Born Again by William Covert

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 9, 1908

“Born Again”

By William Covert

WILLIAM COVERT

NICODEMUS manifested great surprise when Jesus told him that a man must be born again before he could see the kingdom of God. John 3:3. The ideas which he had of what man would be in the everlasting kingdom and of the life which would endow him there are not told in the narrative that John has given, but it is certain that there was, and is, great need of instruction upon this vital theme of man's salvation. It is impossible to have consultation with a man about his fleshly birth before he is born; but he can desire and seek to be born of the Spirit, and, also, present conditions give him opportunity to choose his own eternal destiny.

The Lord pleadingly invites men to make a right choice, saying, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” He then says, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat of the good of the land.” Isa. 1:18, 19. Not one is forced to accept, nor will a soul ever be denied, the right to become a son or a daughter of God. For it is said, “As many as received him [Jesus], to them gave he power [or the privilege] to become the sons of God.” John 1:12. And he said that those who received him “were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:13. Here is a birth, and a life is given, where flesh and blood have not operated in its generation, but God has wrought through a divine agency.

The Holy Spirit works the divine word into the yielded mind of man, imparting light and hope to his receptive faculties, so that the man who believes is born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. 1 Peter 1:25. And again it is written: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” 1 John 5:1. The word used as a means in the new birth is that incorruptible seed which will “live” and “abide forever,” and, dear reader, this “is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” 1 Peter 1:25. It is the simple, but blessed “everlasting gospel” through the Eternal Spirit that is the power of God unto salvation. Paul says God's word “is living, and active, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Heb. 4:12, A. R. V. Christ says of the words which he speaks, that “they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63. His words are spoken in truth and steadfastness, and will never pass away. By them the earth and the heavens were made, and through their infinite power all things consist. God's wonderful words of life are endowed with potency to generate a new man to take the place and live in the stead of a crucified sinner.

All teachings that he receives come to him through the new creation. His hopes, his aspirations, his most cherished plans, are all breathed into his mind by the Spirit of God, which controls his thoughts and actions. This new man is dead to the old man of the past, and is joined to Christ for time and for eternity, and is ever to remain “a new man.” If the change is genuine, the life that he now lives in the flesh he lives “by the faith of the Son of God.” Gal. 2:20. Having received divine life through the living word, he naturally, as a newborn babe, seeks to feed upon the milk of that word from which he received his life in order that he may grow strong and mature in the new life.

The word of God is more to him than his daily physical food, because through the word in the Spirit he feeds upon the living bread that comes down from heaven, and so is nourished by the very life of the Life-giver. A new birth connects the newly born creature with the life of the Lord, to be nourished and kept by him. In expressing this thought the apostle said, “Ye [Christians] are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, . . . and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Cor. 6:16-18.

The sacred relationship described in the foregoing citation, is a present reality known to none except those who have tasted of the spirit of sonship received through Jesus Christ.

Such can know by experience the truth of the divine word which declares, “Now are we the sons of God.” 1 John 3:2. They can also see the importance of yielding to the purifying process of the divine word and spirit until sin has been eliminated, and the divine likeness is manifested through them. The members of the church at Philippi were admonished and encouraged with the following impressive word from the great evangelist who taught and wrought for their salvation: “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.” Phil. 2:13-16.

Paul, with other gospel workers, went to Philippi, of Macedonia, under the guidance and call of the Holy Spirit, to preach the gospel of Christ to a people who were for the most part pagans. It appears that they began their labors with a company of Sabbath-keeping merchant women, but soon they were beaten and thrown into a Roman prison, with the happy result that the jailer and all his household were converted to Christianity, and were baptized. Thus the foundation of the church organization at Philippi was laid, and a strong company was raised up there for the Lord.

Here the fearless preaching of the gospel of Christ in the demonstration of the Spirit gathered many souls out of the dense darkness of paganism into the marvelous light of Christianity. And those who turned from idols to serve the true and living God became shining lights to guide many others into the living way.

The shining glory of this beautiful picture seems to have been in the mind of Paul when he wrote of these things to the Philippians. If the gospel in Paul's day could gather out jewels for God's kingdom from the Greek and Roman pagans of that day, the same gospel, when preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, can gather in genuine converts from the heathen of this time. Yes: it is bearing fruit to-day. Souls are being born again wherever the gospel of God's everlasting kingdom is being preached, and it will continue to accomplish this glorious work unto the end of the world.

Chicago, Ill.