Spirit Born

      “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?”

      “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. 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.”

      When Nicodemus asked Jesus how a man could enter his mother's womb and be born again, he was not being facetious or purposely obtuse. It was simply that Nicodemus' approach to righteousness and godliness was based on what he could do in the flesh. He accepted the Law and the Prophets as inspired by the Spirit, but lived in the flesh. Nicodemus was a good man trying to live by the rules. His religion was an exercise in will power---not God's power. His entire outlook was one of fleshly performance of spiritual principles. He could follow the many rules associated with the Sabbath and observe the dietary restrictions of the Law, but when Jesus began to talk about being born again, Nicodemus was confused.

Being born again was impossible. How could he keep such a requirement? The new birth is where many of the Jews of Jesus' day and multitudes of all types of people since have stumbled at Christianity.

      The new birth defines Christianity. It divides the sheep from the goats; the broad way from the narrow way; and the Christian from everyone else. It does no good to complain that Christianity is divisive. Division is the logical and and natural consequence of the new birth. One is either born again or one is not---there is nothing in between. That is not the doctrine of hate; it is simply a statement of truth. That some find this truth offensive is irrelevant. It remains the truth no matter how we feel about it.

      I find it interesting that this truth is lost on the proponents of abortion. Like Nicodemus, in the flesh, they understand the difference between born and unborn. However, when it comes to the spiritual birth they just can't see the truth of, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.”

      People who lay the blame for their proclivity to perversion on “being born that way” are absolutely correct. The flesh with its corruption is the natural state of man. Christianity offers the opportunity to be reborn as a creature dominated, not by the flesh, but by the spirit of God. Christianity is not something to be achieved through effort. It can only be obtained by birth. “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”