Born Again? How is that possible?

 

Dan Baxley

 

“Born again”, is a mantra of the Pentecostal, Charismatic, Evangelical side of Christianity. It is assumed by converts that they are “Born Again”, not because they know this is a requirement of the Word but mostly because they are told this is what they need to be once baptized and the sign that they Born again is the filling of the Holy Spirit. To prove the filling of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues, or palling to the floor in spiritual ecstasy, collapsing to the floor when the preacher tap you on the forehead, etc., etc., so it goes.

This is serious stuff and our Savior gave us the plain answer, so why don't we go and see what He told someone with the same question, “How can a man be born again?”.

(John 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.

(John 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?

You cannot see the Kingdom of God unless you are born again. This seems like a straight forward answer, but the priest Nicodemus is confused. He, Nicodemus has already acknowledged YaHshua as from God and with this he has sought out YaHshua to find out more, more about this Kingdom of God. What YaHshua tells him he cannot live and see the Kingdom, no, all people must die and be born into and of SPIRIT in order to see or enter the Kingdom of the Living God. '

(John 3:5-8) 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. 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. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Notice the answer, “that which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of spirit is spirit”, then as yourself, are you spirit or flesh. There, you have your answer. YaHshua goes on to tell Nicodemus not to marvel, or trouble himself with being born again. When you understand that you are waiting to be “born again”, becoming a new creation, a spirit being, much as the wind cannot be seen, you can hear it feel it, it is there so it will be with those “born of spirit”.

(2Co 5:5) Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest (Strong's #67162 – PLEDGE) of the Spirit.

Other translation render earnest as deposit, as with money, and earnest payment is like a down payment which represents a promise of the full payment in the future. So it is here, we are not given the full spirit but a small pledge, or deposit on the full value to follow at some future date. Thus, when we are truly “born again” we will no longer be flesh but full Spirit.

(Eph 1:13) And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, NIV

We are marked with a seal in Him but we remain in the flesh awaiting His return and the Resurrection of the dead brothers and sisters and the quickening from dust to SPIRIT.

(1Jn 4:12-15) No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Yahshua is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. KJV

This is not talking about you being changed but about the Spirit in you, Him living in you, His Holy Spirit in you, not you as Spirit – no, that is for later, for we do not know fully what we will be but we know we will resemble Him for when that time comes we will be like Him.

(1Jn 3:2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

(Php 3:21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

We are not yet changed, not yet made into Spirit, we are still in the flesh with a small deposit of the Holy Spirit. We are believer, followers of YaHshua but we are not yet Born Again.

Yes, at our conversion and confession of YaHshua as our Savior we are to put off the old and become a New Man, but you will notice, it is not a new Spirit. We are to stop living as the old person of sin that we were but now to change our attitude and desires of the flesh to desires of the spirit. We have yet to be born into the spirit just as the parable our Savior gave as an example.

(Rom 6:5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

(1Pe 1:23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Note that in John 1:1 we are told that the WORD is YaHshua.

(1Jn 3:9) Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Alright, everyone that has not sinned raise your hand. Next, everyone that has not committed some sin, small or large, since conversion, raise your hand. This should answer the question of being Born Again. When the time comes and you are changed, born into the Kingdom you will sin no more and you will be so happy and finally find your true freedom from sin forever. This is our desire, our prayer, our hope, that YaHshua, our Savior comes and delivers us from these vile bodies of flesh.

Say HalleluYaH – Come Lord come, HalleluYaH, HalleluYaH.

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