New Birth

In this and the next few posts we will begin to consider the nature of the new birth. We will consider some common errors that have for many years been taught regarding the new birth, including the fact that the new birth is frequently conflated with the conversion experience and with the attainment of Christian perfection, and most importantly, the fatal error of thinking that we can ask for it, or indeed, that we can have anything at all to do with bringing it about for ourselves. We'll start off simply with some questions:

Why did God choose to refer to a particular spiritual reality as a "new birth?" Did God choose the analogy of a baby being born because it very nicely illustrates various truths about the spiritual process that are analogous to the physical process? Did He choose it because it doesn't fit very well with the spiritual reality? What does new birth symbolize? Does it symbolize the appearance of a full grown man (Ephesians 4.13)? When someone is a new born, what are they? Are they a baby? Are they a full grown man? Are they a perfected man? Is a physical baby "carnally" minded? Can a person be spiritually born again and still be a spiritual baby, and still be carnally minded (1 Corinthians 3.1-2)? Does a baby have full control of themselves? Can they do everything they want to? Is a baby able to make informed and conscious decisions about its daily schedule, to say nothing of its lifelong plans? Can a spiritual baby make fully informed decisions about its eternal destiny? 

Backing up a little bit, in reference to the analogy of a new born; can a physical baby, before it is born, ask to be born? Can it beg its mother to deliver it? What is the biblical alternative to being born again? Does the Bible portray those who are not spiritually born as being spiritually alive but in utero? Does it portray them as being spiritually dead (Ephesians 2.1)?

Finally, for now; would it be about equally as Laodicean (blind and ignorant while thinking one's self wise) to think that a person can ask for their own spiritual birth, as it would be ignorant to think that a person can ask for their own physical birth? Can those who are dead ask for anything?

"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1.13

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1.3

The Law of Life - Part 2

Here is another brief analogy describing the true character of the law of God and the gospel of righteousness and their relationship to each other.

Remember the gospel is that the Remedy/Antidote or Cure has been delivered to every human being that has ever lived (on the authority of Christ, to whom all authority has been given). Now consider the following: the Remedy makes repairs to one's DNA that assist in returning deteriorated breathing patterns to normal healthy depth and rhythm. Those changes in the DNA? That's the law of God, a transcript of His character, being written in your heart! Now, suppose someone comes along before your breathing has been returned to normal and tells you, "You MUST breath normally if you want to live abundantly!" Will you be able to do it? No, not through force of your own will and physical effort. But suppose someone comes along at that same time in your life and says, "Be patient friend, the Remedy is working in you to restore your breathing to its right state. Trust in the Remedy, and pray that his work will progress rapidly in you! And refrain from doing that which you know will damage your breathing! And while trusting in the Remedy to work in you, continue to do your best to breath deeply, calmly, and steadily." Can you do that? Yes! Even in your broken state, you can do that much! However, in both of these situations, how is it that the breathing can be/is returned to normal/the law is kept by the person? Does the person accomplish it? Or does God accomplish it in the person (allowing them to choose to cooperate with what is being done in them or destroy His patient work in them)?

Now consider it this way: the Remedy has been working in a person, and, though His work is not yet completed in the person, the person's breathing has returned to normal. Does anyone have to tell such a person that they must breath normally in order to live abundantly? Hardly! In fact, if anything threatens that person's breathing, that person will strenuously resist its influence and fight against it as if their very life depended on it, because it actually does! This is what it looks like when the law of God is written on the heart. If you are aware of the fact that certain laws of God are not written on your heart, or are only very lightly written (not deeply engraved), do not fret. Plead for Him to write more, focus on refraining from erasing what He has written, and always recognize that it is He who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure. Study His Word, for it is an engraving Tool like no other! Talk with Him every day through prayer (the breath of the soul). Private prayer, family prayer, and silent prayer as you go through your work day. Listen to His still small voice, telling you which is the way to walk in. In this way, the Law of the Lord will become more and more a delight to you! 

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."

The Law of Life

Here is a brief analogy to explain how the Remedy spoken of in the previous post is related to the Law of God.

The disease spoken of in the previous post is a virus that changes a person's very DNA (damaged DNA = the condition of being sinful) so that the cells begin to act differently/malfunction and eventually die. The differences in cell functions result in differences in how the various organs function, which in turn results in problematic behavior (sinful actions of the heart/mind and body) by the sick individual. The Antidote/Remedy spoken of in the previous post is a Living Agent that not only destroys the lethal virus, but also repairs the DNA structure and thereby allows for the cells and the person to return to healthy/normal functioning. 

So where is the Law of God in this scenario? Well, what is it that shows us what is out of order? The Law. We can't tell what is wrong without knowing what the Law demands and/or prohibits. Herein is one of the most beautiful aspects of the message of the Law of God and the Gospel of Righteousness. The Living Agent that destroys the deadly virus and makes reparative changes to the DNA, is the Law personified in the Person of Jesus Christ! Let me say that again. The Antidote, the Remedy is Christ, and He is the Law personified! Christ's very presence drives out sin; that's the killing of the deadly virus. His character/his law identifies the broken DNA. His power heals the DNA back to its proper state. So, when the Remedy (Christ) is delivered, the Law is delivered, because Christ's character is the Law. 

Now, when the Remedy is delivered it does its work in the man. And the man's DNA is repaired for him (Ezekiel 36.26-27). But this is done little by little. This is why we have the new birth, or blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear, that is, the "perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4.13)." The healing process takes time. 

Two more points before we stop; one very beautiful one, and one very sad one. First, notice that the restoring to perfect health is all performed by the Remedy. It is the Remedy that does all the fixing. And the fixing is done precisely according to the righteous requirements of his perfect law, his character. As the repairs are made, the man has greater and greater capacity to understand right behavior and greater and greater strength to do right. He didn't in any way earn these new abilities. They are the results of the Remedy working in him. His mind is more and more free from the madness it was trapped in by the disease, and his body is more and more able to perform properly. As he uses his freed will to make choices in agreement with the Remedy working in him, the Remedy's work advances. Sadly, even though, and because, his will is now freed from the slavery it was bound in, the healing process not yet being fully completed, the man may use his newly gained free moral agency to make choices in his thoughts that lead to actions in his body that are in direct opposition to the work of the Remedy. And this is why, and the only reason why, anyone will be lost on judgment day. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God (John 3.19-21)."

So how is the Law of God related to the Gospel of Righteousness? Well, Christ is the Law personified. And the Gospel of righteousness is that he has been secretly implanted into every human heart (Colossians 1.27), and he is writing his righteous Law, his character, on your "DNA," that is, your heart, your mind! Engraving it into your inner most parts. Fusing it into your very being, your soul. Working with the persistence, patience, love, mercy, kindness, gentleness, thoroughness, that only he is capable of. With every fiber of his being doing everything to heal you, to perfect you! Are you working in cooperation with his work in you?! Or, ..., I won't even say it. Please, agree with his work in you!