Word Study: New Birth

[Jim Watt]

*"TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE" MINISTRIES*
*Jim & Marie Watt*
*PO Box 25116 -- Federal Way WA 98093-2116*
*Tel: 253.874.4256 -- Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*
*Web: www.2rbetter.org -- May 6, 2008*
**
*`1 John, Beget, geNAo from Gino-mai*, 96x (970), Strong # 1080*

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*One.  John 3:7 (3:1-15)  NECESSITY OF NEW BIRTH FROM ABOVE.  "Marvel not
that I said to you, You must be born from above." * The Physician of souls
gave this mandate, laying great stress upon this one thing needful. Christ
sets forth His atonement as the basis for the new birth, and man's reason
alone cannot comprehend this.



*Two. 1 John **2:29** (**2:18**-29) MARK OF NEW BIRTH: DOER OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS.  "If you know that he is righteous, know that every one that
does :righteousness is begotten of him."  *The doer of righteousness is
synonymous with the abider in Christ, and to practice religion in trying
times, is good evidence of this birth. He is then renewed by the Spirit of
Christ, after the image of Christ. We resemble God through the new birth by
working righteousness.



*Three.  3:9 (3:1-12)  MARK OF NEW BIRTH: SIN NOT PRACTISED.  "Every one
born of :God does no sin, because his seed abides in him: and he cannot sin,
because he is begotten of God. *The Spirit of God restores holy rightness of
nature, and makes renewing grace an abiding principle. A true believer
cannot continue in the course and practice of sin, for a new bias of heart
disposes him to loathe and hate sin. This new disposition breaks the force
and fullness of sinful acts, and the regenerate person is happily disabled
for sin! God's seed, the doctrine of the Gospel, abides and operates in the
believer constantly, so that he does not sin habitually, for the moral
qualities of the Father through new birth preclude habitual sin.



*Four.  4:7 (4:7-21)  MARK OF NEW BIRTH: LOVE OF BROTHERS.  "Beloved, let us
love one another: for :love is of God; and every one that loves is
begottenof :God, and knows :God."
*The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love, and fulfills faith and obedience.
This love comes down from heaven, and the knowledge of God dwells not in the
soul devoid of love. Love of brothers derives its origin from God; and this
love, not knowledge, is the indispensable mark of the new birth.



*Five.  5:1 (5:1-12)  MARK OF NEW BIRTH: BELIEF IN JESUS AS CHRIST.  "Every
one that believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of :God: and every
one that loves the Begetter loves the one begotten of him." *If Jesus is our
Christ, we abide in His fellowship and doctrine, for it is God that made
Jesus both Lord and Christ. This faith is not speculative, but completely
yields to Christ's will. And sonship is through God's *begetting*, and is
superior to physical descent through Abraham. Christ with His anointing is
the proof that He is Son of God!



*Six.  5:4 (5:1-12)  MARK OF NEW BIRTH: OVERCOMING THE WORLD.  "And his
:commandments are not grievous, because whatever is begotten of :God
overcomes the world: and this is the victory that has overcome the world,
our :faith."  *It is the New Birth that makes possible the keeping of
Christ's commands. We are born for God, and for another world: therefore we
have the power to overcome this one! In and by faith we cleave to Christ in
opposition to the world, for Faith in Christ is the basis of our strength to
overcome the world.



*Seven.  **5:18** (**5:18**-21)  MARK OF NEW BIRTH: KEEPING ONESELF FROM
SATAN!  "We know that every one :begotten of :God sins not; but who was
begotten of :God keeps himself, and the evil one touches him not."  *So we
keep ourselves by the power of the new birth, which fortifies us against
Satan's destructive attempts. It puts us on God's side in opposition to the
world. The sins of the new born are of infirmity, ignorance, or surprise:
not of premeditation or self-will. The devil has the greatest malice towards
mankind, and is indefatigable in his endeavors to ruin as many of us as
possible.



*NOTE:*  Many years ago C.T. Studd, missionary to Africa and Founder of WEC
(Worldwide Evangelization Crusade) and CLC (Christian Literature Crusade),
hit upon the first 5 "begotten" passages in 1 John. He called them, "The 5
Smooth Stones of David." He believed that as one of David's 5 stones slew
Goliath, so one of the 5 spiritual *begotten* stones could drive off and
defeat Satan.



Actually there are 6 "Begotten" verses in 1 John, and the last one is
especially linked with David as a Shepherd-boy!



The magnificent truths contained in this letter of John the apostle and
beloved disciple of Jesus, are intimately linked with Jesus Himself. I like
to link these truths with Jesus as the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah."
Judahwas not only the tribe of "Praise," prefiguring Jesus, but he was
also the
tribe of "the Lion." Matthew is the Gospel showing forth Jesus as the
Lion-King! How the Jewish leaders hated it when Pilate had inscribed on
Jesus' Cross, "Jesus – King of the Jews." But to this end was He born as Son
of Man, and Son of God. And not only is He King of the Jews, but Lord of the
Church and of all Creation. For by Him all things were made!



We must not be trapped like the Galatians and slip back into the legalism of
the Old Testament. All of this contains types and shadows, pre-figuring
Jesus. One young man preached his first sermon, and went fishing for
compliments. An older minister was reluctant to respond, for he couldn't
find much good to say about it. But the young man was so sure of the
marvelously good sermon that he had just preached, that he pressed in.
Reluctantly the older preacher responded, "Well, son, you didn't mention
Jesus in your sermon." Replied the confident youth, "But, sir, Jesus wasn't
in my text." "Young man," retorted his senior, "until you realize that every
Bible verse points to and has a relationship to Jesus – you will fail as a
preacher!"



And until we realize that the entire Old Testament points to Jesus and
majors on Him! – we will miss the heart of the Gospel! Jesus *is* the New
Covenant. It is embodied in *Him*! The Old The Day of Atonement under the
Feast of Tabernacles only covers Testament merely *covered* SIN.* *Jesus is
the Lamb of God who *takes away* the sin of the world. Jesus, who
tabernacled among us 2000 years ago, took them like the Scape-goat of the
Day of Atonement, and removed them as far as the East is from the West, and
buried them in the deepest sea.



The New Birth in the Holy Spirit is the fruit of Jesus' Atoning death. He
came to die that we might live! Beware of losing intimacy with Jesus! Don't
get bogged down in the trap of Galatianism. Hear the words of Paul the
apostle – *"O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus
Christ was openly set forth crucified? **2** This only would I learn from
you, Received you the Spirit from works of law, or from hearing of faith? **
3** Are you so foolish? Having begun in Spirit, are you now perfected in
flesh?" Galatians 3:1-3 (3:1-6).*

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Strong words! Yet many in Messianic Jewish Congregations have fallen into
this trap. And many in the church have also fallen into a form of legalism.
And the majority in Israel have yet to recognize that God's Messiah came to
them 2000 years ago.


May then these 5 smooth stones of C.T. Studd come alive to us today, and
propel us along the way of victory and overcoming life that God has designed
for us!



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