NECESSITY OF BEING "BORN AGAIN."
By W. N. Glenn
Born in Sin—How Born—How Maintained—An Earnest of Life to Come. Christ Born Again for Us.
BECAUSE the natural man was born in sin, it is essential that he be "born again," in order to be free from sin. Even if his sins were forgiven, his natural inclination would lead him to sin again, just as a washed swine returns to wallowing in the mire. 2 Peter 2:22. The purpose, then, of a new birth is that the sinner may have a nature averse to sin. The necessity is not merely a second birth, but a birth through a different progenitor—one imparting a new nature. Nicodemus asked the question, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Suppose such a process possible, it would not do the sinner any good. Such a birth, no matter how often repeated, could only reproduce a sinner; for the individual thus reborn would still have the carnal nature. We often hear people say, "If I could only live my life over again, I would lead a better life." But this is all a delusion. Jesus not only said, "Ye must be born again," but He said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God." Then the essential thing is a new nature, a new spirit, a new mind; to "put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Eph. 4:22-24. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor. 5:17. Any one who is dissatisfied with his past life need not waste time in wishing he could go back to physical childhood and travel the same road over again. Let him repent of his past deeds, and put away the old life by dying to sin and being buried with Christ. He can begin his new life right here, no matter how old he may be. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death [from sin]; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Rom. 6:3, 4. This burial of the old man of sin, and receiving a new life, is "through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him [Christ] from the dead." Col. 2:12. This new birth, or new life, having been obtained through faith, can5only be maintained in the same way; "as it is written, The just shall live by faith." Rom. 1:17. It must not be forgotten that even the new life may be lost; for it is also written, "The just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him." Heb. 10:38. "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matt. 24:12, 13. This new life is "hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3), and it is only by maintaining a firm hold on Christ by faith that we can keep in touch with it. Therefore the one who lets go this hold can not help being separated from the life that is there hidden. An Earnest of Life to Come.
Furthermore this new life is a guarantee of a resurrection of the body to immortal life. The ordinance of baptism, in which we are buried with Christ and rise with Him to newness of life, is an expression of faith in the death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus Himself manifested this faith when baptized by John in Jordan; and after His crucifixion He was raised from the dead by the power of God, who "gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body." See Eph. 1:19-23. Because of the righteousness of Christ, "it was not possible that He should be holden" of death. It was through faith in this great truth that the way of life was made known to David. Acts 2:22-28. The righteousness of Christ consisted in His obedience. It was His mission to set an example of obedience, and to die, the Just for the unjust. The prophecy said of Him, "Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart." Ps. 40:7, 8. This spirit of obedience was maintained even until it cost Him His life, and for this cause God highly exalted Him. Phil. 2:8, 9. Now the new birth places the "new creature" along with Christ; for, "if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." Rom. 8:11. Jesus Christ was born again, born of the Spirit, in order that sinful, mortal man might be born again; for in no other way could we escape the penalty of sin, which is death. "Ye must be born again." Christ was the "first-born of every creature." He was with God, and He was God. John 1:1. In order to save our lost race, He must be born again. He put off the nature of the Highest that He might take on the nature of the lowest. He was born again, not for the attainment of life, for that He already had. "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." Verse 4. By His new birth He stepped down to the "likeness of sinful flesh," that He might suffer death. He must be born again, coming down to our human nature, so that we could be born again and become partakers of His divine nature. He was born again to go down into death, "that through death He might destroy Him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Heb. 2:14, 15. Great is the power and love of our God, who could and would make such a transfer of His Son in behalf of a sinful race. Great is the love of our Saviour Jesus Christ, "who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." And "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Rom. 8:32. Such is the gain of the one who is born again, born of the Spirit into the family of heaven.