How can a person be born again without dying or without changing their basic human form? Well, it's not possible, at least not in the sense that we normally think of being born. A person cannot actually be reborn, without dying first. Changing basic human form is another concept that might gather some possibility of being what Jesus is talking about in John 3:1-21. When a seed is planted into the ground, it actually goes through a metamorphosis, not unlike death and injection into the ground first, so it is changing its basic form. As a Christian, we put off the old nature of sin and take on a new sinless nature of the Spirit, not partially but completely and suddenly whole, as being baptized in repentance for the remission of sin. Death is sure and quick, and it is a decaying and disappearance of the old self into oblivion. The new person is of a necessity, a spiritual person, not fleshly, not common, and not walking after and following a sinful life. How can we be spiritual people? The conversation here must end for those who cannot imagine what I'm talking about. The word "Spiritual" connotates ghostly, or passing through walls, being as a mist or a fog and not having form. This is not Earthly and thus cannot be fathomed by a sinful person, who is mostly concerned with the fleshly and physical part of being human. So, we stop here and the conversation dies. The words have to end, exactly where they started and go back to death; but it is an ending as well as it is also a beginning.

John 3:1 - 3:21

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 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.

4 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?

5 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.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 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.

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/John-3-1_3-21/

For those who have read this far, there is more where we left off. We have to actually die to sin, in order to be reborn into a spiritual body. It is nevertheless a changing of the human form. The spiritual body has different properties than the physical fleshly body. There is a healing that is continuous on a daily basis, not that you won't die one day, because since the beginning of time original sin has brought about an eventual death of the physical body, but your spirit will never die. This was not the case before you accepted Christ as your savior, received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, were reborn into a spiritual body, and became a new person. The healing of the heart and mind begins to take on an ethereal quality that is synonymous with only Christians. John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

Numbers 21:9

“And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Numbers-21-9/

The caduceus that Moses made was in the form of a serpent of brass, wrapped around a pole. This has been the symbol of many pagan deities as well, that was indicative of healing. In the case of Moses in the wilderness, it was intended to be a reminder of the sins of the people and their rebellion against God, when they complained of eating only manna in the wilderness, which God had provided. So, he sent fiery serpents to bite the complainers and kill them, those who had spoken against God and Moses. They had not been satisfied with the heaven-sent nourishment that God had given them. The people then repented and ask Moses to help them to return to God, who told Moses to make the caduceus, and whosoever looked upon it was healed of the venomous bites of the serpents and lived.

Jesus said that he must be lifted up and gazed upon in belief for the healing to begin, that a person should not perish but have eternal life. A continual healing will occur every day for the rest of your life. Your mind and body will never be the same after you become a Christian, a new changed being born into the Spirit of God. This is not that you should go without being physically checked by regular doctors, whose emblem is now also represented by the healing caduceus, but the main point is that of being saved. Those who love darkness and evil, rather than good and light, will never be saved. They will never have a spiritual body but will be always condemned into the rottenness of their old fleshly life. God loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The new body is not like the old, and the old is nothing like the new. Truth is relevant to the Christian, just as those who love it come to the light, that their old evil deeds may be reproved and condemned, and their new sanctified deeds approved by God and blessed. There is a dividing line between the old body and the new spiritual one, just as distinct as life and death. You must be born again. Being a Christian and of Christian character is a progressive process. Many have changed overnight, as sharply as the difference between life and death, but they still have much to learn and how to fight against evil.

Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Philippians-4-8/

To be born again constitutes a completely different lifestyle. The Apostle Paul was a murderer as Saul, before he received his conversion on the road to Damascus, dragging Christians out of their houses and causing them to be put in prison or stoned to death. As far as evil is from goodness and darkness from light was the character of Saul of Tarsus. He was truly born again and became almost an engine of perseverance and enlightenment of the early Christian Church. Through Jesus Christ, Saint Paul established the early church. There are no limits to the Christian Spiritual body. Every one of us can be who he wants to be and become, as the light in whose footsteps he walks.

John 14:20

“At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/John-14-20/

04/07/2018

by Cliff Rhodes