What does it mean to be born of the spirit? What happens when that takes place?

August 01st 2014 | 39512 views 

The Scriptures abound with illustrations which picture the varying conditions of the Christian's experience.  We need to give careful attention to the details of these word pictures or we are liable to become confused. 

In the conversation which Nicodemus had with our Lord Jesus (John 3:1-8), the Master, in explaining spiritual regeneration, used the natural order or arrangement to represent the spirit order: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit." Just as there is the begetting of a natural baby, then the quickening and finally the birth, so also with spirit beings. The Christian is first begotten of the spirit (Begotten again--1 Peter 5:3), then quickened by the spirit (Romans 8:11) and then having attained to full development as an embryonic "New Creature" he will be "born of the spirit" in the resurrection--"changed" from a fleshly, human being to a heavenly spirit being--See 1 Corinthians 15:50-53. All who experience the new birth will be invisible, powerful, even as are the angels and all spirit beings. Observe the force of the Master's words--"Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the spirit."

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