You Must Be Born Again"
Jesus told Nicodemus "Verily, verily I say unto you, except a man be born again [gennao, Greek-meaning 'born from above'], he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
The Greek word Jesus used has already been explained. You can only discern whether He intended "begotten" or "born" in the context.
In this case, we need not wonder, for Nicodemus was responding to Jesus in the Greek language.
"Nicodemus said unto Him, how can a man be born [gennao, Greek] when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" (John 3:4).
Do you see? Was Nicodemus engaging in a little sarcastic humor? The point is, Nicodemus did not misunderstand the word Jesus used. He knew the word Jesus used connoted birth! Stunned, dumbfounded by Jesus' statement, Nicodemus spoke of the utter impossibility of what Christ implied.
Jesus said, "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.
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit IS SPIRIT!
"Marvel not that I said unto you, you must be born again.
"The wind blows where it will, and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell where it comes from, and where it goes. So is everyone that is born of the spirit" (John 3:5-8).
Paul was inspired to write, "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.
"Behold, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised in-corruptible and we [we who are alive and remain at that time] shall be CHANGED!
"For this corruptible must PUT ON incorruption, and this MORTAL must PUT ON immortality" (I Corinthians 15:50-53).
Read that again! Come to understand!
Your Bible plainly tells you that you CANNOT ENTER the "kingdom of God" as a human being!
Jesus Christ said you must be born anew-born from above! When Nicodemus assumed Jesus was referring to the impossible, Jesus told him "Marvel not!" He then explained. He said you can hear the noise the wind makes in the trees, or under the eaves of the house-but that the wind, while powerful enough to uproot trees, blow down buildings, or sink ships with hurricane force, is invisible!
And what did He say? "SO IS everyone that is born of the spirit!''
How is one who is born of the spirit? He is like the wind! He is invisible! He IS SPIRIT!
WHY cannot many sincere, yet deceived people see the plain, simple TRUTH of what Jesus SAID?
He said, "That which is born of the flesh [you and I-we human beings who are physical, fleshly, created 'in the image' of our physical parents!] are flesh!"
So far, so good. Are you physical? Are you human? Are you FLESH?
Of course you are!
Were you born of fleshly parents? Of course!
And what are you? You are FLESH!
Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh IS FLESH!"
Now then. Read the rest of John 3:6. "and that which is born of the spirit IS SPIRIT!"
Have you, then, been "born" of the spirit? How to answer the question? ARE you spiritual essence? Are you composed of spirit? Can you appear or disappear at will? Can you walk through solid stone, granite, concrete block or brick? Can you zip around the heavens, visiting Mars, Venus and Jupiter?
No, you are mundane, temporal, mortal, human, FLESH!
Then you HAVE NOT been "born of the spirit" according
to what your Savior, Jesus Christ, plainly tells you!
You can become "begotten" by God's Holy Spirit! You can repent, be baptized, and receive a spiritual begettal by receiving the Spirit of God! (Acts 2:38).
But you cannot, now, be "born of the spirit" UNTIL a certain moment, of which you have already read! (I Corinthians
15:23).
Go back and read that quotation from I Corinthians 15 again! Better yet, turn to and read the entire chapter of I Corinthians 15! Here is the "resurrection chapter." If you read it slowly, carefully; if you ponder what you read, drinking in meaning from each word, you will learn great and profound truths which are not known; not taught, by the churches of this world!
No one, reading the simple and beautiful words of Almighty God concerning the coming resurrection at the return of Christ could believe in the pagan fables of the "immortality of the soul"; that people go either to heaven or an ever-burning hell when they die!
Rather, they would come to know the TRUTH of the Bible; that man is physical, fleshly, mortal! That when man dies, his very thoughts cease, and he shares the very same kind of death as do beasts.
And what did Paul say? "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God!"
2006-08-04 00:12:57
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answer #9
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answered by His eyes are like flames 6
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