Born Again!

Though God gave us physical life as a wonderful gift, the problem is we were born dead, spiritually speaking. Now, this deadness isn’t immediately apparent when looking into that angel face baby and marveling at such innocence. But alas, it is short-lived. Sin is coming as sure as the sun rises because that child is a sinner by nature, from conception.

Though from birth we possessed a beating physical heart, we had no spiritual heart beating for God. Though we housed a human spirit, it was dead in regards to God and His Word, for “those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). “In the flesh” is how we all start out and it is not good. As Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6) and “the flesh profits (or contributes) nothing” (John 6:63).

We were estranged and went astray from the womb, going our own way. No one is good, nor righteous. No one naturally seeks God, at least not the true and only God of the Bible (Romans 3:8ff). How bad off were we? We were dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1) when the Father found us, called us with a holy calling, drew us to Christ and gave us life from above.

Today (and next week), we celebrate the heavenly Father’s sixth loving act done on the Christian’s behalf – regeneration, a secret act of God in which He imparts new spiritual life to a sinner. New birth terminology is appropriate for we have as much to do with it as we did our physical birth.

You see, unlike repentance, faith or our on-going sanctification, where we are active and involved, man is entirely uninvolved in his own new birth. This is why Jesus used passive voice verbs in His memorable discourse with Nicodemus referred to earlier. He told him clearly – “you must be born again”, not, “you must birth yourself.”

This is something that happens to you, not from you or by you. It’s entirely a work of God who is life in Himself and can impart that life to whomever He wishes (John 5:21). That which is dead can’t generate life but He who is life, by His Spirit, can. God can! This is what John 1:13 is saying. Underneath and behind our receiving and believing of John 1:12 is God’s birthing us into the faith in v.13. Children of God are those “who were born, not of blood (we aren’t physically born into the family of God) nor of the will of the flesh (the will power of the body; human efforts, exertions or emotional responses) nor of the will of man (human volition) but of God.” How much plainer can it be?

Will power may make you rich, physically buff or smart as a whip, but it can’t bring new life. Biblical Christianity is the polar opposite of will power religion.

How do we become a child of God? From our side, we receive Christ and believe in His person and work on the Cross on our behalf. We truly believe we are sinful and He paid our penalty of death, in our place. But there’s more to this response than meets the eye!

The very ones who receive and believe, the ones who become children of God, do so because of a God-wrought reception. He is God and He is merciful, after all. As every child is born physically “out of” his father and mother, so every child of God is born “out of” or “from God” (John 1:13; 3:3-8).

Of course all of this is especially relevant for John’s Jewish readers of the first century, who took great pride in their human ancestry and even relied upon their physical connection to Abraham as their means of salvation. “We are of our father Abraham. We are disciples of Moses. God is bound to be favorable to us.” Jesus says, “No. You are wrong. You must be born again if you even hope to see the kingdom.” No one gets in on mama’s faith or their own deeds of righteousness.

I believe with all my heart that the Bible teaches and experience proves that regeneration precedes our faith. I don’t believe the Bible teaches “decisional regeneration” any more than it teaches baptismal regeneration. Think it through, beloved. Nothing of man can cause his own salvation. Our faith then is our willingly and free choice that is the result of God’s work of regenerating us, not the cause. Peter believed the same – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Peter 1:3). Jesus’ raising of Lazarus illustrates the same. It was instantaneous, personal and all the result of a powerful call – “Lazarus, come forth.” What else would he do?

We are out of space, so this one is to be continued next week.

Pastor Chris McKnight
Kerrville Bible Church