Sunday, December 21, 2014

The New Birth - by John F. Strombeck

 


Is a Gradate of Northwestern University in 1911

UNFORTUNATELY, COMPARITIVELY few Christians really understand what it means to be "born again." "You must be born again" is a favorite sermon topic, but why is it such a rare thing to hear a simple explanation of what the new birth means and what takes place when one is born again? Those that deny the eternal security of the believer do not explain it.

The new birth is as real as the first birth. The Lord Jesus Christ said to Nicodemus: "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (John 3:6).

The word birth, when used literally, always means the coming into existence of a new life which has the same nature as the parents. When a wolf, or a sheep, is born, there is a new life which has the wolf nature or the sheep nature, as the case may be. When a child is born into the world, new life comes into existence. This life has a human nature which is sinful. It is therefore subject to death. This is the birth that Jesus called "of the flesh" and the result of that birth is flesh. This life cannot change its nature. It is as grass that withers, and as a flower that falls away (First Peter 1:24). To be saved does not mean that this life which is born of the flesh is changed or made over. This cannot happen, for its nature cannot be changed. That is the condition that makes the new birth imperative. The only thing God could do with the flesh was to judge it, and the judgment resulted in condemnation and execution (Romans 8:3; Galatians 2:19; Romans 6:6).

The new birth is a birth of the Spirit. It is to be "born, not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband's will, but born of God" (John 1:13). It is the coming into being of a new, divine life which has the imperishable and immortal nature of God. Of the new birth Peter writes: "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God" (First Peter 1:23). This seed not only lives forever, but it has also been revealed that it remains (First John 3:9) in the one who is born of God. Such a life must be eternal and that which is eternal cannot die. All who are born of imperishable seed have an imperishable nature and have eternal life. It is impossible for such to be lost for that would mean the perishing of the divine nature and that which cannot die.

By the new birth, one who has already been born into the human race is born into the spiritual realm, that is, the Kingdom of God. This is the only way to see or enter into that realm (John 3:3, 5).Not a single individual who has been born into the human race has been able to remove himself from it. Many have committed suicide, but all that achieves is to shorten the days of their earthly existence. Their existence still continues, on and on and on into the eternity of the future. How some people would like to obliterate themselves entirely from the human race! Yet they cannot because of the relentless law: once born a human, always a human.

Despite all this, some teach that one who has been saved can be lost by willfully going away from God. This is the same as saying that one who has been born into the Kingdom of God can, by his own will, separate himself from the spiritual realm. By analogy with the human race, this is impossible. The burden of proof rests heavily upon those who so teach to produce scripture passages which show that this is possible. None has as yet produced such proof. In fact, these teachers do not attempt to prove this and similar statements by quoting scripture. They simply make the statements and their hearers or readers who are untutored in Bible doctrine accept them at face value.

Those who reject the eternal security of the believer, pervert the doctrine of the new birth (either consciously or unconsciously) by believing that eternal life is received first at the end of the present earthly life. In the meantime the "saved person" might lose his chance of receiving it. This is a widely accepted error. Eternal life, however, is an ever present possession of all who are born again, from the very moment they were so born.

Jesus said: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My Word and believes in him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24 NKJV).

All of this is accomplished in a moment when the sinner, by believing, accepts Christ and is born again. The word "has" does not mean "is receiving" nor "will receive." It means already possessed. Three times in this verse, the unending nature of the believer's life is stated: (1) has everlasting (eternal) life, (2) shall not come into judgment and (3) has passed from death into life. Notice also that Jesus calls special attention to the fact that he is authority for the statement. He says "I say to you," and that is not all, he emphasizes it with the strongest expression he ever used: "Most assuredly" (NKJV); "Verily, verily" (KJV); "Truly, truly" (NASB); "I tell you the truth" (NIV). What finality of expression is used here by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Even still, it is possible to be so blinded by the teaching that one who has been saved can be lost, that this cannot be understood. At the close of a session of a Bible class in which the truth of the believer's present possession of eternal life had been pointed out, one of the members said: "I can't believe that we now have eternal life, for that would be eternal security and I won't believe that." Not all are as honest in expressing their position as was this person, but their minds are just as closed to the truth. They cannot see the truth, because of adherence to a false teaching that absolutely contradicts it.

Those who teach that one who has been saved can be lost, also teach that one such a person can be saved again. To be saved means to be born again. If it were possible to be lost, that would mean the death of the life resulting from the new birth. Then to be saved a second time it becomes necessary to be born again a second time. With some, it would be a third, fourth, fifth time and so on indefinitely. Is there any scripture to support such juggling of the simple meaning of the word birth?

Just how far astray the rejection of the doctrine of eternal security will bring people is seen in connection with the doctrine of the new birth. To accept "new birth" as meaning a new eternal life as real as the physical life received by the first birth makes their position indefensible. So the new birth is called a "symbol of salvation." This precious, basic, vital doctrine is made figurative language. Its force is lost. Its clear meaning is lost. The word of God has been made meaningless.

You have read a chapter from the book _"SHALL NEVER PERISH" by J. F. Strombeck you can read the entire book at,
   
Shall Never Perish - By J. F. Strombeck


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How God Saves Men
Believing Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4


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