1. Birth of the Spirit
BIRTH OF THE SPIRIT
It is a great joy to study the subject of the Holy Spirit and his work. I'd like to think you will be honest of heart as we present what the Bible says on the subject. All we can know about the Holy Spirit and his work we must learn from the Bible. This is a timely subject. There is probably no other Bible subject concerning which there is more con-fusion than the subject of the Holy Spirit and his work. There is much superstition and error being taught to the disturbance of religious people throughout the world, and much of it centers around the Holy Spirit and his work.
The Birth of the Spirit At this time let us consider "The Birth of the Spirit." "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when' he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can-not enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 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." (John 3:1-8.) This quotation from Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus declares that there is such a thing as being "born of the Spirit." Of course, this means the "Holy Spirit."
Human Spirit Born From verse 6 we learn that it is the human spirit that is "born of the (Holy) Spirit." Man has a soul, or spirit, as well as a body. Jesus said, "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4-5.) Man could so live and act as to "lose his soul." (Matthew 16:26.) Paul said, "Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:20.) The prophet Daniel said, "I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body." (Daniel 7:15.) The spirit is a part of man; it is the inward man, the knowing part of man. "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." (1 Corinthians 2:11.) It is the spirit of man which needs to be saved. (1 Corinthians 5:5.) It is the soul which can be lost, or saved. (James 1:21; Matthew 16:26.) The Bible says God is the "Father of spirits." (Hebrews 12:9.) The spirit of man came from God, and at death it returns to God. (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Acts 7:55; Acts 7:59.) By sin, man has become in spirit a child of the devil, and must have the new birth in order to enter the kingdom of God. The Bible uses the words "child of the devil" (Acts 13:10), "children of the devil" (1 John 3:10), and Jesus said, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." (John 8:44.)
Nicodemus thought Jesus meant the outward man must be born again when he said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3-4.) Then Jesus tried to show him that the new birth is not the old natural birth, but is a birth "of water and of the Spirit." (John 3:5.) Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is SPIRIT" the human spirit. (John 3:6.) One's conduct, the way he lives, depends upon the kind of a spirit he has. (1 Peter 3:1-4; Psalms 51:10.) God has purposed to make man over by converting his spirit, and giving it a new birth. With a right spirit, or inward man, at the steering-wheel of one's life he will follow the Holy Spirit as he leads by his word (Romans 8:14), and not follow the flesh. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mor-tify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:13-14.)
After Led By The Spirit This does not mean that one is a child of God before he begins to be led by the Holy Spirit. While discussing with a denominational preacher the design of baptism, he asked me, "Were you led by the Holy Spirit to be baptized? Or, by the spirit of the devil?" He thought if I had been led by the Holy Spirit to be baptized, then I was a child of God before baptism, for "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14.) I asked him if he were led by the Spirit of God to believe, repent, and pray for salvation (since he said these are conditions of salvation). He said he was led by the Spirit of God; to which I responded: "According to your logic, you were saved unconditionally, and before you believed, repented, and prayed for salvation."
Our Spirit a Part of Man This reminds me of a discussion which I had with a ma-terialist, who contends that man has no soul or spirit, ex-cept the "breath." He said the spirit or soul is no part of man. I replied that if this were true, then that which is no part of man must be born again--and not the "man," as Jesus taught it. Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3.) Again he said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5.) Then he said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6.) It cannot be true that that which is no part of man experiences the new birth, for Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." (John 3:8.) Therefore, the soul or spirit is a part of man.
Whole Man Baptized
Another man asked, "Do you baptize the body of a man, or his spirit?" He argued that no bodily act can bring any blessing to the spirit, or soul, or inward man. I asked him if he preached so as to affect the inward man without reaching him through the outward man--through his physical ears, etc.? I asked him if he ever took the Lord's sup-per? If so, did he eat the supper to benefit the outward man, or the inward man? for the body, or for the spirit? He quickly declared that the blessings in the Lord's sup-per are for the spirit, or inward man. Only prejudice kept him from seeing that baptism is not for the benefit of the body, but is an act prompted by the Holy Spirit, by his word, and through the human spirit; and it is to bring blessings to the spirit of man. Baptism has to do with the salvation of the soul. (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21.) The whole man--not just the body--is involved in scriptural baptism, just as is true of the Lord's supper. Speaking of baptism, Paul says, "Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine. . . Being then made free. from sin, ye became servants of righteousness." (Romans 6:17-18; cf. Romans 6:3-4.) Since baptism must be "from the heart," or prompted by the con-science, it is not merely a bodily act. (1 Peter 3:20-21.) To say a literal, physical, act could not affect the soul, is to say the blood of Christ was shed in vain--for that blood was physical, literal blood, just as much as mine or yours. And yet it was shed "for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28.) The physical act was unto our salvation. So is our obedience which is from the heart. (Hebrews 5:8-9.)
Our Spirit Born
We cannot overemphasize the fact that the new birth is for the inward man, and not just the outward, nor a matter of "formality." Those baptized without the inward and proper preparation of heart and spirit, need to be baptized over, as the twelve at Ephesus were. (Acts 18:24 to Acts 19:7.)
The "Wind" Illustration
It is the inward and invisible man which is born again, as Jesus taught. When Nicodemus thought and talked only about a natural, physical birth, Jesus used the "wind" illustration. He said, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou Nearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8.) He did not say, "So does the Holy Spirit operate in the new birth." But he said, "So is every one that is born of the Spirit." They could not see the wind coming and going, like clouds; neither can one see the spirit of man being born of the Holy Spirit. As it comes out of satan's kingdom, it is invisible; and no man sees it as it is translated into the kingdom of Christ. (Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9.)
How Begotten?
Since becoming a Christian is similar to a birth, how is one begotten so as to be born again? Paul says, "I have begotten you through the gospel." (1 Corinthians 4:15.) This is why he wrote, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth." (Romans 1:16.)
But someone may be ready to ask, "Is the gospel the Spirit?" No; but the gospel was revealed and confirmed by the Spirit. It was preached "with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." (1 Peter 1:12.) The Spirit guided the apostles "into all truth" as they preached the gospel. (John 16:13; John 14:26.) They spoke "as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:4; 1 Corinthians 2:13.) The gospel was, and is, the very word and message of the Holy Spirit. In order, then, for the sinner to be born again, he must be begotten by the gospel. (1 Corinthians 4:15.) James says, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." (James 1:18.) This is why the gospel must be preached "to every creature" in "all the world," in order to salvation. (Mark 16:15-16.)
Word of the Spirit To be "born of the Spirit" is to be born by the word of the Spirit--to be begotten "through the gospel," and by "obeying the truth." Peter says, "Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth. . . being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." (1 Peter 1:22-23.)
This is the way the Spirit operates upon the heart (spirit) of man in the new birth. He does not miraculously make men children of God. If he operated in that way, he would make all men children of God, and salvation would be un-conditional on man's part. Instead, men are begotten and born again by the word, or gospel--and not by a direct and miraculous work upon the sinner.
"Born of the Spirit"
"So is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8.) What does it mean to be "born of the Spirit?" Well, it certainly means that the new birth is brought about through the leadership--through the agency and work of--the Holy Spirit; it means that the Holy Spirit makes people children of God. You just could not get less than that from this statement: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5.) "So is every one that is born of the Spirit" (v. 8) shows that the Holy Spirit has something to do in the new birth, to make us children of God. The apostle Paul said, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of. God." (Romans 8:14.) To be "born of the Spirit" (John 3:8) one must be led by the Spirit. When a man has been "led" by the Spirit of God, he is a "son" of God, he is a child of God. The Holy Spirit's work in the process of the new birth is defined as "leading" us--which he does through the in-spired word he revealed. Those who follow as the Spirit guides, have the new birth, or are "born of the Spirit." The Holy Spirit, then, makes us children of God. There is no controversy about that, I presume, among any of us.
We all admit the fact that the new birth is "of the Spir-it." But the question is: HOW does the Holy Spirit make us children of God? Does he do it directly, or does he do it indirectly? Does he do it without medium, or does he operate through the medium of divine truth? Well, let me illustrate it. My right hand may represent the Holy Spirit, and my left hand may represent the heart of the sinner. All of us agree that the Holy Spirit must operate upon the heart of the sinner and bring about the new birth. The question is: HOW does he do it? Does he do it this way (author strikes his left hand directly with the right hand)? Does the Spirit operate directly upon the heart? --with no medium through which to work--a direct operation? That is the way the denominational people of the world think the Holy Spirit operates.
Or, does the Holy Spirit operate on the sinner's heart through the medium of divine truth, like this (with the Bible in his right hand, author strikes the Bible against his left palm)? Does the Holy Spirit use the truth to con-vert, leaving man to be a free moral agent, to accept or reject? --or is it miraculous, like this (again author strikes left hand directly with right)? Will all those be converted whom he wants converted, and nobody be converted whom the Spirit doesn't want converted? Does the Holy Spirit decide the whole proposition, leaving man to be nothing but a mere machine to be operated upon?
How is it brought about? Well, let us note the Scriptures on it: "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth" (striking the left hand with the Bible being held in- his right hand). (James 1:18.) There is the begetting in the new birth: "Of his own will begat he us. . ." How? Is it "with-out the word of truth," this way (striking the left hand directly with the right)? No! No! It is this way (striking left hand with the Bible held in the right hand). James says, God "begat . . . us with the word of truth."
Take Peter's statement: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed; but of incorruptible, by the"--direct opera-tion of the Holy Spirit? No! No! That is not the way it is! Well, how is it, Peter? He said, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God" --(striking hand with the Bible) "which liveth and abideth forever." (1 Peter 1:23.)
The Word By the Spirit
"Well," says one, "the word of God is not the Spirit." I know that; and this Bible here is not my right hand, either! But my right hand was "operating" on my left hand through the Bible--my right actually the thing that contacted my left hand; and similarly, the Holy Spirit converts the sinner--but he does it through his word. So, Peter says "the gospel was preached . . . with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." (1 Peter 1:12.) Hence, Paul says, "The gospel . . . is the power of God unto salvation." (Romans 1:16.) The Bible says, "Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21.) And speaking of the gospel, Paul said, "By which also ye are saved." (1 Corinthians 15:2.)
So, the new birth is brought about by the Holy Spirit through the word that he revealed and confirmed through the apostles, and left on record in the revelation that we have, which is a revelation of the Holy Spirit, his very mes-sage--the gospel, the "good news" of salvation, through Christ. That's what it means to be "born of the Spirit."
After we have been born of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit dwells in us because we have been born of the Spirit. Paul said, "Because ye are sons"--because you have become children of God, because you have had the new birth--"Be-cause ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Galatians 4:6.) The Spirit doesn't come and dwell in our hearts until after he has converted us (through the medium of divine truth), and made the heart a fit place in which to dwell. But then he comes into a clean heart which he himself cleansed through the medium of divine truth, so that Jesus could say, "Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you" (striking left hand with Bible held in right hand). (John 15:3.) The gospel is the power. (Romans 1:16.)
Spirit Uses the Word The Spirit does not operate directly upon the sinner. But the Holy Spirit uses the gospel, or word of God, and the sinner is begotten by the word. He uses the moral and persuasive power, the power of the gospel, to bring about the birth of the Spirit. Men are converted by the powerful facts, commands, threats, and promises of the gospel, which includes the whole story of Jesus and his love--the sweetest story ever told or heard!
Power In The Word
There was power enough in the devil's word--the devil's lie--to lead man away from God, and make him a child of the devil. (Genesis 2:17-18; Genesis 3:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:11-14; 2 Corinthians 11:1-3.) And there is power enough in the word of God, the gospel of Christ, to bring man back to God and make him a child of God. (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 4:15; James 1:18; James 1:21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.) The devil did not miraculously and directly operate on man, to get him into sin; neither does God, nor the Holy Spirit, operate directly and miraculously upon man to make him a child of God. The new birth (conversion) is a moral and spiritual change, and is brought about by moral and spiritual means--the gospel of Christ. O! There are so many people who need to know this!
Born By Faith
Man is born again by faith, and not by the gospel while he rejects and disbelieves it. Only believers are given "power to become" the sons of God, or to be born again. (John 1:11-12.) Some believed on Jesus (John 8:30-32), but would not obey him, and Jesus called them the "children" of the devil later in the chapter. (v. 44.) Faith alone did not make them children of God. Repentance is "unto life" (Acts 11:18), which shows that one cannot be born again (have life) without it.
Born of Water The penitent believer must be "baptized into Christ" in order to be a child of God by faith. Unto members of the churches of Galatia, Paul wrote: "Ye are"--present tense "all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized"--past perfect tense --"into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:26-27.) Here the apostle called them children of God, but not until after they had been moved by faith to be baptized into Christ, where they were "all one in Christ Jesus." (v.28.) "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." (2 Corinthians 5:17.) Therefore Paul said, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" (Romans 6:3.)
Water Baptism But some one may be saying, "That would make water baptism a part of the new birth." Well, Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5.) How could "born of water" mean "born without water?" If born "of water" means "born without water," then "born of the Spirit" (v.6), must mean "born without the Spirit!" Of course, it does not in either case mean "without." One is "born of water" and "of the Spirit" (John 3:5) when he is taught and "led" (Romans 8:14) by the Holy Spirit to believe in Christ, repent, confess Christ, and be baptized "for the remission of sins." (Acts 2:36-38; Acts 8:35-39.)
Raised From Burial When Christ was raised from his burial and from his grave, he was said to be "the firstborn from the dead." (Colossians 1:18.) His resurrection from the burial was a "birth" from the dead. Our resurrection in baptism is a "birth" of water, as taught and led by the Spirit. We are said to be "buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with with him." (Colossians 2:12.) This resurrection in baptism is a birth of water. "We are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4.) Here we get the new life ("newness of life") after being "born of water and of the Spirit"--after coming forth from the water and from the burial in baptism.
Very Important This new birth is so very important, that I would like to persuade men, as Paul did. (2 Corinthians 5:11.) Many now do not realize the need of it, even as Nicodemus did not. Christ said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again." (John 3:7.) He had not been born again. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the biggest "denomination" then in existence. (John 3:1.) But he had not had the new birth! (John 3:3; John 3:5; John 3:7.) Many now in the denominations have never been "born of water and of the Spirit," and are not in the kingdom of God. They never will be, un-less they obey the gospel. (John 3:5; 1 Peter 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9.) Nicodemus was a "ruler of the Jews" an intelligent and educated man! He held a good position, and was a religious leader of his people. (John 3:1.) But he had not had the new birth! (John 3:3; John 3:5; John 3:7.) Not many of the great men of earth, men of the elite class, have had the new birth. (1 Corinthians 1:25-27.)
Nicodemus believed in God, and said Christ was a teach-er "come from God." (John 3:2.) He was no atheist, nor in-fidel. But his "faith" alone did not make him a child of God, for he still needed the new birth. (John 3:3; John 3:5; John 3:7.) Faith must obey and include baptism, in order to save, or bring "remission of sins" and the new birth--the birth "of water" and "of the Spirit." (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:15-16; John 3:5; Acts 22:16.)
Nicodemus was not only a religious man, a member of a big "church," a religious leader of his "denomination," an intelligent man, and a believer in God; but he was not a modernist nor a liberalist! He did not quibble against miracles and signs done by Christ and his disciples. He said, "No man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." (John 3:2.) Believing that Christ wrought miracles, which established his claim to be the Son of God, Nicodemus believed in Christ. (John 20:30-31.) But he had not had the new birth! He did not "believe" obedi-ently. He, like many today, did not believe Christ's teach-ing about the new birth. (John 3:11-12.) Many now claim to "believe" in Christ, while they reject what he says. (John 12:48; Mark 16:15-16.)Nicodemus believed that God was with Christ. (John 3:2.) Yet Nicodemus would not stand with Christ! He was like many others who "believed" in Christ, but would not "confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." (John 12:42-43.) To be ashamed of Christ is to stay in sin, and remain a child of Satan. (Matthew 10:32-33; Mark 8:38; Romans 1:14-16.)
It seems that Nicodemus wanted to be some sort of "se-cret disciple"--at that time. Three times the record says he came to Jesus "by night." (John 3:2; John 7:50; John 19:39.) He was, perhaps, like Joseph, who later was "a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews." (John 19:38.) But we know that Nicodemus at first was not a child of God. (John 3:3; John 3:5; John 3:7.) A "secret" disciple is a false disciple. (John 8:30-32; Mark 8:37-38.)
Finally, we may say Nicodemus was a "good" moral man, even a good religious man. But his religion was vain, and his morality did not make him a child of God. He needed the new birth, without which no man can enter the kingdom of God. "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5.)
It's The Truth!
Jesus, in introducing the new birth, said, "Verily, verily. . . " This means, Truly, truly," or "It's the truth, it's the truth. . ." Then he said a man "cannot see the kingdom of God" or "cannot enter into the kingdom of God" without the new birth. Friends, do you believe the Son of God? "He that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life." (John 3:36, A.S.V.)