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Salvation Basics - Born of God

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NewLifeInChrist

NewLifeInChrist

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John wrote...
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Jn 1:10–13)​

Jesus said...
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (Jn 3:6)​

What does it mean to be born of God?
When a person puts his full trust in Christ for salvation, Jesus not only forgives his sins, but He excercises his power of creation to create a life that did not exist before. God gives birth to that new living person from out of His Spirit, and the one who is birthed by God literally becomes God's offspring and joins the other children of God as a member of His household.

What is the nature of the children of God?
Jesus explained that the new life created when the Spirit gave birth to it is spiritual in nature, not physical. He contrasted the physical lives that we obtained when our mothers gave birth to us from out of their wombs with the spiritual lives we obtained from God when He gave birth to us from out of His Spirit. As we share the human nature of our earthly mothers who gave birth to us, so too we share the divine nature of our heavenly Father who gave birth to us. Peter extolled the glories of us sharing the nature of God when he wrote about the "exceedingly great and precious promises" that have been given to us for the purpose that we may be "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Pe 1:4).

Is it important to differentiate between our human nature and our divine nature?
Yes. Many aspects of our relationship with God and our walk with Him can not be properly understood without differentiating between what we inherited from Adam through physical birth and what we inherited from Jesus through spiritual birth. For example, when John wrote, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God " (1 Jn 3:9), he was not writing about the whole man (i.e., our human nature and our divine nature in one package), he was writing about the divine nature that we received as a result of God giving birth to us. Our divine nature is not corruptible by sin because He stays at the center of it and He cannot be corrupted. One day we will shed the flesh with its corruption, but our spirits which are right with God will continue with Him forever after our physical deaths.
 
NewLifeInChrist said:
John wrote...
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Jn 1:10–13)​

Jesus said...
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (Jn 3:6)​

What does it mean to be born of God?
When a person puts his full trust in Christ for salvation, Jesus not only forgives his sins, but He excercises his power of creation to create a life that did not exist before. God gives birth to that new living person from out of His Spirit, and the one who is birthed by God literally becomes God's offspring and joins the other children of God as a member of His household.

What is the nature of the children of God?
Jesus explained that the new life created when the Spirit gave birth to it is spiritual in nature, not physical. He contrasted the physical lives that we obtained when our mothers gave birth to us from out of their wombs with the spiritual lives we obtained from God when He gave birth to us from out of His Spirit. As we share the human nature of our earthly mothers who gave birth to us, so too we share the divine nature of our heavenly Father who gave birth to us. Peter extolled the glories of us sharing the nature of God when he wrote about the "exceedingly great and precious promises" that have been given to us for the purpose that we may be "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Pe 1:4).

Is it important to differentiate between our human nature and our divine nature?
Yes. Many aspects of our relationship with God and our walk with Him can not be properly understood without differentiating between what we inherited from Adam through physical birth and what we inherited from Jesus through spiritual birth. For example, when John wrote, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God " (1 Jn 3:9), he was not writing about the whole man (i.e., our human nature and our divine nature in one package), he was writing about the divine nature that we received as a result of God giving birth to us. Our divine nature is not corruptible by sin because He stays at the center of it and He cannot be corrupted. One day we will shed the flesh with its corruption, but our spirits which are right with God will continue with Him forever after our physical deaths.
Click to expand...
I understand, thank you.

Love, Walter
 
NewLifeInChrist said:
What does it mean to be born of God?
When a person puts his full trust in Christ for salvation, Jesus not only forgives his sins, but He excercises his power of creation to create a life that did not exist before. God gives birth to that new living person from out of His Spirit, and the one who is birthed by God literally becomes God's offspring and joins the other children of God as a member of His household.
Click to expand...
Yes I understand what you are saying, have you read? https://christianforums.net/threads/when-does-a-christian-become-immortality-born-again.98935/

Also: https://christianforums.net/threads/the-christian-hope.99582/

Love, Walter
 
WalterandDebbie said:
Yes I understand what you are saying, have you read? https://christianforums.net/threads/when-does-a-christian-become-immortality-born-again.98935/

Also: https://christianforums.net/threads/the-christian-hope.99582/

Love, Walter
Click to expand...
It is curious to me that even though you admit to not knowing what Jesus was telling Nicodemus, you say you are certain that He was not talking about the need to be born again in the here-and-now. Yet, the evidence you cite in support of your conclusion (i.e., part of a passage in 1 Corinthians that says flesh and blood cannot inherit the knigdom of God) actually supports the opposite conclusion. The passage clearly says only those who are heavenly (i.e., those who possess the life given by the "life-giving spirit") will bear the image of Christ after their physical deaths.

But the idea that being born of God is not for the here-and-now is put to bed by many verses, including the one I referenced in the OP... "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God " (1 Jn 3:9) The language (which only employs present and perfect tense verbs) clearly points to the here-and-now, not to escatological fulfilment.

So, I will repeat the final point I made in the OP...

Many aspects of our relationship with God and our walk with Him can not be properly understood without differentiating between what we inherited from Adam through physical birth and what we inherited from Jesus through spiritual birth.​
 
NewLifeInChrist said:
In this OP... https://christianforums.net/threads/when-does-a-christian-become-immortality-born-again.98935/
Click to expand...
Yes, I do see what you are talking about now,
I have been thinking about the OP and the different posts, but have not received any revelation on what Jesus was talking about to Nicodemus. But I'm glad to have an understanding of these views on this thread and more on other site forums.

I was looking at: It is by scripture we as Christians are not Born Again until we are caught up to be with Christ 1 Thessalonians 4:17, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

But here are some views from Bing:
In Christianity, being born again means having a spiritual renewal or change of heart by accepting Jesus as the Savior and Lord. It is not about physical birth or external requirements, but about receiving salvation and becoming part of God’s family1.

The phrase “born again” is frequently misinterpreted. Looking at its primary reference, we see that its meaning is not about physical birth, but about experiencing a spiritual renewal. It is an expression used by many Protestants to define the moment or process of fully accepting faith in Jesus Christ. It is an experience when the teachings of Christianity and Jesus become real, and the “born again” acquire a personal relationship with God2.

Also, we will be in prayer about this process.

Love, Walter And Debbie
 
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