“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” – Romans 8:9-16
LIGHT FOR NOW: The believer by God’s spirit was cleansed and made fit to be the house where God dwells.
The indwelling of the spirit is the new birth. John 3:3-8 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 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. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit”. Nicodemus assumed that Jesus meant a second birth by his use of the term “born again”. However, Jesus’ words in context (the proceeding verses) clarified this thought pattern.
Jesus in verse 5 explained that except a man is born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God, in line with what he said in verse 3. The word “water” here was used by Jesus to symbolically refer to the work of the spirit at the new birth. This is very similar to how he spoke in John 4:14 and John 7:37-39. Of course, you must bear in mind that Jesus was talking to a Jew (Nicodemus), thus, his use of water was perfectly understood by him. In the Jewish culture or in Jewish understand, “water” is used to symbolically refer to cleansing or purification. So when Jesus used “water”, he was referring to the cleansing work of the spirit. Hence, the use of “water” there was figurative of the spirit. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: You were birthed by God’s spirit in the new birth; acknowledge this!
CONFESSION: I am begotten by God; I am begotten by God’s spirit. The DNA of my father is in me, in Jesus name, Amen.
QUOTE: The spirit in the believer cleansed the believer, making the believer a fit environment to accommodate God.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: JOHN CHAPTER 14; EVENING: JOHN CHAPTER 3
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 