Ye must be born again !

[beloved57]

Why the Elect need to be born again !

There is no doubt in my mind that Nicodemus was an Elect of God because scripture indicates later that he became a believer ! Jesus said to him, knowing of course that he was one of His Sheep that He was about to give His Life for this Jn 3:1-7

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

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.


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?

5 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.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

There is a message to be conveyed to all for whom Christ died, but it is not a carnal message, a message of this worlds origin, but a spiritual one !

And the Elect of God , for them to be able to see it, hear it and know of the things of the Spirit of God, such as the Gospel of their Salvation, the voice of the their Shepherd or Heavenly Bridegroom, they must be born from above.

Now the analogy can be taken from the first birth into this our natural world, before birth, they neither see nor hear or know anything of the natural world to which they shall be born, and so likewise, before they are born of the Spirit, they cannot see, hear or know anything of that Spiritual Kingdom they are to be born, hence they must be already born into it that Spiritual Kingdom to see [perceptively] or hear [perceptively] the Gospel of that Kingdom. Remember Jesus calls it the word of the Kingdom Matt 13:19

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

The New Birth into that Kingdom Spiritually, is imperative before the Elect can hear Spiritually and Understand spiritually as indicated in Matt 13:23

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Please notice the difference from the hearer of vs 19 and the one of vs23, what is the difference Jesus points out ?

The one in vs 23 who hears also understands the word of the kingdom ! Why is that ? Jn 3 gives us our answer Jn 3:3

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.

The word see here is the greek word eidō and means:


to know, i.e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive

So evidently the one in Matt 13:23 who understands the word of the Kingdom preached unto him or her, had to be born again into the Kingdom of God, a Spiritual Kingdom !

And that is why the Elect must be born Again, to hear and understand the Gospel of their Salvation Eph 1:13

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard[Spiritually] the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

 

[beloved57]

If man had the ability in the flesh to do something that caused his salvation, then why the imperative necessity from the Saviour that one must be born again ?

 

[beloved57]

What is the Application of Redemption ?

The Application of Redemption is the New Birth, a New Life. When Jesus says that if I be lifted up, shall draw all men unto me, He is speaking of the Application of His Atoning Death, which causes all for whom He died to be begotten again by His Glorious Resurrection 1 Pet 1:3

3 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,

It,s also what Paul terms the Power of His Resurrection Phil 3:10

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Jn 12:32

32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Drawing is just another way of saying New Birth or Regeneration, for drawing is one of the properties of the New Birth !

The word draw is the greek word helkō and means:


to draw, drag off

2) metaph., to draw by inward power, lead, impel

Jesus is using it here in the metaphorical sense, In that by New Birth, putting His Spirit in us, He causes us to be lead by Him. Its like here Jn 10:3

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

The english word for draw also means:


to bring toward oneself or itself, as by inherent force or influence; attract:

Inward and inherent are the same and denote:

existing in someone or something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, or attribute:

In other words, the New Birth, the indwelling of the Spirit, the unction we now have, shall abide with us forever ! John says Jn 14:17

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Yes, the Spirit of God is the Application of Christ's Redemption Work, and that is why immediately after His Victorious Death and Resurrection and Ascension He did receive from the Father this Acts 2:33

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Yes, The Holy Ghost completes and makes Effectual the Saving Death of Christ by giving them New Birth as Per Titus 3:5-6

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

The shed on us abundantly is the application of Redemption !

 

[beloved57]

Born of the water and the Spirit !

Isa 44:3

For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

Jn 3:5

5 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.

Being born of water and of the Spirit is no different from what Jesus stated in vs 3 Jn 3:3,6,8 and that is being born of the Spirit !

Now false religion has corrupted the words of the Saviour and have introduced the false notion that water here means water baptism, a sort of water baptism regeneration from actual literal water ! However when Jesus speaks of being born of the water, its merely further clarification of being born of the Spirit, because of the Spirit's Purifying and cleansing effect, in the washing of regeneration and His Renewing Titus 3:5-6

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

And that is why Paul says right after describing the Holy Spirit's merciful Saving Work of Regeneration and Renewal, that He [The Spirit] had been poured out on them abundantly vs 6

6 Which he shed or poured on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

The word shed or pour is key and denotes Water being poured. The Pouring of the Spirit as water on Christ's seed Isa 44:3

3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

Jesus in John 3 is actually referring to an OT Prophecy, Nicodemus being a Teacher of the Law should have been familiar with Ezk 36:25

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

And also Isa 44:3, of which all these OT Prophecies connect together about Regeneration and Spiritual Cleansing, the Blessed effects of Christ's Finished Covenant Work of the Cross ! Of course Jesus did know that Nicodemus Ignorance was due to the fact that his understanding of the scriptures had yet to be opened as Jesus will do to all His True Disciples as here Lk 24:44-45

44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

Without this Work of Christ upon our Minds by His Spirit, we shall never Understand the Scriptures ! And so it is with this Deadly Teaching of water baptism salvation or regeneration, the only hope of deliverance from this demonic error is that they themselves become born again, which is absolutely out of their control !

 

[meshak]

Readers,

We are not born again if we refuse to obey Jesus' commandments by saying you cannot earn salvation by works (obeying) Jesus.

 

[meshak]

Please tell me what is so difficult about the concept of being born again. I believe Jesus. Literally I believe Jesus. Not some hokey malarkey about being instilled with this or that but literally being born again. God is not a God of the dead but of the living.

They dont know what they are talking about. They just pretend they know by lengthy and complicated posts that no one wants to read.

 

[TomO]

They dont know what they are talking about. They just pretend they know by lengthy and complicated posts that no one wants to read.

...as opposed to your incoherent babbling idiocy. lain:

 

[beloved57]

Regeneration or New Birth is the Spiritual Application and implantation of that Spiritual Life as a result of being quickened together with Christ, when He was Raised [As our Surety and Head] from the Dead Eph 2:6

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

The word raised synegeirō and means:

to raise together, to cause to raise together

2) to raise up together from mortal death to a new and blessed life dedicated to God

So the New Birth in Time is the evidence of all whom were in Christ when He rose as their Surety from the Dead. Hence we are Born Again by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead 1 Pet 1:3


3 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,

Before this, we are spiritually dead Eph 2:5

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved )

And this is what it means to be Saved by Grace, to be given a New Birth because of the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead as Our Federal Head and Shepard, who gave His Life for the Sheep !

 

[Cruciform]

Regeneration or New Birth is the Spiritual Application and implantation of that Spiritual Life as a result of being quickened together with Christ, when He was Raised [As our Surety and Head] from the Dead Eph 2:6

Addressed here.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

 

[beloved57]

Being begotten again !

1 Pet 1:3


3 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,

This being begotten again means being born again, anew 1 Pet 1:23

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

This being born again or begotten again by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead means that because He lives after death, all who He died and rose again must live also Jn 14:19; 1 Cor 15:22, this because He lived and died as their Federal Head and Surety Representative, and for that, all whom He represented must partake and do partake of His Resurrection See Phil 3:10. All for whom He died and rose again in behalf of have a title to it. Also in light of that it is written Rom 5:19b

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Being made Righteous here is Experientially Righteous, just as by the disobedience of the one [Adam] the many were made experientially sinners ! We become experientially righteous by New Birth !

The word made above as in made righteous is the greek word kathistēmi and does mean:


to constitute, to render, make, cause to be

To make Righteous, the word make means:

to bring into existence by shaping or changing material, combining parts

to produce; cause to exist or happen; bring about

to cause to be or become; render

And so through Christ's one act of obedience the may He died for shall be caused to be righteous, constituted righteous which carries the idea of being created Eph 4:24

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

All for whom Christ died shall be by New Birth from partaking of His Resurrection created into this New Man, created in Righteousness and True Holiness, Thank God for His Unspeakable Gift of Jesus Christ !

 

[beloved57]

Ezk 36:26

When God gives the New Heart in New Birth, He is giving these things as well

Ezk 36:26

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

The word heart here is the word leb and means:


inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding

a) inner part, midst

1) midst (of things)

2) heart (of man)

3) soul, heart (of man)

4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory

5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will)

6) conscience

7) heart (of moral character)

8) as seat of appetites

9) as seat of emotions and passions

10) as seat of courage

The same word is translated understanding here Prov 6:32

32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

As wisdom here Job 36:

5 Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

Its translated Mind Num 16:28

28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.


So in New Birth He gives as a Gift of Grace a New Heart which means New Will, Understanding, Affections , Mind and other Faculties, that is needed to Live a New Life unto the Glory of God, to begin with Faith and Repentance, which is a change of mind !

 

[Eeset]

Born again means exactly that. Forget all the obfuscation. It means reincarnation.

 

[Cruciform]

Born again means exactly that. Forget all the obfuscation. It means reincarnation.

Jesus and his apostles were Jewish. The notion of reincarnation would hardly have been believed or taught by any 1st-century Jew. Rather, Jesus and the apostles taught resurrection, a wholly different idea.

Jesus' phrase "born again" has nothing to do with the afterlife. If you want to know what it actually refers to, see here and here.

Be well.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

 

[Eeset]

Jesus and his apostles were Jewish. The notion of reincarnation would hardly have been believed or taught by any 1st-century Jew. Rather, Jesus and the apostles taught resurrection, a wholly different idea.

Jesus' phrase "born again" has nothing to do with the afterlife. If you want to know what it actually refers to, see here and here.

Be well.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

You mirror the very words of Nicodemus. How can this be?

 

[TruthSetsFree]

in Jn 3:1

it speaks of baptism

and says

baptism... now SAVES

 

[Cruciform]

You mirror the very words of Nicodemus. How can this be?

Answered in the brief articles cited in Post #113.



Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+

 

[beloved57]

They that know His Name shall Trust in Him Eph 1:13

Ps 9:10

10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Eph 1:13

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

It seems this scripture Ps 9:10 gives us to understand that a Knowledge of God or Christ is a qualification in order for one to put their Trust in His Name or in Him; but the knowledge comes as a fruit of the New Birth Heb 8:11

11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

Jer 31:34

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

 

[beloved57]

2 Cor 7:9-10

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Titus 1:1

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

Now Godly Repentance or Sorrow must come from a Godly Source, The New Birth is that source. New Birth is that Sovereign giving of a Godly Principle that disposes one unto actions that are Godly, Holy, and well pleasing unto God by Jesus Christ; Without whom we can do nothing of any Spiritual good ! For faith and repentance are the principle actings of the New Birth, which is a communication of the Life of God in the Soul. If man of the flesh can perform such godly actions, what needs be for the New Birth, the New Heart ? All one has to do is continue in such well doing in the flesh !

 

[beloved57]

New Birth is a Promise of the New Covenant !

What many in organized religion do not understand is that New Birth is a promise New Covenant Blessing. Here it is stated Jer 31:33

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Yes, the promise is here clearly stated, that God will given New Birth to all for whom Christ died for, because He satisfied by His Blood all the conditions of the New Covenant that procured for them a New Life dedicated to God ! Matt 26:28

28 For this is my blood of the new testament or covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

When God says " I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, He is speaking of the components of New Birth !

This is why all for whom Christ died, by His Resurrection they shall be begotten again ! 1 Pet 1:3

3 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,

The word begotten again means:

to produce again, be born again, born anew

2) metaph. to have one's mind changed so that he lives a new life and one conformed to the will of God

New Birth must be effected by the Blood of the Covenant for the many it was shed for Matt 26:28

 

[beloved57]

In the Regeneration !

The New Birth and Regeneration are distinct, but yet they go hand in hand and cannot be really divided. One is a Noun in scripture, a Place in Christ, that is Regeneration, and the other is the Effect of being in that Place, New Birth !

The fact is this, everyone Christ died for, His Body the Church Eph 5:23-25

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Has been or are Regenerated, or in the Regeneration ! Its a Place ! Matt 19:28

28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.