“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: Being born of God is synonymous to being born of his spirit.
The spirit of God taking up residence in a man is the agency that initiates 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”.
We have said that the word “water” here was used by Jesus to symbolically refer to the work of the spirit at the new birth. Recall also, that Ezekiel in his prophecy employed the use of water to explain the work of the spirit. Thus, for John 3:5, we can understand the word “and” as explanatory (where one term describes the other) rather than a conjunction (for two distinct things). Hence, John 3:5 can be better understood as saying “except a man be born of water and (that is or which is) the spirit…” This is seen further in the proceeding verses in which the term “spirit” was emphasized:
• Verse 6: …that which is born of the spirit is spirit.
• Verse 8: …such is everyone that is born of the spirit.
Thus, we can understand that being born again as used by Jesus (verse 3) refers to being born of the spirit. This is the NEW BIRTH. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: You were birthed by God’s spirit – acknowledge this!
DECLARATION: I have the life of God in me. I have the spirit of God in me, in Jesus Name, Amen
QUOTE: Born again is not a second birth but a new birth.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: TITUS CHAPTER 3; EVENING: JOHN CHAPTER 3
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 