A Look At The New Testament Scriptures Specifically Mentioning Or Discussing Being Born Of God

©1999 Jeffrey Brian White

In this writing, I hope to bring out with some accuracy some of what the Scriptures teach about the New Birth or Born Again Experience. Some of this will be presented in outline form, some in explanatory prose, some in biblical quotation. Some words from the quotations will be defined utilizing the Greek-English Concordance of the Concordant Literal New Testament. The first word will be from the quotation, the second word after the first colon the transliteration of the Greek word used, and after the second colon will be the wordliteral and literal meaning of the word being defined. All New Testament quotes will likewise come from the CLNT. I recommend strongly that the Reader look up and read every scriptural reference given, so that one may understand why I say what I say here and protect oneself from error on my part. Let God be true and every man a liar! Let us take to heart what the Holy Ghost spoke through Paul when he wrote, »All scripture is inspired by God, and is beneficial for teaching, for exposure, for correction, for discipline in righteousness, that the man of God may be equipped, fitted out for every good act« (2Ti 3:16).

Generally speaking, the New Birth occurs whenever someone truly believes in Jesus. On account of this, the Born-Again Experience can be preached in many ways without it being necessary to understand or explain every aspect of it. And so it is, indeed, that the salvation of God has been presented over the centuries in many different ways, so that many have come to know Jesus Christ as their Saviour and as Immanuel, »God with us«. This writing is not really intended to preach the New Birth (although I could), but rather to elaborate and explain this initiation into the dealings of God from the Scriptures (primarily the NT).

The New Birth is that first initiation of the believer into the mysteries of God. This may sound cryptic, but it is nevertheless true. In the New Birth, the SEED is planted and it sprouts with the intention of God that the implanted Christ grow unto maturity. The Anointed One so conceived Paul called the »Anointed within you, the Expectation of Glory« (Co 1:27, selftranslation).

Consider the MYSTERY of Christ. Mystery is in English and several other languages a direct borrowing from the Greek. It is a religious word and referred originally to the Mystery religions of the Fertile Crescent. Wherever the word »mystery« appears in the KJV New Testament text, it translates the word mustêrion, which Strong defines as "...from a derivative of muô (to shut the mouth); a secret or "mystery" (through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites)" [#3466G]. In their Greek-English Lexicon, Liddell and Scott define it this way: "a mystery, secret rite: mostly in plur. mustêria, ta, the mysteries, religious celebrations, the most famous of which were the Eleusinian mysteries of Demeter or Ceres...any mystery or secret thing: a mystic history or dispensation". The Greeks called an initiate into such mysteries mustês, for this one held these secrets within. Paul's usage of the term is entirely justified, because the New Birth and the coming forth of the Christ within is simply inunderstandable without actually experiencing it for oneself.

Jesus' statements to Nikodemos describe this mystery. In speaking to the woman at Jacob's well, he defines the type of experience into which the new birth (and the Holy Ghost Baptism) initiates the believer. He explains to her that the old way of always looking for exoteric satisfaction in natural realm, seeking satisfaction through natural means, or, through sense gratification, is never lasting, but always recurrent (»He that drinketh of this water will thirst again«, Jn 4:13, KJV). The new way, however, looking for satisfaction in Him in spirit and in truth permanently satisfies the longings of humanity's being (»I will give thee to drink...he that drinketh of the water I shall give him will never thirst again«, Jn 4:14, KJV). When he tells her of the new water, he expresses the fundamental difference between exoteric (psychic) and esoteric (pneumatic) spirituality. In doing so, he presents the soul's searchings as essentially exoteric in nature (even when internal) and inferior to that esoteric experience of one's spirit drinking from the Anointed One within.

(When I say "psychic", I am specifically referring to the realm of the Soul, called psukhê in Classical Greek; I am not referring to any 'New Age' or occultic doctrine or practice, nor parapsychology. When I say "pneumatic", I am referring specifically to the Spirit, called pneuma in Classical Greek, sometimes using the word in reference to the Spirit of God, but usually the human spirit, especially that generated in the New Birth.)

Among all experiences which a human being can experience with God, the New Birth is the most important, for it is the beginning of salvation and life with the Spirit of God. Without the New Birth, one cannot come into the Kingdom of Heaven and cannot truly be or become spiritual (Jn 3:3,5-7). The New Birth is the beginning of a process in God which is supposed to end in immortality and union with the Lord. One is born anew and then grows in the divine nature.

As a result of my studies, I no longer tell people that they receive the Holy Ghost upon conversion because I have not yet seen what I consider to be conclusive enough evidence for it in the Scriptures, although I likewise do not reject this idea as being entirely impossible. Rather, I have chosen to stick with that which is readily visible in the Scriptures. In my experience, I have seen two outcomes in terms of beliefs that proceed from the assumption that one receives the Holy Ghost in the New Birth. As yet, I have not found any verses of Scripture to support this equation. Coming from one 'Fundamentalist' point of view, the young believer is often told that he/she has now received the Holy Ghost as those folks in the Book of Acts did, only that speaking in tongues is no longer the proof that one has received. The result of this faulty teaching is that many believers are believing that they have been filled or baptized with the Spirit when they have not been. Consequently, many seek not the blessing that rightfully belongs to them. On the other hand, coming from the point of view of some 'Pentecostal' groups, it is often taught that people have not truly been 'born again' unless they speak in tongues, because they teach the same idea as the Fundamentalists, the only difference being the Pentecostal context of the teaching. The result of this teaching is that well-meaning Pentecostal believers sometimes place their Fundamentalist brethren in bondage, telling them that they're not really born again or still going to hell because the Fundamentalists aren't speaking in tongues! Both of these teachings are inaccurate and demonstrate the ignorance of some of God's people. (I held to a similar belief previously.) Nevertheless, my purpose here is not to argue against such teaching, but to present what I have learned from the Scriptures that corresponds also to my experience regarding the New Birth.

The Growth Cycle

To elucidate this parable well, I must present two other quotes which relate to it:

First of all, we must understand that Jesus is talking about the growth of the Kingdom of God and he meant the exact same thing as Paul did in Romans 14:17. Jesus was not talking so much about any earthly kingdom which would arise someday as much as he was talking about that spiritual realm wherein Yahweh is King. He said: »the kingdom of God is inside of you« (Lu 17:21), referring to the inner man, one's inward or secret consciousness.

This parable describes the Lord's method of starting and establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth and the progress of its growth. The first thing is the planting of SEED. We see FRUIT in three stages of growth: the BLADE, the EAR, and the FULL CORN IN THE EAR. The BLADE is the first thing which appears after the implanted seed sprouts. Between the time of sowing and the appearance of the blade, nothing is seen at all, although the plant's roots are growing underneath the surface of the ground. And so it is when a person is born from above: the seed is planted, it sprouts, but no initial growth may be seen. The person appears much like they did before their new birth. When the person begins to demonstrate real evidence of an inward change in their disposition so that they express faith toward God and a change of mind and behavior toward the Lord, this is the appearance of the BLADE and the primary emphasis here is RIGHTEOUS through the Holy Spirit. When the EAR is formed, we see the beginnings of the »fruit of the Spirit« (Ga 5:22-23) being born(e) in the person's consciousness and the primary emphasis here is PEACE in the Holy Spirit. The FULL CORN IN THE EAR speaks of the perfection, maturity, or RIPENING of the fruit and the primary emphasis here is JOY in the Holy Spirit. The BLADE and the EAR are both »in part« (1C 13:9-10). But both pass away once the fruit has fully ripened, the CORN IN THE EAR being FULLY FORMED and ready to be harvested. Once the corn is harvested, some is used for food and some is used for planting the next crop. From the one plant (Jesus) come many others like it (Believers), sprouted from the same SEED.

This growth cycle illustrates the revelatory cycles in God by which he brings his people and individual truths sown in them to completion. As many believers sprouted from Jesus' being planted in the earth, so also many more sprout from those believers as they continue to sow the same kind of seed (the word of God) which was planted in them and sprouted. This is well illustrated by the fact that souls were added to the Body of Christ as the apostles continued preaching the word of God in the Book of Acts (Ac 2:41, 47). The word and the church grew together (Ac 6:7). Jesus described the SEED in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares as being the »sons of the kingdom« (Mt 13:37-43). But he also described the SEED in an esoteric sense in the Parable of the Sower and the types of soil upon which the seed was sown. This parable speaks of BOTH plantings. Jesus sows his children among men that his kingdom may increase in the nations of the earth and sows his word in the hearts of his children that his nature, the Spirit of the Son, may increase within them. As the word grows in the hearts of his people, Christ is formed in them and their numbers increase in the world's population as they become the expression of Christ in the earth. Eventually, the harvest will come; the cycle will be complete. It is both interesting and consistent that James starts his epistle with a discussion of the »implanted word« (Ja 1:18) and finishes it with these words: »Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth. and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is nigh.« (Ja 5:7-8, KJV).

We OBTAIN by BELIEVING into the name of the Word which is JESUS.

Let the Scriptures tell you briefly about this FAITH:

Yahweh has given to each of us the bare minimum amount of the Faith of Jesus Christ we need to begin believing the Truth. The only real question is: How willing are we to believe it? You see, it is through faith that we understand that Yahweh created all things which exist. Specifically, it is through the Faith of Jesus. What did Jesus believe? In whom did he trust? These are good questions to answer as we read the Gospels. But Yahweh has given a measure of faith and those who use that measure of faith to believe into his name are begotten of God the moment they do so.

Note the emphasis on BECOMING children of God. Before we believe, we are »children of wrath«, without God in the world, worthy only of Yahweh's righteous indignation and destruction (Ep 2:1-3). But through believing into Christ, we can become Sons of God, for this is Yahweh's intention in the New Birth, that Jesus be multiplied in the earth, »for the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God« (Ro 8:19). That we should ever be called this is a result of Yahweh's love: »Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the SONS OF GOD: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. BELOVED, NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD, AND IT DOTH NOT YET APPEAR WHAT WE SHALL BE: BUT WE KNOW THAT, WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; FOR WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS« (1J 3:1-2, KJV). This is the purpose of God in Christ Jesus.

We believe INTO his NAME. Jesus is the anglicized form of the hellenized form Iêsous [#2424G] which in turn is the Hebrew name Yehôshûwa or Yahshua which means "Yahweh saved" [#3091H]. Usually Yehôshûwa shows up in English as the name Joshua. Yehôshûwa comes from two words: Yahweh = "(the) self-Existent or Eternal" [#3068H] and yâsha' = "to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causative to free or succor" [#3467H]. Therefore, we believe into Yahweh's deliverance, openness, wideness, and freedom in Jesus Christ. And so, this is how we OBTAIN him.

John tells the true ORIGIN of our New Birth. »of« in each of the phrases is ek in the Greek text:

Sometime in the past, someone thought that these verses expressed the receiving of the Holy Ghost, although these verses do not mention the receiving of the Spirit. Perhaps this idea arose on account of the mentions of the Spirit out of which one is born again. »born of the Spirit« does not mean the same thing as "receiving the Spirit", but rather, it simply expresses the SOURCE of that birth. In the birth of a child, the child comes out of the woman, not into her. So also in the New Birth. The "spirit" born in the New Birth is a new human spirit which comes out of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit cannot be born, for he has always existed and is not a created being as is the spirit of a human being is. In no place in Scripture is the New Birth ever equated with the Holy Ghost Baptism; this equation is simply a product of human error and religious tradition. There is a big difference between being immersed in the Spirit of God and having that spiritual Seed planted in us. Peter experienced the New Birth BEFORE he received the Holy Ghost. However, in the New Testament, the term »Spirit of Christ« can refer both to that new (human) spirit generated in the New Birth and to the Holy Spirit given as on the day of Pentecost. This fundamentalist equating of the New Birth with the Holy Ghost Baptism is one-dimensional whereas God is three-dimensional.

»BEGOTTEN ANEW« avails PERCEPTION of Kingdom of God. This is the first result of the New Birth which Jesus emphasizes. Paul wrote that the natural man cannot perceive the things of God and that they are foolishness to him (1C 2:14). Contrastingly, the spiritual man knows the things of the Spirit. The implication is that one must be »begotten anew« to be spiritual at all. (Sadly, many in the religious world still see no need for this and yet still think they have 'spirituality'.) It is for this reason that Paul could tell those Corinthians who were being carnal that they were spiritual; though they were behaving carnally, they were still spiritual on account of the New Birth. 2.Corinthians 3 tells us why the natural man cannot see the kingdom of God; it is because his heart is veiled by a veil or hull of petrified (in the sense of being turned to stone) perception; his heart is made of stone (Ez 36:25-27). Herein is a paradox: the natural man, fleshly and earthly, has a stony heart while the spiritual man, spiritual and heavenly, has a heart of flesh. These symbols express the most basic differences between natural man and spiritual man with reference to the spoken word of God. The natural man's heart is such that it is substantially resistant to the Spirit, although the word of God is the hammer which can break the stone (Jr 23:29). By nature, he is stubborn, hardened (petrified) in his perceptions and opinions. The spiritual man's heart, however, is receptive to the word of God. The whole concept of what people call "brokenness" has to do with the word of God breaking through that petrified perception; the "broken-hearted" are those whose stony hearts have been broken by the hammer, whose hulls of fossilized perception have been hammered, shattered, and chipped away.

A New Birth is just that - NEW! It is a new beginning, the beginning of a whole new life.

»BEGOTTEN OF WATER AND OF SPIRIT« avails entrance into the Kingdom of God.

The context of John 3:1-7 seems to indicate that the idea of being begotten out of the spirit was alien to Nikodemus' belief system and experience. A a Pharisee, Nikodemus trusted in Moses and performing the works of the Law. Since this idea seems to be stressed most by Jesus in this passage, it would be productive to examine other Scriptures that appear to shed some DIRECT light regarding the definition of this concept.

Question: How does Jesus define SPIRIT?

In cases where the word »spirit« is given without the definite article »the«, it denotes »spirit« in the generic sense of the word as opposed to those examples where the word appears with the definite article. The term can refer to the spiritual realm, the Holy Ghost, and the human spirit.

God is called in the Epistle to the Hebrews the FATHER OF SPIRITS (Hb 12:9). The SPIRITS, about whom the writer to the Hebrews is writing, are indicated further along in the text as SPIRITS OF THE JUST PERFECTED (Hb 12:23). In other words, God is the Father of such spirits. I must note here that these SPIRITS are HUMAN spirits.

Now the Father is not just one personage of the Triunity alone, but JESUS. Isaiah, when referring to the SON to be given, calls Him the EVERLASTING FATHER (Is 9:6). At the end of the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus commands, »...disciple all nations, baptizing them into the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...« (Mt 28:19), but throughout the Book of Acts, people were baptized only in the NAME OF JESUS. The implication is that JESUS is the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, because the word NAME is in the singular form. Whereas Elohim's name in the Hebrew Scriptures is Yahweh; in the New Covenant Scriptures, Yahweh is called JESUS. Keep in mind that, as a word, »Elohim« is the plural form of »El«, and his personal name »Yahweh« is singular in number. But this is not all. If you count the generations listed in Matthew 1:1-16, you will discover that 41 generations are listed, and the last name mentioned is CHRIST. But then Matthew goes on to say that we have 3 groups of 14 generations from Adam to Christ (Mt 1:17) The thing that makes this of interest is that 3 times 14 equals 42, not 41! Who then is the 42nd Generation so indicated here? Does Jesus Christ have children? Yes, He does. Notice what He says in Hebrews: »Lo, I and the little children who are given Me by God!« (Hb 2:13) So the name of the Father is Jesus, and Jesus is the Father of Spirits.

»GOD IS SPIRIT« - This is important. We have seen that Jesus is the name of both the Father and the Son, but He is also the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost. »May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the recognition of God and of JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD!« (2P 1:2) Paul tells that there is »ONE LORD, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all« (Ep 4:5). He says in another place, »Now THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT« (2C 3:17). It is obvious from this comparison that JESUS IS THE SPIRIT. »That which is begotten of the spirit is spirit.« Jesus Christ must be spirit, if indeed He is to beget spirit. In fact, Paul wrote the Corinthians that the Last Adam, Christ, became a »vivifying Spirit« (1C 15:45). We could also conclude that the human spirit begotten out of God is likewise a vivifying spirit (see principle: Jn 3:6; Gn 1:11-12,20-22,24-27; everything »after its kind«).

This is one thing that makes this New Birth so unusual. Until one is begotten out of the Spirit, all they experience and possess is that which begotten out of the flesh; they bear the image of the Man of Earth, the First Adam (Jn 3:6; Gn 5:3; 1C 15:45-49). They are not 'spirits', but nepheshim, souls, as Adam was (Gn 2:7), having not the »Spirit of the Son«, because, like Adam, they have partaken of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and their spirits have died unto God.

This is the pivotal truth connected with the new birth; it is »through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead«.

In Genesis, the first thing that died within Adam was his spirit. Then his mind started to go. Once Adam ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he became a DYING soul instead of a living one, until finally, his body succumbed and died also. In similar order will God raise people from among the dead (see Co 3:1-4 for the indication that one must not die a bodily death in order to partake of the resurrection in the present time). First, a new spirit is begotten out of the Spirit within the believing one, and from the inside out begins the transformation from Death to Life, the believer having been transfered from Death to Life, the New Birth itself being the beginning of resurrection, for Jesus said »I am the resurrection and the life« and it is he who dwells within the Newborn of God (Ga 2:20; Co 1:27).

That the Resurrection is indispensable wrote Paul in this way: »Now if Christ is being heralded that He has been roused from among the dead, how are some among you saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? Now if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been roused. Now if Christ has not been roused, for naught, consequently, is our heralding, and for naught is your faith. Now we are being found false witnesses also of God, seeing that we testify by God that He rouses Christ, Whom, consequently, He rouses not, if so be that the dead are not being roused. For, if the dead are not being roused, neither has Christ been roused. Now, if Christ has not been roused, vain is your faith - you are still in your sins! Consequently those also, who are put to repose in Christ, perished! If we are having an expectation in Christ in this life only, more forlorn than all men are we. (Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing, For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead. For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.« (1C 15:12-22)

As one can see, REGENERATED comes from the same root as BEGOTTEN, gennaô, and means essentially the same thing as the phrase, »begotten anew«. However, the MEANS presented in this passage is the Logos, the Word, the incorruptible SEED (see definition of SEED).

Question: What is called SEED?

As one can see from this outline, the SEED, Who is CHRIST, consists of the Logos, the WORD, the FAITH of God and Christ Jesus, is IDEAL, and also denotes the very beginnings of the Kingdom of God in one's life. Because the SEED is Christ, who has also been shown to be the SPIRIT out of which one is begotten anew, we can say that a believer does receive the Spirit in the New Birth, howbeit in SEED FORM, not in the infilling or immersion (baptism) form, although the newly begotten believer may in some way feel filled. For these LITTLE CHILDREN, the apostle John has an encouraging word: »And you have an anointing (khrisma, »Christ«) from the Holy One, and you are all aware...And the anointing which you obtained (lambanô) from Him is remaining in you, and you have no need that anyone may be teaching you, but as His anointing is teaching you concerning all, and is true, and is no lie, according as it teaches you also, remain in Him...greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world.« (1J 2:20,27; 4:4) Unlike the SOILISH, EARTHY variety, this SEED is not given to decay, being the very seed, from which the spiritual body comes forth in Resurrection (see 1C 15:35-44; Ga 6:7-9). We could say also that the SEED is RESURRECTION because resurrection is presented as something which is SOWN, thereby corresponding to our definition of SEED.

As I have said, the SEED is something SOWN, something which is PLANTED INTO or SPROUTED IN THE EARTH. [compare with 1C 15:45-47] The seed must be received into the earth; it must be implanted. The SEED is implanted in the EARTH, whereupon, provided that it finds fertile SOIL, IDEAL EARTH [Mt 13:3-9], it will germinate, grow, and bear fruit, 30-, 60-, and 100-fold, a new spirit being begotten within the individual, thus causing the "born again" experience, beginning the individual's salvation experience and life in the Kingdom of God.

Note that we are instructed to »RECEIVE with meekness the implanted word«. In other words, the sowing by God must be accompanied by receiving by man. This simultaneous working of God and the response of man could be encapsulated in two verses, each approaching it from a different viewpoint.

From the viewpoint of God's workings: Ephesians 2:8-9:

And from the viewpoint of man responding (receiving): John 1:12-13 (see also The New Birth in John 1:12-14):

You see, one must believe INTO this new birth, this new experience of generation. The Son of Man or one of His servants will sow the SEED (Mt 13:37; 1C 3:5-9), another will irrigate, and God will make it grow up, but we must »receive with meekness the implanted word«, the implanted Logos, believing God, for it is only for those who believe into Christ. God gives the FAITH (Hb 1:1; Ep 2:8), and we utilize it to BELIEVE, to RECEIVE, to OBTAIN HIM.

I have shown from the Scriptures that speak of the Regeneration or New Birth specifically how a new spirit is begotten. We have seen that it involves man receiving the Word of God, that is, JESUS, into his/her EARTHen vessel by means of the FAITH OF GOD, believing into His name, faith BLENDING THE WORD TOGETHER WITH THE FAITH OF JESUS WITHIN THEM (Hb 4:2). We have seen that works, human works, works of the flesh, dead works in the conscience (Hb 9:13-14) avail nothing in this regard, for the New Birth, whether at its inception or in its continuation, is completely separate from man-produced works.

Let us therefore believe into Him, not only in initial conversion to Christ Jesus, but as James wrote: »receiving with meekness the implanted Word« unto full salvation at the appearing of Christ.

Here are some more Scriptures that relate to our topic:

Epilog:

We have looked at several Scripture passages which describe the CAUSATION of the New Birth. But Scripture also speaks of the RESULTS of that New Birth. We could talk about the birth itself (but that would be another book) and draw from the many references to births found throughout the Scriptures. But here I want to simply present something about what one becomes as a result of the New Birth.

Paul here is speaking about Isaac and Ishmael, Isaac being the son born »according to promise« and Ishmael being the son born »according to the flesh«. In referring to Isaac as the one generated »according to spirit« and applying that to the experience of the church in Galatia, Paul equated the church with the one born »according to promise« and generated »according to spirit«. Yahweh made a promise to Abram, saying, »'Look steadfastly, I pray thee, towards the heavens, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them', And he said to him, 'Thus shall be thy seed'« (Gn 15:5, Rotherham). Paul wrote: »Know ye therefore that THEY WHICH ARE OF FAITH, the same ARE THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM...if ye be Christ's, THEN ARE YE ABRAHAM'S SEED, and heirs ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE« (Ga 3:7,29, KJV). Yahweh is fulfilling his promise to Abram in everyone who is generated »according to spirit«. This same truth is likewise expressed in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where it says (referring to the Son of God): »For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing MANY SONS unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, BEHOLD I AND THE CHILDREN WHICH GOD HATH GIVEN ME. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but HE TOOK ON HIM THE SEED OF ABRAHAM« (Hb 2:10-16, KJV). Therefore, everyone who is »born of God« or generated »according to spirit« is both brother and child of Jesus.

Abraham believed when Yahweh spoke to him and Yahweh put it on Abraham's account as righteousness. »Doing righteousness« is the result of the New Birth, not the cause.

RIGHTEOUSNESS = dikaiosunê - "JUST-TOGETHERness, the quality or state of being righteous, the status of one who is justified" [CLNT]; #1343G = "equity (of character or act); specifically (Christian) justification". NOTE: The stem dik- derives from the "Root deik in deik-numi, compare with Latin dic-is, dicare" [Gemoll, See dikê]. Dicis is appears in the Latin expressions dicis causa and dicis gratia and defined as "for form's sake, for the sake of appearances". Dicare is defined as "to consecrate, dedicate, devote to the gods; to deify, place among the gods; to inaugurate; to devote, give up, set apart" [Cassell]. Both Greek dik- and Latin dic- derive from the Indoeuropean stem *deik- which means "to show, pronounce solemnly" and is used "also in derivatives referring to the directing of words or objects" [AHDofIER]. Some of the English derivatives of *deik- include words like teach, token, betoken, toe. Many Latin loanwords which appear in English likewise derive from *deik-: digit, index, judge (to name a few). In German, the original meaning of *deik- is preserved in the verb zeigen which means "to show" and in the noun Zeugnis which means "witness" or "evidence". The upshot of this is that dikaiosunê is that expression of the inner transformation which occurs in the New Birth which betokens the fact that the believer is believing the Truth.

Given the definition above, »doing righteousness« then is that action of continuing to believe the voice and word of the Lord as he speaks. Through the hearing of faith, we receive the Holy Ghost. When Yahweh spoke to Abram, Abram believed Yahweh and received the promise of God. So also with the believer. As the Spirit of Truth speaks unto us, regardless of the method or manner of delivery of that word, we believe. This believing in response to the word of God is RIGHTEOUSNESS, for it points to Jesus, who is our Righteousness (1C 1:30).

We must also remember that New Covenant righteousness is different from Mosaic righteousness. Mosaic righteousness was a righteousness with God based upon human response to the regulations of the Law of Moses. After Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead, the Mosaic requirements were superceded with the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. Thus, there is no longer any Mosaic requirement for anyone to fulfill in order to be justified before God. Jesus fulfilled all of the sacrificial requirements in becoming our Passover (to protect us from the destroyer) and Atonement for sin. Now that which Habakkuk prophesied has become reality: »the just shall live by his faith« (Hk 2:4, KJV) or »Yet the just one by his faith shall live« (Hk 2:4, CVOT).

Taken from the standpoint of legalism, this verse will either leave you despairing that you may not be truly born of God or require that you lower your standards regarding sin to something more achievable. I do not recommend either of these responses, for neither is consistent with the Truth. Nor do feel it appropriate to disregard it, for it is the Word of God. I will say, however, that I believe the verse to be literal and true. The problem is that we do not really know who we are in the Spirit. The truth is, everyone in Christ is a new creation, a new creation in which righteousness dwells. The New Creation Man does not sin, nor can he, for he is born of God. We know the New Creation Man more by his effects upon our souls rather than as our true identity before God. Eventually, we will know even as we are known, for we are being conformed to the image of Son of God. Although Jesus was called the Son of God before his conception in Mary's womb, and was aware of this identity in his teen years, he was not proclaimed to be the Son until his baptism in the Jordan River by John. And so like him, Yahweh called us his children before we were even conceived, we have grown in that knowledge, and Yahweh will yet proclaim us to be the Sons of God when we become fully matured and conformed to his image. Like Jesus, who was proclaimed the Son of God by the Resurrection from the Dead, we shall likewise so be declared when Yahweh clothes us with the immortality of Christ. In the interim, however, it is nevertheless important for us remember that the Son of God within, implanted in our hearts, is not capable of sin and any confession of sin unto cleansing therefrom is simply yet another step out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Now note John's statements, that they perfectly are consistent with Jesus' answer, when someone asked which were the greatest of the commandments: »Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets« (Mt 22:37-40, KJV). The New Birth is Yahweh's means of producing the Love of God in his people. Thus, John presents the Love of God as a result of it, and as evidence of a real spiritual birth.

This passage tells us several things about the effects of the New Birth:

This passage presents the ultimate fulfillment of the New Birth with regard to the Bride of Christ as a whole. Nevertheless, we can apply it to the New Birth occurring in the believer. As with the Man-child of Revelation, the dragon seeks to destroy the image of the Son of God as that image is brought forth in the individual, but fails. As Christ, the Anointed One, is formed in us, he begins to rule increasingly within our beings, for this is his destiny. Note that he is »caught up unto God, and to his throne«. This not unlike Paul's descriptions in Ephesians and Colossians, where he says »But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath RAISED US UP TOGETHER, and MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES in Christ Jesus« (Ep 2:4-6, KJV) and »If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.« (Co 3:1-4, KJV).

I want you to consider what Jesus wants to bring you to. Having begun in the Spirit, continue in the Spirit. Your New Birth is the beginning of real Life. And that Life is meant to eventually break forth into immortality through the sustaining power of the Spirit of Yahweh.