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By F.G. Smith From What the Bible Teaches The experience of salvation received through Christ is also represented as a birth of the Spirit. Jesus himself introduced this doctrine. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them which believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1: 11-18). According to this text, all who during the incarnation received Christ and believed on his name were born of God. So too, when Nicodemus came by night to interview the Savior, acknowledging him as a teacher come from God, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God" (John 8: 1-7). Nicodemus understood about natural birth, but could not comprehend this idea of a second birth that even an old man might obtain. So Jesus explained: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." This doctrine of the new birth is fundamental; for without being born again no man can truly be called a Christian; for a Christian is one who is Christ like, and sinners must be transformed from sin to grace before they can be Christ like, and this change is effected by the Spirit in what is here termed the new birth. The prominent idea connected with birth is a bringing into life. Now, sinful man is in the Scriptures represented as being in a state of spiritual death. To know God, and to be associated with him in holiness and fellowship, is life eternal, and is the normal sphere of the soul's happiness (John 17: 8). On the other hand, to be cut off by sin and separated from that vital union with our Maker is spiritual death. "I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died" (Rom. 7:9). In Isa. 59:1, 2 we read of how sin separates men from God. In 1 Tim. 5: 6 Paul says, "She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." "And you, being dead in your sins." (Col. 2: 1S). "And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins: wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world" (Eph. 2: 1, 2). How strange to think of dead men walking! Yet we are surrounded by millions of living, intelligent beings who are nevertheless "dead in trespasses and sins." These are the ones who "must be born again." But Jesus has come "that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10: 10). In John 1 : 12, 13, already quoted, we read that those who believed on Jesus' name were born of God; and in John 5:24 he says, "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." The Beloved Apostle states very clearly "that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5: 11, 12). Notwithstanding all these plain texts, and many others bearing on this subject, certain religious teachers affirm that the new birth is not an experience to be obtained now; that we are only begotten in this world, but shall be born in the next; that everlasting life is not obtainable in the present dispensation, etc. "What shall we then say to these things?" We will read the divine word and let it decide, then "let God be true, but every man a liar" (Rom. 3:4). "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born o f God" (1 John 5:1) . "Behold what manner of love the Father bath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God . . . . . Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God" (1 John 8: 1, 2). "Because he is born of God" (1 John 8:9). "Being born again . . . . by the word of God" (1 Pet. 1:28). "Every one that doeth righteousness is born of him" (1 John 2:29). "Which were born . . . . of God" (John 1: 12, 18). "Because ye are sons, God bath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts" (Gal. 4:6). "As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Pet. 2:2). "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Rom. 8:16). "Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God" (1 John 4 : 7) . And since we are already born of God, and are now his sons, his believing children, "we know that we have passed from death unto life" (1 John 3:14). "God path given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that bath the Son bath life" (1 John 5 : 11, 12) . We must not overlook the miraculous feature of this new birth, this bringing into life. In the natural world, life proceeds only from life. Things inanimate can never endow themselves with natural life. So it is also in the spiritual realm. Man, who is "dead in trespasses and in sins," can never endow himself with spiritual life. He may possibly reform himself in certain particulars and perform many good works; but after he has reached the end of all self-effort, he will simply be a good moral man, and not what the Scriptures describe as a Christian, for a Christian is a good man plus something else. The additional something is life from God, which is infused by the divine Spirit into our hearts. "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life"; for "this life is in his Son" (1 John 5:12,11). Millions of people call themselves Christians and think themselves on the road to heaven, when they are not, but are deceived; for they have never been born again, and Jesus himself declares, "Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). How important, then, that experimental salvation be held before all men, so that they man know how to meet Bible conditions and receive a real conversion, this birth of the Spirit, which endows the individual with everlasting life, happiness, and joy! What a shame – what a lasting disgrace to the fair name of Christianity – that multitudes of sin-loving people should claim to be Christians simply because they have joined some human church, or because they were in infancy subjected to a ceremonial rite called baptism! Yet this is a sad fact. May God help to undeceive these blinded multitudes, who are rushing onward to an everlasting hell! Dear reader, if you are one of this number, I pray God to awaken you before it is too late; to write upon your soul as it were in letters of fire these words of our Lord, "Ye must be born again." |
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