3. The natural man became, as it were, a child of the devil. Jn.8:44, 1Jn.3:10
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
4. The natural man is corrupt in his affections. Gal.5: 19,21
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
5. The natural man is perverse in his will.Mk.7:21-23
Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Every man must have two births for him to make it to the kingdom of God:
1. From the earth (of his body) : Natural birth. With this first birth you connect with the earth.
2. From heaven (of the spirit): Spiritual birth. With this first birth you connect with the kingdom of God- heaven
As there is an absolute necessity that a child be born into the world to connect with the glories of the earth and enjoy same, so must a person be born of the spirit to connect with the glories of heaven and enjoy same
NOTE:
Like the natural birth, the new birth is an event that takes place in a moment. However it may take sometime before a person gets convicted.
What the new birth is not:
1. A reformation of self life ( the old nature )
2. Self improvement of bad manners
3. Becoming a better person
4. Striving to be a good person.
5. Turning of a new leaf
What then is the new birth?
1. It is the vehicle that brings us into the family of God.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--[Isa. 56:5.] (AMP)
2. It is the creation of new life in a converted man by the operation of the Holy Spirit.
2Co 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.
2Co 5:17 Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. (GW)
3. It is the communication of the divine nature to man by the operation of the Holy Spirit through the word.
2Pe 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.
2Pe 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. (MSG)
EVIDENCE OF THE NEW BIRTH
1. Righteousness: Jn.2:29
2. Holiness: 1Jn.5:18
3. Love: 1Jn.4:7
4. Overcoming life: 1Jn.5:4
5. Witness of the Spirit: Rom.8:16
RESULT OF THE NEW BIRTH
1. The heart is changed
2. Christ is loved
3. Complete newness of life
4. New and holy desires. Jn.4:14
5. New creatures.Eph.4:24