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