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Born of God
(From Forerunner Commentary)

John 3:2-8  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) The "we" in verse 2 implies that the divine identity of the messenger and the source of His message was known to the Pharisees. But they were carnal people, concerned with protecting their status as rulers under the Roman government, not with receiving revelations from God. Jesus perceived the import of Nicodemus's first words. His message was the good news of the coming world government of God'that is, the kingdom of God, which shall rule all nations with the government of God. These Jewish rulers feared that message. Jesus was of their race'a Jew. If they did not oppose Him, they feared being shorn of their power and perhaps put to death as subversives threatening the overthrow the Roman government. And the Pharisees thought Jesus proclaimed the immediate takeover of that rule! Therefore Jesus did not waste words. He struck straight through to the crux point'the Kingdom of God is not of this world'this time, this age'but of the world tomorrow'a different and a following age. Not composed of humans, but of immortals'the God Family! So Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Notice carefully that being "born again" has a vital connection with the Kingdom of God'with the fact that it is not of this time'this age. But Jesus' abrupt opening statement left Nicodemus confused. The religious leaders and the hundreds of denominations and sects professing Christianity today are confused and deceived! Today's religionists put a different twist on it than did Nicodemus, however. Nicodemus did understand clearly what is meant by being born. He knew it meant being delivered from his mother's womb. It meant being delivered into the world! . . . What Nicodemus could not understand was how'in what manner'anyone could be born again! And of course, being carnal-minded, he could only conceive of a second physical birth. But he knew what being born meant! Puzzled, he asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" He was not confused about what is meant by being born. . . . He thought Jesus was talking about a second human birth. . . . His mind could not grasp spiritual things. Now Jesus had made clear that the Kingdom of God is something that can be seen'but not until or unless one is "born again." Not during his physical lifetime! Also, verse 5, the Kingdom of God is something a man may enter into'but not until after he is born again'another and entirely different birth. Here is the crux point that explains it all: Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Man is now flesh'human. He is material substance. "Dust thou art," said God to Adam, "and unto dust shalt thou return." Again, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 3:19; 2:7). But, said Jesus plainly, when one is born of the Spirit he will be spirit! The Kingdom of God will be composed of spirit beings'not of humans! At birth of human flesh, one is delivered from his mother's womb into this world. When born of the Spirit, one will be delivered from the church of God (physical)'the mother of begotten Christians (Galatians 4:26)'into the kingdom of God (a Kingdom of spirit beings). Man is now composed of flesh'material substance'matter. When born again he will be spirit'a spirit being, no longer human. He will be composed of spirit'of spirit composition'with life inherent'with self-containing life'not then existing by the breath of air and the circulation of blood. Of the next age when the Kingdom of God will rule the world'the life after death'the next life'Jesus said, "They neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God . . ." (Matthew 22:30). Marriage is a physical, fleshly union. In the age of God's Kingdom, when "born again" we shall be spirit, not flesh. Born of God as spirit beings, no longer human. Angels are spirits'composed of spirit (Hebrews 1:7). Jesus did not say we shall then be angels'but as the angels'sexless and composed of spirit. Angels are spirit beings'created as such'but not begotten and born of God as God's own born children. We therefore shall be greater than angels! Jesus explained this further to Nicodemus: "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 everyone that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). You cannot see wind. Wind is compared to spirit. It is invisible. That is why mortal flesh, as we now are, cannot see the Kingdom of God. Those who inherit it will be spirit'normally invisible to eyes still human. The apostle Paul made clear that the Kingdom of God is something a human may inherit, but not in this age'not while he is composed of material flesh. "The first man is of the earth, earthy [human]: the second man is the Lord from heaven [a divine God being]" (I Corinthians 15:47). This is what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus. He was of the earth, earthy'human. He was flesh, not spirit. He was born of the flesh, so that is what he was'flesh. When one is born of the Spirit, he will BE spirit. . . . But we cannot be spirit in this present age. There is a time element concerned with being born again into God's kingdom. Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986) Life After Death?

Romans 8:29  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) Now compare with Romans 1:3-4: "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God . . . by the resurrection from the dead." Jesus was, in the human flesh'His first birth'a descendant of David. But, by the resurrection from the dead (born again), Jesus became the born Son of God, now no longer human, but composed of spirit'a spirit Being. He thus became the first so born of many brethren who shall be born again at the time of the resurrection of those who are Christ's. Of course we understand, and so did Paul in writing the above, that Jesus was also the Son of God while in the human flesh. Though born of a human woman, He was sired by God. But this is comparing the two births: the one from the human Mary, as descended from the human David, and the other, by His resurrection to glory, as Son of God. Emphatically this does not imply that Jesus was a sinner needing salvation. He was the pioneer, setting us the example, that we, too, may be born of God. Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986) Life After Death?

1 Corinthians 15:47  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) This is what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus. He was of the earth, earthy—human. He was flesh, not spirit. He was born of the flesh, so that is what he was—flesh. When one is born of the Spirit, he will be spirit. Paul is here explaining the same truth. But we cannot be spirit in this present age. Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986) Life After Death?

1 Corinthians 15:49  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) Are we sons of Adam? Why do we have this image? Why are we like him? Because we are his offspring! We have been born into this earth, the offspring of Adam, as Acts 17 clearly proves;. One day, we will be born again—this time as a born son of God—and we will bear the image of our Father. We will be just like Him (I John 3:2), even as we are now just like Adam was. We will be God! Incidentally, the word image means "that which corresponds to and reproduces the original." No image—whether it is a reproduction in a flat mirror, a three-dimensional hologram, or a living child of a parent—is an exact replica or image, because each person has his own peculiarities. That is so evident and logical that everybody should be able to understand that nobody can be God exactly as God is God, because each person is an individual personality. We will be a reproduction of Him, but we will be unique—because we are who we are, and He is who He is. He has His life and His history, and we have ours. However, we will still be God. We will be just as much "God" as a baby in the human family is a "human" like its parents. John W. Ritenbaugh The Covenants, Grace and Law (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 15:49  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) As we are now flesh, we shall be spirit?at the resurrection, that is, when we shall be "born again"?when we shall see, enter into, the Kingdom of God?when we are spirit?at the resurrection! Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986) Life After Death?

1 Corinthians 15:50  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) No human can inherit the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is not a human kingdom. There are no humans in it! It is a Divine Kingdom—the God Kingdom! Jesus explained it to Nicodemus in John 3:3-8: "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 couldn't understand that. Not many today can understand it! Jesus continued that except a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh," continued Jesus, "is flesh." Yes, we were all born of the flesh, therefore Jesus said we are flesh—yes, flesh and blood. And flesh and blood cannot inherit—cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. "That which is born of the Spirit," said Jesus, "is spirit." When we are born of the Spirit, then we shall be spirit—so said Jesus. Did Jesus know what He was talking about—or do some of us think we know better, today? Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986) What Is the Reward of the Saved?

2 Corinthians 4:4  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) What does the gospel do? It reveals to us what God's purpose is. We are to grow to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesian 4:13) so that we can be born into the Family of God, the Kingdom of God. However, to do that we need light. God has given us free moral agency. By what guide are we to make choices? What direction are we to head in? What is our creed? What are our standards? Who should we emulate? The gospel reveals those things, giving us the right perception, understanding, judgment, and conduct because the true light, the truth of the gospel, is provided to us. John W. Ritenbaugh Truth (Part 3)

Titus 3:5  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) Regeneration is symbolized by baptism and the laying on of hands. It involves such things as internal cleansing, rising in newness of life from a watery grave, becoming a new creation, and begettal through the receiving of God's Holy Spirit. The world calls this step being "born again," but the Bible calls it regeneration. When we have a confrontation with God at the beginning of His salvation process, we are dead to sin. We need to be regenerated—given life once again. John W. Ritenbaugh The Covenants, Grace and Law (Part 8)

Hebrews 4:1-10  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) What happened when Jesus Christ was raised from the dead? He entered His rest! How do we enter the Kingdom of God? We say we are born again. How are we born again? By a resurrection from the dead! And when Christ was resurrected? On the Sabbath, when the wavesheaf was cut! They all tie together. By a resurrection from the dead, we enter the Kingdom of God. We could call it the World Tomorrow or being born again, and we could probably come up with a few other terms for it. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Christ's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension

1 John 3:2  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) This verse does not mean that we do not know what we are going to be in the Kingdom. We know what we will be in the Kingdom, "kings and priests" (Revelation 5:10). We will have these dual responsibilities of rulership and mediation. We do not know how extensive our authority will be, nor what our exact position in the Family will be. But that is not what John is talking about here. By saying that it does not yet appear what we shall be, he means that we are simply not able to comprehend it. We cannot, literally, see it yet! But it is very clear that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him! God could not make it any clearer. He does not say we are going to be a shadow of Him—we will be like Him! He is God, and we are going to be God too! Full-fledged members of the God Family! John W. Ritenbaugh We Shall Be God! (Part 2)

 

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