'Food for Thought' is the free monthly, Bible-based meal for individual digestion or group feasting, and is a work of the Holy Spirit.
July 2024 - BORN AGAIN
"In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again'" (John 3:3 NIV).
READING: John 3:1-8
If Nicodemus had a premeditated question to ask Jesus, he didn't get to ask it -- Jesus immediately steered the conversation in the direction God wanted! Jesus had something to teach Nicodemus (and us) about the kingdom of God. The Jews held their physical birth in high esteem -- a Jew was a Jew by birth (Galatians 2:15). Jews were descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob; Abraham was their father (John 8:39a). The Jews were God's chosen people, God's sons who were in a covenant relationship with him and received his promises (Romans 9:4-5). By virtue of their physical birth, Jews were "qualified" to see the kingdom of God, but non-Jews (Gentiles) were without hope in the world (Ephesians 2:11-12). But Jesus declared, "No one can see the kingdom of God" -- Jew or Gentile. The qualification isn't your physical birth, it's your spiritual birth.
What is spiritual birth? It is birth from the Spirit of God, making the one born a child of God. Like physical birth, spiritual birth happens as a consequence of parental decision and action, not by the child's striving. It happens because God decreed that those in Christ Jesus would be his children, and God puts some of his Spirit (his seed) into his children.
"He (Jesus) came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (John 1:11-13 NIV).
"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God" (1 Peter 1:23 NIV).
"...you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children'" (Romans 8:15b-16 NIV).
"Just as the disposition of sin entered into the human race by one man, so the Holy Spirit entered the human race by another Man; and Redemption means that I can be delivered from the heredity of sin and through Jesus Christ can receive an unsullied heredity, viz. the Holy Spirit" (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, 6 October).
Spiritual birth accomplishes two major things:
1. Spiritual birth destroys the distinction between Jews and Gentiles on the basis of physical birth and ancestry. Jews and Gentiles are all children of God in Christ Jesus, and all have God as their Father. This is why Jesus said, "You have only one Father" (Matthew 23:9). Apostle Paul declared that Abraham is the father of all who have faith and are accepted as righteous (Romans 4:9-12); those who have faith are the descendants of Abraham (Galatians 3:6-9, 28-29). Since Jews and Gentiles have the same Father, they are brethren in God's family (Ephesian 2:19) and have access to their Father by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). As God's children, Jews and Gentiles are joint heirs with Christ of all that God has promised to give his children (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:6-7). The Spirit is God's guarantee that his children will receive what he has promised (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14).
2. Spiritual birth implants the Spirit of God in us so that we can be led and controlled by the Spirit. This does not mean we are robots programmed to behave in a certain way, nor are we puppets with God's Spirit pulling our strings. God's Spirit leads, but we follow him of our own free will; God's Spirit desires to control us, but we submit to his control. When we allow the Spirit to control us, we grow spiritually and put on a new self which is created to be like God (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10). Read Romans 8:5-14 and Galatians 5:16-25. Because we are his children and he loves us, God our Father disciplines us for our own good, so that we may share his holiness. Read Hebrews 12:5-11.
"...we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" (Hebrews 12:9 NIV).
CLOSING PRAYER:
Dear family of God, let us love one another because God is love and everyone who loves has been born of God (1 John 4:7).
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Please click the SUBSCRIBE button below, enter your email address in the box provided, and click the SUBSCRIBE button a second time. Thank you.
"In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again'" (John 3:3 NIV).
READING: John 3:1-8
If Nicodemus had a premeditated question to ask Jesus, he didn't get to ask it -- Jesus immediately steered the conversation in the direction God wanted! Jesus had something to teach Nicodemus (and us) about the kingdom of God. The Jews held their physical birth in high esteem -- a Jew was a Jew by birth (Galatians 2:15). Jews were descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob; Abraham was their father (John 8:39a). The Jews were God's chosen people, God's sons who were in a covenant relationship with him and received his promises (Romans 9:4-5). By virtue of their physical birth, Jews were "qualified" to see the kingdom of God, but non-Jews (Gentiles) were without hope in the world (Ephesians 2:11-12). But Jesus declared, "No one can see the kingdom of God" -- Jew or Gentile. The qualification isn't your physical birth, it's your spiritual birth.
What is spiritual birth? It is birth from the Spirit of God, making the one born a child of God. Like physical birth, spiritual birth happens as a consequence of parental decision and action, not by the child's striving. It happens because God decreed that those in Christ Jesus would be his children, and God puts some of his Spirit (his seed) into his children.
"He (Jesus) came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (John 1:11-13 NIV).
"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God" (1 Peter 1:23 NIV).
"...you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children'" (Romans 8:15b-16 NIV).
"Just as the disposition of sin entered into the human race by one man, so the Holy Spirit entered the human race by another Man; and Redemption means that I can be delivered from the heredity of sin and through Jesus Christ can receive an unsullied heredity, viz. the Holy Spirit" (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, 6 October).
Spiritual birth accomplishes two major things:
1. Spiritual birth destroys the distinction between Jews and Gentiles on the basis of physical birth and ancestry. Jews and Gentiles are all children of God in Christ Jesus, and all have God as their Father. This is why Jesus said, "You have only one Father" (Matthew 23:9). Apostle Paul declared that Abraham is the father of all who have faith and are accepted as righteous (Romans 4:9-12); those who have faith are the descendants of Abraham (Galatians 3:6-9, 28-29). Since Jews and Gentiles have the same Father, they are brethren in God's family (Ephesian 2:19) and have access to their Father by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). As God's children, Jews and Gentiles are joint heirs with Christ of all that God has promised to give his children (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:6-7). The Spirit is God's guarantee that his children will receive what he has promised (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14).
2. Spiritual birth implants the Spirit of God in us so that we can be led and controlled by the Spirit. This does not mean we are robots programmed to behave in a certain way, nor are we puppets with God's Spirit pulling our strings. God's Spirit leads, but we follow him of our own free will; God's Spirit desires to control us, but we submit to his control. When we allow the Spirit to control us, we grow spiritually and put on a new self which is created to be like God (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10). Read Romans 8:5-14 and Galatians 5:16-25. Because we are his children and he loves us, God our Father disciplines us for our own good, so that we may share his holiness. Read Hebrews 12:5-11.
"...we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" (Hebrews 12:9 NIV).
CLOSING PRAYER:
Dear family of God, let us love one another because God is love and everyone who loves has been born of God (1 John 4:7).
To Subscribe
Please click the SUBSCRIBE button below, enter your email address in the box provided, and click the SUBSCRIBE button a second time. Thank you.