Concept of Born Again (Extract from a thesis)

- Mhasiletuo Zhale




Definition of “Born of God”

Born of God (Regeneration) means that a person receives a new, holy nature from God, this new nature is needed to be part of God’s Holy Kingdom. Born of God can also be referred to as opposed to earthly and human birth (John 1:12-13), they are characterized by Love (1 John 4:7), they believe that Jesus is the Christ/Messiah (1 John 5:1). Born of God can also be experienced through the word of Truth (James 1:18) it is a gift from our Heavenly Father (James 1:17). It comes through God’s mercy and not of works (Tit. 3:4-5).1 “Born of God”, “Regeneration”, “Born Again” are synonyms according to Christian perspective. But the words are used according to the situation and context of the people. Usually, the other religions do not have the belief of “born of God” yet they believed in life after death.

Who are considered as “Born of God?”

Christian usage of the word “born of God” is also synonymous with that of “regeneration” “born again” and “rebirth” and it usually indicates of spiritual rebirth unlike the above religious literal view. And this “born again” is different from second birth that is life after physical death. The book of Titus refers regeneration to an individual “. . . He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Even in John 3:3-8 Jesus tells Nicodemus that in order to enter into the Kingdom of God, he must be born again.7 Those spiritually born of God are considered as “Born of God.” And this process can be done only through the power of the Holy Spirit. Achievement of “Born of God” It is solely the work of the Spirit and not flesh (John 3:5-6), also being dead in sin and alive in Christ and that’s not by works so that none can boast but by God’s grace alone (Eph. 2:1-9; Rom. 6:11).8 God is the author of regeneration. Scriptures present it as the work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:13; Acts 16:14; John 3:5-8).

Man’s Role in Being “Born of God”

A person must believe in Jesus Christ to have eternal life (John 3:14-16), separating oneself from sinning (1 John 3:9; Rom. 6:12-13), allowing the mind and thoughts to be transformed (Rom. 12:2) i.e., not letting the world to shape a person and his actions, and also must know and obey God’s will (Rom. 12:2). One must also put off the old, corrupted nature (Eph. 4:22) i.e., making a new in the thinking (Eph. 4:23) purifying oneself by obeying the truth and loving one another fervently (1 Pet. 1:22-23).10 So the person no more lives the same old life but his role as a newly born in God also starts to change. Evidence of Being “Born of God” “Born of God” consists in the implanting of the principle of the new spiritual life in man under the influence of the Holy Spirit, giving new birth to a life that moves in a God ward direction. It will renew a man in various aspects; the intellectual (1 Cor. 2:14-15; 2 Cor. 4:6; Eph. 1:18; Col. 3:10), the will (Phil. 2:13; 2 Thess. 3:5; Heb. 13:21) and the feelings and emotions (Matt. 5:4; 1 Pet. 1:8).11 A person is no longer under the bondage of sin and does not continue to commit the same sin (1 John 3:9; Rom. 6:1-3), also starts doing good works (Eph. 2:10), fruit of the Spirit starts to bear fruits in his life (Gal. 5:22-25) and lives a life opposite to the deeds of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21).12 Although it doesn’t mean a person is completely sinless rather being born of God means he no more continue to live in it and no more sin have control over him. Also, his life starts to change in accordance with God’s word

Biblical understanding of the Term “Born of God”

The word “regeneration” (Gk. Paliggenesia) appears only twice in the New Testament. Once is used eschatologically, “of the renewing of the world in the time of Messiah” (Matt. 19:28), the second usage is “of the rebirth of a redeemed person” (Titus 3:5). Regeneration should be distinguished from conversion.13 Regeneration is a special act of God in which the recipient is passive. God alone awakens the person spiritually through the power of His Holy Spirit.14 Two basic passages of Scripture discuss regeneration as it pertains to the impartation of a new life to a believer. John 3:3 (although not using the term regeneration) has the idea of regeneration as new birth. The Greek word translated “new” is anothen and may be translated “from above.” In other words, the re-birth is a birth from above, from God. In John 3:5 the phrase “is born” is passive, indicating it is a work done upon man, not by man.15 We are clear that for believers, born of God and second life i.e., life after death are two different things. And for the other religions they just understand as one birth that is life after death. As for believers, a believer experiences a new birth even before their death and that is the spiritual birth where God through the power of the Holy Spirit does the actions towards men. His roles start to change as well as it becomes visible even for others to see it. A person being born of God are also evidently seen as he or she having the fruit of the Spirit starts bearing its fruits and begin to live a life contrary with the flesh and now he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. He also starts doing good works and forgiving becomes part of his life. In more Biblical term it is the rebirth of a redeemed person and the act is done by God and not by human effort.

Exegesis of the Text (1John 3:9)

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin” either mean that they who are born of God, that is, who are true Christians, do not commit habitual sin (intentionally) and characteristically, or that everyone who is a true Christian is absolutely perfect, and never commits any sin. If it can be used as referring to the doctrine of absolute perfection at all, it proves, not that Christians may be perfect, or that a portion of them are, but that all are but it is difficult to maintain this and we cannot believe to be true that John meant to affirm this.62 And “Born of God” here in Gk. Gegennemenos it is used metaphorically in the writings of the Apostle John, of the gracious act of God in conferring upon those who believe the nature and disposition of “children” imparting to them spiritual life. (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, pg. 113) also (Vines Expository Dictionary pg. 101)63 God’s true children, those born of God does not sin was affirmed in verse 6 with regard to those who live or abide in Him, do not keep on sinning.64 This seed is the Word of God (James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23; Matt. 13:3, 23; Luke 8:15). It is sown in the hearts of people; it germinates and produces a new nature.65 “His seed” remains in believers. The word seed (sperma) means properly sown seed, as of grain, plants, trees; then anything that resembles it, anything which germinates, or which springs up, or is produced. It is applied in the New Testament to the word of God, or the Gospel, as that which produces effects in the heart and life similar to what seed that is sown does. The proper idea, according to this, is that the seed referred to is truth, which God has implanted or sown in the heart, from which it may be expected that the fruits of righteousness will grow.66 Now having the seed of God a believer cannot continue in sin always as it is a contrary to the believer’s new nature received from God.67 Through this chapter the closest or most applicable interpretation of the text is brought out, as this verse seems to contradict John’s own statement and also confusing even the believers to what it actually means. But when we see John’s writing he does not write in neutral way when comparing two things together. He uses similar words like, light and darkness, Spirit of Truth and spirit of error, of God and of the World etc. So, similarly even here John is trying to use the same pattern while writing this letter by using “born of God does not sin as His seed remains in him” he is here trying to say that one cannot live in God as well as in Devil as this two it contradicts. There is no neutral ground; either one is a child of God or one is a child of the devil and when we try to study this verse, though it seems John contradicting his own statement, it is not so. And we know that the author was trying to talk about the habitual sin (intentionally) committed by a believer once born of God, and if a person is doing so, he or she is not truly a person born of God. So, from this it is clear that a person born of God will have changes in his or her lifestyles. The person will not continue to live as the way he was before. So, a born of God cannot possess such quality of devil, he will either be of God or of the devil. Also, just as a seed starts to develop or expands, one who is born of God will start to grow more like Christ and start to possess qualities of Christ. If the person who considers to be born of God yet lives in the darkness or does not grow in Christ, he is either still not born of God or have not known Christ well. From this one thing that was made clear is that a verse should not just be read and take it as it is, rather a deeper look should be given by also studying its original word meaning and also the style of the writing should be looked carefully. Now that it’s clear, one who is born of God though not confessing or proclaiming it to everyone, through its conduct, one can know whether a person is truly born of God or just a professing Christians. As born of God can be easily distinguished when he or she is not into the continuation of his or her continuous habitual (intentional) sin.


EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION

Now coming to the end, evaluating all the points as discussed above we come to the conviction that, Christian beliefs of “born of God” is the spiritual re-birth and not of life after dead. And “born of God” is an act of God, Titus 3:5-6 says “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior” it is not our works that can achieve it. When a person is born of God, he will not remain the same i.e., no more living in his or her sinful life again rather there must be changes in his or her life. He or she is now connected with Christ and it is not him alone that lives but it is Christ Galatians 2:20, even in John 15:1-15 talks about the vine and the branches where Jesus is the vine and the branches are the believers. Now with that a person will start living in the likeness of Christ and when the branches (i.e., the believers) in connected with the vine (i.e., Christ), he or she will start bearing the fruits of the Spirit in life. A person also receives the Holy Spirit and that Spirit helps in bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:16-26 clearly distinguished between two types of fruit, one of the flesh and the other of the Spirit. So now flesh and the Spirit is two different things. If a person continues to live in the same old life and the fruits of the Spirit cannot be seen on him, either he is not truly born of God or a non-convert. As Gospel Matthew 7:20 also said that “a person is known by his fruits” we also would see that he or she starts living a life in accordance with the will of the Holy Spirit rather of the flesh. Now concerning the text stated above “born of God cannot sin” if not careful it can be misinterpreted as some views hold that, a person born of God will be completely sinless and live-in sin no more. But through the exegesis we also see born of God doesn’t mean a complete sin less life rather, it is about the intentional habitual sin that one commits even after declaring themselves being “born of God.” But one thing for sure is that we find even in Romans 6: 1ff a person no more live under the bondage of sin when he or she is baptized with Christ and also is freed from sin. He can now overcome sin as mentioned even in 1 Corinthian 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” so with this we are also to 26 remember one thing i.e. how to know the ways of God and the answer is through the living Word of God. A regenerated person focuses more on the will of God rather than loving the world and obeying its lust (1 John 2:15). One general truth even the Bible mentions is 1 John 1:5-6 it mentions God as the light and that who live in Him and walk in the darkness; lies and do not practice the truth. In Revelation 3:16 it talks of the lukewarm church where God will vomit it out of His mouth, also in Matthew 6:24 it says one cannot serve two masters. So, with this we see God does not like a neutral believer rather a person must focus / worship one. Similarly, when we look to our topic “Born of God” and “Sin” relationship, the main idea or message it wants to convey was, one must either be of sin or of God one cannot be both of slaves to sin and born of God. But that does not mean that a born of God is completely sinless or cannot sin at all because John himself will also not contradict himself in 1 John 1:8-9 “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. . . . .” also if a person would be sinless, it also will contradict some of the Bible passages like Colossians 3:5 “. . . .fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desires and covetousness, which is idolatry and some people even after being “born of God” sometimes have this qualities and though some does not fall under that categories, they fall under Matthew 6:14-15 where a person finds so hard to forgives another person though he or she might be a good believer. And as human having a sin nature, though we outwardly confess to forgives, we still have grudges and keeps in heart which in turn a sign that one has not forgiven truly. Also, in Matthew 5:27-28 that even looking a woman in a lustful way is a way of committing adultery in the heart and falls under the category of “thou shall not commit adultery” and there are many more verses about sin, the 10 commandments in Exodus 20, in works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 etc. and as a human being having the sin nature in us, one or the other way sin is committed anyhow. Even Apostle Paul goes to do the things he really hates to do, we find that in Romans 7:15-17. Also observing about the infant Baptism, it may not be so wise of it since Baptism cannot actually takes place before a person fully gave his life to God as Baptism is an identification of a believer being dead with Christ and rose alone with Him for a new life as seen in Colossians 2:12-13 also a person who died with Christ in Baptism is also raised up with Christ and live a new life in Christ and no more under the bondage of sin Romans 6:1-14. Even in Mark 16:16 talks of believing and baptism, also one important thing is in Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the 27 forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” so to come to the point of repentance, practically it’s impossible for an infant to come to repentance as a child will have limited thoughts and understanding. Moreover, there is no point of taking baptism if one does not know its significance and as for the infants, he or she will not know what really baptism means and its significance. The whole point of mine is to say that, a person born of God can also commit sin but not the habitual intentional sin. On the other side, he no more lives under the bondage of sin rather, he tries to improve in his weaknesses and through the power of the Holy Spirit, he tries to bear more of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and does not continue to lives in his old sinful nature rather is transformed. He is a new creation and old things have passed away and all things become new

~Mr. Mhasiletuo Zhale

M.Div, Logos College, Sovima, Chumoukedima