THE NATURE OF NEW BIRTH
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." John 3:6
As long as we are deceived, and we will be deceived living in this world, we try to make our entrance into heaven about earthly related things; church membership, good deeds, earning favor. But the new birth in Christ has no physical components at all.
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My first birth was a birth out of water. My second birth into God's family was a birth that occurred in spiritual realms. It had nothing whatsoever to do with anything earthly.
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When I was born the first time, I inherited the nature of both my father and mother. When I was born the second time, I inherited the nature of my heavenly Father. His Spirit came to live in my Spirit and as long as I am Spirit-led, I resemble my heavenly parentage.
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It took two parents to birth me the first time. It took two entities to birth me the second time; the Spirit of God and the Word of God. The Word of God was the seed, activated by the breath of God's Spirit.
Nicodemus marveled at the words of Jesus and it would take three years for the truth of them to penetrate his years of religious teaching. By the time Jesus was crucified, he was brought to a point of belief and was becoming vocal about his faith. What courage it takes for any of us to stand on the things that are 'not of this world.'
My earthly mother and father taught me by example. They lived quiet lives, were kind to strangers, fed the hungry, and gave instruction to those who were without wisdom. Because I lived in the same house with them, I learned to live my life the way they did. Their model became my default. Proximity does that!
My heavenly Father wants to teach me by example. I will not catch His ways without proximity either. He is near me all the time in Spirit but I can't perceive it unless I make time to bring my soul and spirit into His presence. I do that by sitting with His Word in front of me. His model becomes my default as I learn how He thinks, how He treats people, what His priorities are. I can not catch this teaching without pressing in closely.
Physical children are raised the same way spiritual children are. Yet, God has a family of spiritual infants - hungering for truth and languishing without it. They are pale, anemic, sickly...but not because God's instruction is lacking but because they are not living in proximity of it. Every spiritual child of God needs the cooing of a Father, the embrace of someone sovereign, the gentle direction that keeps us from danger. God offers all of the above but it's up to me to access it.
The Word of God is powerful because it is the voice of God. It is bread to the hungry and water to the thirsty. I experience daily hunger and thirst and while there was a time I wasn't aware of that and I crashed and burned, God gave me the grace to acknowledge the truth of my desperate need for Him. Now, I press in. I tremble at His presence and come out of my skin at the beauty and power of walking in His ways.
I am "Christine of Your Spirit" and I love being Your daughter. Raise me up to maturity, to full childlike trust. In Jesus' name, Amen
Christine Wyrtzen
Daughters of Promise
