BORN AGAIN

1Peter1

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

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

The New birth is a birth into true life. Getting born again is not just about the forgiveness of sins. It is not just about going to heaven. It is a new birth. A birth into true life.

1Corinthians15

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Our first birth was a birth into death. The death of Adam. Our new birth is a birth into life. The life of Jesus.

New life is not new in the sense that we start again or that we start afresh on a clean slate.

New life is new in the sense that the old life is gone. We start with a different life of a different nature, from a different origin and of a different kind.

It is life from a new source who is God. It is of a different nature and kind which is righteousness, holiness, love, light, wisdom, power, purity etc.

In the new birth we are born again into a different realm and world, we are transferred from one kingdom to another.

Colossians 1

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

We are transferred from a carnal, worldly, earthly nature to a spiritual, heavenly nature. We become like God. We become partakers of His nature and of His life.

John3

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.

2Peter1

3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Getting born again is not an addition to your life, it is not an improvement of who you were before, it is not a restoration of the old nature. God doesn’t repair you or renovate you. There’s nothing old about the new life.

God literally takes away all of the old life and nature and replaces it with a brand new nature and life that is righteous, holy, perfect, pure, wise, powerful and so forth.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jn14:6

Life is a nature. It is God’s character, His substance, His nature, His will, His mind, His love, His power, His Word, His righteousness.

Only God naturally possesses true life. It is His nature. Who He is. We are able to partake of His life as we partake of Christ in whom is this life.

As we are united with Him we are united in His life and fulness