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BORNAGAIN?
(Continued from page 3)
the Corinthians thus: "Unto the
church of God ...
to them that are
sanctified
in
Christ Jesus, called to
be
saints"
(I Cor. 1:2). And in verse
10, "Now 1 beseech you, breth–
ren...." The brethren are those
who have been converted._under
grace-who are saints.
Romans 8:29 says Jesus was born
first, before any of these brethren.
Now when was He so born? Is this
speaking of His human birth, His
first birth of the virgin Mary? Well
mark this fact, and mark it well!
Jesus was born
33~
years before the
Holy Spirit carne on that day of
Pentecost-before the Church be–
gan- before these brethren came
under grace. Were any people 34
years o1d converted, baptized, and
put under grace that day-any 35, or
40, or 50? If there was a single one
o1der than
33~,
then he was born
(as a human) before Jesus. In that
case Jesus cou1d not have been the
first ofthese brethren to be born.
This is not speaking of Jesus' first
and human birth at Beth1ehem.
lt
is
speaking of His being born
AGAlN–
after
He was born of the virgin
Mary- because many brethren were
born (of human birth) before Jesus.
Next consider- since this scrip–
ture- Romans 8:29-cannot refer to
Jesus' first and human birth at Beth-
1ehem, it must, of necessity, refer to
a second birth-to being born again.
Now when was Jesus born again–
after His human birth of the virgin
Mary? Did Jesus Christ have the
same "born-again experience" mi1-
1ions of peop1e profess to have had?
Was Jesus Christ a sinner? Did He
need, or ever receive, forgiveness of
sin? Did He need salvation from
sin? l 'm sure every person who pro–
fesses this "born-again experience"
will agree the answer is no! A thou–
sand times no!
When the scripture says that
Jesus was " the firstborn of many
brethren," we bave to agree that this
birth was not the conversion of a
sinner, being put under grace. It was
not the same kind of being born
again that has been erroneously
42
taught and so wide1y accepted!
Yet. since He was the firstborn of
many brethren, these many breth–
ren are to be born
as
He was-the
same kind
of new birth!
By process of elimination we have
now proved:
1) This birth of Christ in Romans
8:29 was not His fi rst or human
birth of the virgin Mary. Therefore
it bad to be a later bi rth- a being
boro
AGAIN.
2) It was not the kind of "born–
again experience" so commonly
professed-not receiving salvation
from sin. Yet He was born again!
The Bible's purpose
is to correct us
where we are wrong.
To reprove us. To
reveal to us true
doctrine, and correct
us where we have
accepted false
doctrine. lts purpose
is to instruct us in
truth,
in
righteousness.
3) Therefore, it leaves only one
possibility. It was His
spiritual
birth,
when He was
born of God,
by His
RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD!
When He was born a t Bethlehem,
as a human, He was born as the Son
of man. Continually, through His
ministry, He called Himself the
"Son of man." But He was born
again-bom of God by His resurrec–
tion, as you read in Romans 1:3-4:
"Conceming his Son Jesus Christ
our Lord, which was made of the
seed of David according to the fiesh
[His human birth of Mary- making
Him the Son of man]; and declared
to be the
Son of God
with power,
according to the spirit of holiness,
by
the resurrection from the dead."
This scripture speaks of the
Two
births of Jesus Christ. The one of
the virgin Mary, a descendant of
David, by which He became the Son
of man. Then 1ater, He was bom
again, this time as the Son of God,
by His resurrection from the dead!
In Context
Before leaving this scripture in Ro–
mans 8:29, 1et's notice the theme of
the whole chapter-let's be sure we
understand it in context.
What is the theme ofthis chapter?
It is generally called "the Holy
Spirit chapter." But it is showing
how God, by the Holy Spirit,
changes us from camal and sinning
humans into, ultimately, sons of
God, by the resurrection from the
dead. Serving the fiesh, we cannot
please God (verse 8), but (verse 9)
we a re in the Spi rit, if the Spirit of
God dwells in us.
But (verse 11) if the Holy Spirit
dwells in us, even as God raised
Jesus Christ from the dead, we also
shall be resurrected by His Spirit
that dwells
in
us. Read it in your
Bible. Even as Christ was born
again, born of God, by His resurrec–
tion, even so we-the brethren- shall
be born again as sons of God,
through the resurrection of the
dead, by His Spirit that dwells in us!
We, if God's Spirit is in us, are
children of God, and heirs. Not yet
inheritors-but heirs to inherit ,
when we are bom of God by the
resurrection, even the glory which
Christ now has. We shall be glori–
fied together (verse 17). The whole
creation groans, waiting for the ac–
tual manifestation of the sons of
God, when we shall be resurrected
to glory (verses 18- 19). We are wait–
ing for the redemption of our
body- by the resurrection (verse 23).
Yes, by the resurrection we are to
be conformed to the image (spiritual
image) of God's Son Christ, who
was the first so born, by the resur–
rection, ofmany brethren (verse 29).
" It
is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again ..."(verse 34).
Yes, this chapter is talking of the
resurrection, by God's Holy Spirit
which dwells in us! That is its
theme. Christ was the firstborn of
many brethren, through the resur–
rection. It is plain!
Born
Ag~ln
by
a Resurrectlon
Now notice other scriptures.
Speaking of Christ, "who is the
The
PLAIN TRUTH March 1978