Know what it Means to be Born Again?
Article #6 on Baptism
“Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?” – Jn. 3:10
Do you know what it means to be born again? You may think that you are a Christian because you have been born into a Christian family. This may be especially tempting to you because your family name is respected in India. But all this means nothing in the sight of God! As it is written, “That no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Cor. 1:29). The Jews had to learn this lesson the hard way. You are not the first person to make this mistake. Most of the Jews in the 1st century, like Nicodemus, believed that they were Jewish because they were physically born into the family of Abraham.
The Family of Abraham
Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Both were born of the flesh, but only Isaac was born of the Spirit. Both were physical children of Abraham, but only Isaac was a spiritual child of Abraham. This is clearly stated by the apostle Paul in Galatians 4:28-30. Pay attention to how this applies to the Christians in Galatia.
the children of promiseborn after the fleshpersecutedborn after the Spiritthe son of the bondwomanthe son of the freewoman
The Christians in Galatia were being persecuted and oppressed by unconverted Jews who trusted in their own flesh and despised the Gentiles. Paul wrote to give them needed encouragement in these hard times. Paul helped them see that the Christians of Galatia were like Isaac, who was “born after the Spirit”, and therefore they were being “persecuted” by the Ishmael of their generation, speaking of the unconverted Jews in the 1st century, all of whom were “born after the flesh” (Gal. 4:29).
Ishmael, though born after the flesh, needed to be born after the Spirit, like Isaac, which is to say that Ishmael needed to be born again. Sadly, the same could be said about most of the Jews in the 1st century. But they remained confident that they were Jewish because they were the offspring of Abraham in flesh and blood. John the Baptist rebuked them for this unfounded confidence.
and begin not to say within yourselvesWe have Abraham to our father:raise up children unto Abraham
God can miraculously turn stones into the children of Abraham. Nothing is impossible with God! Similarly, God has turned Gentiles into Jews, spiritually, like He did with the Christians of Galatia, because they were born again when they received Jesus Christ. This is the promise of the Gospel in John 1:12-13.
the sons of GodWhich were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God
This should not be a controversial matter. The promises of the word of God are guiding us to a Pauline conclusion: “That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” (Rom. 9:8). Jesus Christ had already made this fact of biblical history clear to Nicodemus in John 3, when He said, “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.” (John 3:6-7). No marvel that Ishmael, the son of Abraham, needed to be born again. No marvel that Nicodemus, a Jew, needed to be born again. He should have already known this basic doctrine of the Bible. Speaking of this, the Lord said to Nicodemus, “Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?” (Jn. 3:10).
Why is there so much controversy about this topic? People don’t know what they should know about being born again. Proud, patriotic, and fleshly people of every age cannot tolerate this doctrine. Take, for example, the discourse in John 8:30-47. Things escalated quickly with the Jews as the Lord lovingly evangelized the people. These particular Jews thought they were Christians, or Messianic Jews, because they believed on Jesus Christ in their own way, but not in truth (Jn. 8:30-31). Even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19).
free We be Abraham's seedbondagefree the servant of sin freefree Abraham's seed Abraham is our father. If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham Ye do the deeds of your fatherborn of fornicationwe have one Father, even God If God were your Father, ye would love me Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will dothe father of Godof God
This dispute can be summed up in three misunderstandings: (1) slavery / freedom; (2) sonship in Abraham; (3) sonship with God. Each time the Jews thought that Jesus Christ was speaking about these three things in a physical sense, when the Lord was speaking spiritually.
Physical or Spiritual Freedom / Slavery?
Jesus Christ promised to make the Jews “free” if only they would receive the truth (Jn. 8:32), and the Jews responded by saying that they are Abraham’s children and they weren’t ever in physical slavery to any man (Jn. 8:33). Jesus answered them by clarifying that they were “the servants of sin” (Jn. 8:44).
Physical or Spiritual Sonship in Abraham?
The Jews said that they were Abraham’s seed (Jn. 8:33, 39), and Jesus Christ acknowledged that this was true, physically speaking, saying, “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed” (Jn. 8:37). But then our Lord proceeded to denounce their physical sonship to Abraham because they were not spiritual sons of Abraham, saying, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.” (Jn. 8:39). The Jews responded by saying that they weren’t “born of fornication”, which is to say in other words that they weren’t Gentiles but purebred Jews (Jn. 8:41).
True spiritual sonship in Abraham can be discerned by the spiritual law being set forth by our Lord, when Jesus Christ said, “Ye do the deeds of your father.” (Jn. 8:41). This law is also true when it comes to spiritual daughterhood in Sarah. The apostle Peter used this law while addressing women in a statement about subjection written to Jewish Christians, saying, “Whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” (1 Pet. 3:5-6). In other words, Peter was saying, “Ye do the deeds of your mother.”
Physical or Spiritual Sonship in God?
The Jews waxed even more bold, and said, “We have one Father, even God.” (Jn. 8:41), and Jesus Christ responded by saying, “Ye are of your father the Devil” (Jn. 8:44). Why? The same spiritual law is applied here too, which states, “Ye do the deeds of your father.” (Jn. 8:41). God was not their Father because, Jesus said, “If God were your Father, ye would love me” (Jn. 8:42). Rather, the Devil was their father because, Jesus said, “the lusts of your father ye will do” (Jn. 8:44). The doctrine of Jesus Christ on spiritual sonship is consistent. No marvel that these Jews needed to be born again! Every race of men must put aside all pride and personal offence. Your best life in the flesh is slavery to sin in the spiritual family of the Devil.
The Family of Adam
This problem, and the need to be born again, can be traced back to the Family of Adam (Rom. 5:12-14). Adam had two sons, Cain and Abel. Both were born of the flesh, but only Abel was born of the Spirit. Both were children of Adam, but only Abel was a spiritual child of Adam. Abel’s faith and righteousness as a believer is evident in Scripture (Heb. 11:4). This proves that he was a spiritual child of Adam, and a child of God. “Ye do the deeds of your father.” (Jn. 8:41). Contrastingly, Cain’s way of hatred and violence is proof that he was a child of the Devil, as stated in 1 John 3:11-13.
who was of that wicked one [the Devil]
Cain’s spiritual sonship to the Devil stems from the Fall of Mankind. At the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, the Family Tree of mankind was spiritually breached by the Devil. The Family Tree of Mankind is now comprised of two different spiritual children: the seed of the Serpent and the seed of Adam / Eve. This is plainly stated by God in Genesis 3:14-15. No marvel that Cain needed to be born again.
The Families of Isaac & Israel
The spiritual law, “Ye do the deeds of your father.” (Jn. 8:41), governs all families. Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau. Both were born of the flesh, but only Jacob was born of the Spirit. Both were physical children of Isaac, but only Jacob was a spiritual child of Isaac. No marvel that Esau, the son of Isaac, needed to be born again. The same distinctions can be made in the Family of Israel, as Paul declared, “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Rom. 9:6). Now, hear Paul bring everything together as he traces the messianic line in a spiritual genealogy of born again people in the biblical history of the Old Testament.
For they are not all Israel, which are of IsraelNeither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all childrenIsaacthe children of the fleshthe children of Godthe children of the promise SarahRebeccaIsaacJacobEsau
The spiritual law, “Ye do the deeds of your father.” (Jn. 8:41), applies to all the families of Judaism throughout all time. It applies to all the Jews of every generation according to the promise of the Gospel: “That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” (Rom. 9:8). Of course, the same law applies to all Christian families of every generation because, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit”, even as the Lord said, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:6-7). This should change the average man’s perspective of Judaism and Christianity in modern times.
The Families of Judaism
Mere physical Jews are not worthy of the name, Jew, and are doomed to be denounced by God as children of the Devil (1 Jn. 3:7-10). On the contrary, Gentiles, who are spiritual Jews, are worthy of the name and will be accepted by God as true Jews and inheritors of the Kingdom. As you read the following passage, keep in mind that the “circumcision” refers to Jews and the “uncircumcision” refers to Gentiles.
circumcisioncircumcisionuncircumcisionuncircumcisionthe righteousness of the lawuncircumcisioncircumcisionuncircumcisionby naturefulfil the law,circumcisionJewoutwardlycircumcisionoutward in the fleshJewinwardlycircumcisionof the heart, in the spirit
Gentiles are “counted” Jews in God’s sight when the Gentiles are Jews “inwardly” (Rom. 2:26, 29). Jews are “counted” Gentiles in God’s sight when the Jews act like Gentiles “inwardly”. Your outward condition in the flesh is of no consequence. In other words, Gentiles are counted Jews in God’s sight when they “keep the righteousness of the Law” inwardly “by nature” (Rom. 2:26, 27). Jews are counted Gentiles in God’s sight when they are “a breaker of the Law” inwardly by nature (Rom. 2:25). Circumcision of heart, or to be a Jew in heart, is the crux of true religion (Rom. 2:29). No marvel that the Jews needed to be born again! And no marvel that Gentiles, being born again, are counted as spiritual Jews in the sight of God.
