The Meaning of ‘Born Again’
... Jesus has always existed in heaven with the Father, even before His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). In the fullness of time He entered our world, being conceived by a virgin as the prophets foretold of Him (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Jeremiah 31:22). Thus, through His mother, He obtained a human nature like our own, though He remained fully Divine as well (Romans 1:3; Micah 5:2). According to the flesh, He was born of the descendants of Adam, and this is referred to as His 'Adamic' life (Luke 3:23,38). But when He was crucified for our sins, that Adamic life came to an end. .... When He was raised from the dead on the third day, Jesus appeared to us with a new life that was no longer descended from Adam (for that life, remember, had ended on the cross). Instead, He had become the first of a new race of mankind, being called 'the firstborn from the dead' (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). We might even say that He was ‘born again’, if that helps us to understand the phrase (Acts 13:33). And in like manner, those who believe in Him will die to themselves to live through Jesus, to become children of God through His resurrection. In other words we, too, will be ‘born again’ through our faith in Him (John 3:3).
.... "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
(John 1:12-13)
.... To understand the implications of our rebirth in easy-to-understand terms, let’s consider a natural division that is formed between Jesus' own death and resurrection, and see how it is reflected in us:
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.... Just as Jesus' old (Adamic) life ended on the cross, everything that He accomplished through His death pertained to our old man (our original life,) and was done in relation to our past, to settle our account with God in that regard. His death offered a just conclusion to our lives, allowing God to 'close the books' on our case. Thus, through His death comes the forgiveness of our sins, justification, reconciliation, peace with God, and many other things, all having to do with settling the old score which was contrary to us, that we may leave our old, broken, hurt, and sinful ways behind us forever (Colossians 1:14; 1:20-22).
.... And just as Jesus returned with newness of life through His resurrection, everything that was accomplished through His resurrection provides for our new, future state: Salvation, a new creation, our own resurrection, our inheritance in heaven, the adoption as sons, and many other things that speak of a new, ongoing life that we may share with Him (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:16-17; 1 Peter 1:3-4; Romans 6:5; 8:13-15). .
.... Between ourselves and Jesus, through what He has done, a sharing of life, of death, and of life anew has taken place. Through our faith in this gospel message, our lives become completely bound up in His as one. Each of the ‘benefits’ we've mentioned are actually facets of the death and new life that we will begin to share with Him, coming only through the gospel, and are not attainable in any other way (Galatians 1:1-4).
.... Between ourselves and Jesus, through what He has done, a sharing of life, of death, and of life anew has taken place. Through our faith in this gospel message, our lives become completely bound up in His as one. Each of the ‘benefits’ we've mentioned are actually facets of the death and new life that we will begin to share with Him, coming only through the gospel, and are not attainable in any other way (Galatians 1:1-4).
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.... Like Jesus Himself, we have become children of God through His resurrection, and members of the same new race of mankind:
.... "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."
(1 John 3:2-32)
Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 16
posted by loren at 2:46 AM
3 Comments:
When Jesus died on the cross, He brought the old race of mankind to an end for those who believe in Him. So in this way, our old racial differences have also descended with Jesus into the grave. Through His resurrection He has created a single new race of mankind, as we become the sons of His resurrection (Eph 2:14-19).
Therefore in Christ there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all (Col 3:11). In the same way, Black, White, Hispanic, Arab, Asian, American Indian or whatever we once were, we have all become one new race through believing in Jesus. We are all brothers and sisters in the Lord, and not just ‘cousins’. We are all the same in His eyes, and this is how we should accept each other as well.
By
loren, at 5/09/2005 3:03 AM
It is important to understand that Jesus was fully human, but He was fully Divine as well. This allows Him to become the door between ourselves and God.
He was not half-and-half. A half-human savior could only half save.
By
loren, at 5/09/2005 5:00 PM
This seems to be a good place to clarify another issue. We should understand that Jesus has always existed, from long before He was born in Bethlehem:
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."
(Micah 5:2)
Therefore it is improper to refer to His mother, the virgin Mary, as 'the mother of God' as some of our Catholic friends might do. It would be more accurate to say that she is the mother of the One who is God.
In other words, Mary gave birth to Jesus' humanity, but His Divinity has always been.
Mary went on to have at least seven more children after Jesus (Matthew 13:55,56). This may also be seen in Psalm 69:8, which foretold the episode, on the cross, in which Jesus gave her into the care of the Apostle John for the rest of her days: 'Behold your mother!' (John 19:26,27).
The last time we see Mary in Scripture, she is with the other followers of Jesus, in Acts 1:14, awaiting the gift of the Holy Spirit.
By
loren, at 5/09/2005 5:28 PM
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