Born Anew Part 1

The Bible uses three different metaphors to describe the impartation of spiritual life to the believer. The three metaphors are new birth, resurrection, and new creation. The new birth is found in John chapter three. The resurrection in Romans chapter six. The new creation in 2 Corinthians chapter five.

1^st metaphor: The New Birth

All men everywhere are born of the flesh from their mother’s womb when they first enter this world as a baby, but not all men are born of the Spirit. We are all “in Adam” to begin with, but only those who have trusted in Christ Jesus as their personal Savior are now “in Christ.” Those who have trusted/believed that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day are saved (1 Cor. 15:3,4). Being “in Christ” means that those believers (saints) have a new nature, which is begotten of the Spirit of God.

·     John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

And concerning the resurrection of believer’s bodies, we learn that it is “sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first Adam [which is Adam himself] was made a living soul; the last Adam [which is Christ] was made a quickening spirit (1 Cor. 15:44,45).” So, being “in Christ” means that we are born of the Spirit. And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 1 Cor. 15:45 told us that the last Adam or Christ was made a quickening spirit. Therefore, all believers are also made a quickening spirit, because they’re “in Christ.”
So, when we back up to verse three of John 3 we read that “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” That is certainly true. However, John is speaking in general terms here, not specific. He is not necessarily talking about the kingdom of Heaven when Israel will reign with Christ on the earth, but instead he is talking about the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God can refer to the kingdom of Heaven, but sometimes it can refer to God’s general rule and dominion that He has over all of His creation. Imagine a house with two different rooms or living quarters. One is for the nation Israel, and the other is for the Body of Christ. They are two different rooms, two different programs, but they are both under one roof, which is the kingdom of God. And John is simply writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit that a man simply needs to be born again to see the kingdom of God. Even the Apostle Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13), speaks again of the concept of being “born again” or “born anew,” even if he doesn’t use the exact phrase.

·  Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children [born ones] of God: And if children [born ones], then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

The word children in both verses is the greek word teknon, which means “born one.” Paul is saying that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit and recognizes that we are the born ones of God. We are born of the Spirit of God.

2^nd metaphor: Resurrection

·  Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Now, Paul takes it a step further and explains what it means to be “born again [anew]” in this Dispensation of Grace with the illustration of resurrection. Romans chapter six explains that as believers, who are “in Christ,” we are identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Verse 3 starts out by saying that just as we were baptized (identified) into Jesus Christ, we were also baptized into His death. We were then buried with Him, and also raised with Him! As we already read in 1 Cor. 15:44,45, we are “raised a spiritual body,” and made “a quickening spirit,” because we are “in Christ.” Positionally, we are already seated in the heavenly places “in Christ.” God has already raised us up and seated us together in the heavenlies “in Christ.” Now, while we are still waiting to be physically caught up to be with our Lord, we are there spiritually (positionally).

·  Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

While the new birth spoke only of a new beginning, the resurrection goes further to speak about the new life that we have “in Christ.” In time past, we once “walked according to the course of this world (Eph. 2:2),” but now we have been quickened (made alive) with Christ (Eph. 2:5). The end of verse four of romans chapter six says “even so we also should walk in newness of life.” While we do have new life positionally already, we are still instructed to walk accordingly in this life by appropriating what we do have in Heaven by faith and applying it to our lives today.

·  Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

3^rd metaphor: New Creation
Now, after explaining that we have been resurrected with Christ and have been given new life, because of the “faith [faithfulness] of the Son of God (Gal. 2:20),” Paul now goes even a step further than resurrection and uses another metaphor which is that of a new creation.

·  2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Any man that is “in Christ” is a new creation or a new creature. Our old nature is passed away, is crucified, is put to death spiritually speaking. That was our old sinful flesh. Now, we are made “anew” as one new man, which is the Church, which is His body (Eph. 1:22,23). Each individual believer is made a new creature (this is true), but more importantly each believer is a member of one body (Eph. 4:4). The one body or the one new man (Eph. 2:15) is the Body of Christ, which we are all members of and Christ is the Head of that body.

·  Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

As we look at these three metaphors, we see that both the believing Jew (under the Dispensation of the Law) and the believing Gentile (under the Dispensation of Grace) are both “born again” or “born anew.” However, the difference lies in how each one is born again. Israel will be born again as a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:6) when Christ comes back to the earth to setup His kingdom. Believers today, under Grace, are born again as a new creation, which is the Body of Christ. Israel is given the particular information about the kingdom and being a kingdom of priests and then gets the more general information of being “born again,” whereas believers today on the other hand starts with the general and moves towards the particular for the Dispensation in which we currently live under, which would be information about being a new creation or one body, and not a kingdom of priests (see graph below). So, to be "born again" in this Dispensation of Grace you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) that He died for all of your sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. If you have never trusted in Christ Jesus as your Savior, then do so now! "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation! (2 Cor. 6:2)."