Who is born of God - From the Scripture (BIBLE=B-Behold, I=I; B=Bring; L=Life; E=Eternal)DEFINITION: 1John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
To believe Jesus as to "WHO He is" is otherwise being born of God. We should be appropriate in our believing the Person who had been sent by God for mankind’s salvation/forgiveness of sin. Often many side track and do something beside what the Word of God says and call that as “Born Again”. Let us see in details from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as to what He experienced with some of the people (even the Apostles) in this context.
Definition of Born of God (from Scripture): 1John 5:1
EVERYONE WHO believes (adheres to, trusts, and relies on the fact) that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah) is a born-again child of God; and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him (His offspring). [AMP]
EVERYONE who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. [NIV]
WHOSOEVER believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.[KJV]
To personalize this one can put his/her name in the place of “EVERYONE WHO or WHOSOEVER”. Why the writer with the help of the Author Holy Spirit puts that way and in a very simple manner/way.
God sent not His Son into this world to form religion or to make His name a tool of merchandise but to give RIGHT of access into HIS Kingdom by the RIGHT believing through RIGHT conviction through the two divine and spiritual agents Holy Spirit + Word of God through the RIGHT faith that comes touching His ONLY SON JESUS THE CHRIST
Every single soul that comes into this world by FIRST birth (Adamic) can have the RIGHT standing in the presence of God only through Jesus Christ the Messiah; for He says in the Bible in John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Jesus Christ vs Nicodemus Dialogue: John 3:1-10
Nicodemus is one of the Sanhedrin members, highly honored, a Pharisee (well taught in the Law of the Scriptures and the oral traditions of Pharisees etc.) and suppose to be spiritually wise. He is a ruler, leader, an authority among the Jews.
Stage 1
He came to Jesus Christ during night,
called Him Rabbi (ref. John the Baptist also was addresses so in John 3:26).
He says, we know (ie. to represent Sanhedrin and also the Pharisees and the doctors and teachers of the Law)
that you are a teacher (they recognize Jesus to be one among them, because they all were teaching the scriptures to other ordinary members of the Jewish community)
come from God (thinking Jesus to be one of the prophet like others but still with higher power but yet neither Christ or God or the Son of God)
for no one can do these signs that You do (they relate greatness to the miraculous works and signs which manifested through Jesus and are at awe seeing them, for John preached effectively calling all unto repentance without any signs and miracles)
unless God is with him (we recognize that the God whom we serve and worship is with you that is the reason for your miracles, wonders and signs)
In all these Nicodemus has not shown any evidence of believe that “Jesus is the Christ or Messiah” or “Son of God” or “God”. He says He is a Rabbi, has come from God and could be a prophet, also he says God is with you. Jesus, who knows the thoughts and intensions of any man (John 2:24-25) tells most assuredly to Nicodemus “unless one is born again (one believes that I am [Jesus] the Christ), he cannot SEE the kingdom of God”
Again Nicodemus thinks in his carnal mind taking literal meaning of BIRTH and asks Jesus questions as follows
1 "How can a man be born when he is old?
2 “Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
Here Nicodemus does not have the mind to understand what Jesus is speaking about. He started reasoning in his inner-man (Adamic) how this is possible for an old man. This is where we should know that the rebirth/ being born again or born of God is by the conviction by the Holy Spirit. That is to say God begins the transformation and mind opening process.
Most of today’s so called spiritual leaders are but spiritual foes interpreting the Statement of Truths as they like and giving more importance for the external things rather than things and the Word that transforms the lives of the souls.
FIRST Jesus answered him about SEEING the kingdom of God. First his mind must be opened to see and understand the Kingdom of God (righteousness, joy and the peace through Holy Ghost).
Stage 2
Now to his questions; Jesus answered truly and truly about ENTERING into the kingdom of God.
Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot ENTER the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Here the spirit which is dead needs to be quickened or awakened. Here Jesus explains him his two different births.
1 One is the FIRST birth from your mother’s womb, which is already yours. You are already born of flesh and blood through your father and mother, which require a man and women (Two Agents which are flesh, blood, and sinful in nature). This birth is of man’s will and not of God’s will (Psalm 51:5). Genesis 8:21 ; "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth
2 For the SECOND birth, likewise one need two agents or instruments. Both must meet the spiritual requirements. Both must be spirit, must be life, should have the quickening ability, and must be holy and eternal. Then these two cannot be anything other than the Holy Spirit and the Word of God (Both the Word John 1:1 and the written word). John 6:63 it is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Only these TWO agents can bring about the REGENERATION and the New Birth in us.
Let us see two more verses 1Pet 1:23-25 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures
The END RESULT of our FAITH in Jesus the Christ is the salvation of our souls (1Peter 1:9) if we do not turn away from it, which was began in us by the Author (the Word, Christ Jesus) and He Himself is the Perfecter (Hebrew 12:2). This is the same faith which causes us to overcome the world.
The FIRST Birth is by the will of man and
The SECOND Birth is by the will of God from above (born of God)
We at the end see Nicodemus argue with the Sanhedrin and appear at the burial of Jesus Christ Body (John 7:50-51; 19:39)
NOTE: Today many are fighting to win their game whether it is sprinkling of water OR dipping into water (both are external) thus have gone to the extent of destroying the truly born again (born of God) children of God. They are blind guiding the blinds. Instead of giving the salvation glory which is due to God they parade themselves with the pride. Some never relate this to the God’s work and Spirit’s conviction. Most of them could not take Jesus by the Scripture as Christ and Messiah. More weight is given to the baptism that can neither save nor bring about any change within the subject that is sprinkled upon or dipped into water. One is finding fault on the second saying sprinkling is traditional. If one is tradition then the other is customary to dip having no change at all in the subject. God is pleased if we proclaim “Jesus as the Christ” freely and publicly in the crooked generations. Ref
...........grows
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