1. Free As Sons
   
2. Does "Go Ye" Mean "Go Me?"
   
3. Are We Really Born Again?
   
4. The Sacrifices of Cain and Abel
   
5. Silence Says Something
   
6. Body Language
   
7. Repentance Before Faith
   
8. I Wonder
   
9. Can I Know?
   
10. Ultimate Logical Conclusions
    
11. Errors in Peter's Sermon
    
12. Did Timothy Need Admonition?
    
13. Jesus' Youth Sermon For Adults
    
14. Why Didn't Paul Reform?
    
15. Christmas
    
16. Let The Unmarried Marry
    
17. A Dialect of Division
    
18. Our Traditions
    
19. Adding Our Safeguards
    
20. According To The Pattern
    
21. A Creed In The Deed
    
22. Samuel Did Not Know The Lord!
    
23. Response From Our Readers
    
24. Cries Of A Troubled Church
    
25. Sharing Without Fellowship
    
26. I Joined A Church
    
27. Open Membership
    
28. Another Last Will And Testament
    
29. Sad Thoughts About Church Growth
    
30. My Four Retirement Homes
    
31. Hook's Points: A Potpourri
    

ARE WE REALLY BORN AGAIN?

In the new birth, does a person actually become a new being, or is the concept of a new birth a literary device describing the change affected in the life of a convert to Christ?

Nicodemus had some trouble in understanding what Jesus meant about the requirement of a new birth, and he has plenty of company yet. We accept Jesus' explanation that it is not a second birth from one's physical mother but, in accepting the idea of a spiritual regeneration, do we understand it as being the bringing into existence of a new creature?

There is a natural birth and a spiritual birth. Jesus explained, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). In the birth of the water and the Spirit, "We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed" (Rom. 6:6). We died with Christ, were buried with him by baptism into death, and were raised with him that we might walk in newness of life. "And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). Being baptized into Christ, we can be assured that "if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation (or creature); the old has passed away, behold, the new has come" (2 Cor. S:17).

These and other references speak of being born again, being born anew, being raised, being made alive, being regenerated, becoming a new creature, receiving newness of life, and putting on the new man. In this transaction one becomes a son, or child, of God which, in analogy with natural birth, would indicate that a new life comes into existence. These expressions seem to indicate that a new spirit­being is initiated into life replacing an old, dead, discarded one.

All of this brings some questions. Is the spirit immortal? If only the reborn being is immortal, then the unregenerate life must cease to exist. If the unregenerate life is annihilated at baptism, then it endures no punishment. If we accept the premise that a new life is created in the new birth, we must conclude that only the reborn person who becomes apostate is subject to punishment. reborn person will suffer everlasting punishment.

Metaphors are only one of the many literary devices used in scripture. A metaphor is a figure of speech where a word literally denoting one idea is used in place of another to suggest likeness or analogy between them, like Jesus saying he was a door' a vine, or a shepherd. So, an abrupt, sanctifying change of life is referred to as a new birth. The change initiated by faith which produces repentance confirmed by baptism is like a person putting off one life and putting on another. An old identity is repudiated and a new one is established with Christ involving new desires, aims, goals, and purposes.

The physical body is not changed in this conversion process. Each organ still functions as before. The body is still responsive to the same desires, instincts, and inclinations. Although there is help in controlling the appetites, the alcoholic is still tempted by alcohol, and the sexual interest of the lustful is not diminished by some act of God in the new birth.

In the new birth personal traits are unchanged. The person has the same knowledge, memory, experience, self­image, abilities, and emotions as before baptism. While it is true that the convert will have a new determination and added help to use and control these, these elements were not refined and changed by an act of the Spirit in the person. We, not the Spirit, must "put to death" our sinful nature (Col. 3:5). In the conversion process the old, sinful person is not perfected by an act of God but, through the grace of God applying the merit of Jesus, the person is accounted as pure and innocent and as though righteousness were actually accomplished in him. Because of the sinner's faith, righteousness is imputed to him. He is justified by grace through faith rather than being transformed into a different kind of person by the Spirit.

Being baptized into Christ, the guilt of sin is remitted by Christ's atonement. That guilt had brought separation and alienation from God, which is spiritual death. Life forgiveness, reconciliation is restored when the believing sinner is united with Christ in baptism.

Even though we may all admit that the references to the new birth are metaphorical, there may be some lingering doubt, or even serious objection, in the mind of some. The metaphorical explanation credits the change within us to our own reception of, and response to, the gospel. It leaves out any change directly affected in the individual by the power of the Holy Spirit. Upon our obedience to the gospel, doesn't the Spirit enter into us to change us into the kind of person Christ wants us to be? Isn't that a work accomplished for us and in us?

At this point, our inherited sacramental concepts mix with thoughts of achieved righteousness to cloud our vision. According to the system of the sacraments, when certain prescribed rites or ceremonies are performed, grace is infused into the soul and, by this means, God makes us pure and righteous and the kind of person he wants us to be. This calls for infused and achieved, or accomplished, righteousness rather than the sinner being accounted as righteous when he can never be anything but a sinner. The one concept is that of baptismal regeneration Ð a change worked in the individual through a sacrament to make him acceptable. The other concept is that of justification on the basis of faith, in which imputed justification is metaphorically termed as a regeneration or new birth.

It is true that we receive the renewal in the Holy Spirit in our washing of regeneration. This is done through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which pouring out is the same as was fulfilled by the baptism of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, for the same word used in quoting Joel in Acts 2:17 is used by Paul in the next reference in speaking of his outpouring on us in our washing of regeneration. This identifies the gift and the baptism of the Spirit as being the same. This is stated comprehensively by Paul: "He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5f).

The Spirit cannot be poured out literally so that men may be filled with the Holy Spirit literally, nor can one be baptized in the Holy Spirit literally by immersion into and emersion out of him. Neither can we believe that the Spirit literally inseminates water so that it gives us birth. This must have its metaphorical aspects, but it does not deny the activity of the Spirit. The Spirit does not over­power the individual to do his work for "the spirits of the prophets are subject to prophets" ( I Cor. 14:32).

I cannot understand or explain how the Spirit gives me life, lives in me, and works in me, and I doubt that anyone else can either. I am still not in position to speak condescendingly of Nicodemus' lack of perception. Nicodemus could not understand the mysteries of the wind but he could see the undeniable effects of it. I have evidence of the working of the indwelt Spirit that surpasses the usual subjective, individually perceived evidence when I see the fruit of the Spirit in the life of the one who claims the promise.