“Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” – John 1:13
LIGHT FOR NOW: The believer’s greatest identity is not found in his earthly ancestry but in his heavenly birth. You are who you are because you have been born of God.
One of the greatest miracles that take place at salvation is the miracle of the new birth. Sadly, many believers celebrate the forgiveness of sins without fully understanding the significance of being born of God. John writes concerning those who received Christ: “Which were born… of God”. This statement is loaded with profound truth. Notice that John does not merely say they were forgiven by God. He says they were born of God.
Birth speaks of life; birth speaks of nature; birth speaks of identity. A child naturally shares the life and nature of his parents. Likewise, everyone who is born of God partakes of God’s life. John carefully explains what this birth is not. First, he says: “Not of blood”. This means the new birth is not inherited through family lineage. No one becomes a child of God because his parents are Christians. No one is saved because he belongs to a godly family or attends a Bible-believing church.
Salvation is personal. Every individual must personally receive Christ. Secondly, John says: “Nor of the will of the flesh”. The new birth cannot be produced by human effort. No amount of discipline; no amount of morality; no amount of religious devotion can produce the life of God. Human effort may improve outward conduct, but it cannot impart divine life. Thirdly, John says: “Nor of the will of man”. No human being possesses the power to produce spiritual birth. Pastors cannot produce it; parents cannot produce it; religious institutions cannot produce it; only God can.
Then John gives the glorious conclusion: “But of God”. This is the miracle of regeneration. The new birth is entirely God’s work. When a sinner believes the gospel, the Holy Spirit imparts the very life of God into his spirit. This is why the Apostle Peter later says believers have been “born again… by the word of God”. The Word reveals Christ, and the Spirit imparts life. This explains why Christianity is fundamentally different from religion. Religion tells people to become better; the gospel gives people a new birth. Religion focuses on external performance; the gospel transforms the inner man. Religion modifies behavior; the gospel recreates nature.
This is why Jesus told Nicodemus that unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus thought Jesus was speaking about physical birth. But Jesus was unveiling a spiritual reality. The believer has experienced a birth that is heavenly in origin. You now belong to a different family; you have a different Father; you possess a different life; you carry a different nature.
The Apostle John later makes another remarkable statement: “Whosoever is born of God doth not practise sin…” His point is not that believers never fail. Rather, sin is no longer the natural expression of their new nature. Why? It is because the life of God now resides within them. Just as fish naturally swim because they possess the nature of fish, believers naturally desire righteousness (that is, walking in righteousness or conducting themselves in righteousness) because they possess the life of God. This is why spiritual growth begins with identity. Everything in the Christian life flows from this glorious truth: You have been born of God. Hallelujah!
INSTRUCTION: Whenever you are tempted to define yourself by your natural background, remind yourself that your greatest identity is your new birth. Live today as one who has been born of God.
CONFESSION: Father, thank You that I have been born of You through faith in Jesus Christ. Thank You that Your life now dwells within me. Help me to live each day conscious of my new identity and to express Your nature in my thoughts, words, and actions, in Jesus’ name, Amen. Glory!
For More Light; get the message, “Now we are in Christ” by Dr. John Linus
QUOTE: The believer’s truest identity is not where he came from naturally, but whom he has been born of spiritually.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: JOHN CHAPTER 1; EVENING: 1JOHN CHAPTER 5
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 