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In
the new birth, does a person actually become a new being, or is the
concept of a new birth a literary device describing the change
affected in the life of a convert to Christ?
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Nicodemus
had some trouble in understanding what Jesus meant about the
requirement of a new birth, and he has plenty of company yet. We
accept Jesus’ explanation that it is not a second birth from
one’s physical mother but, in accepting the idea of spiritual
regeneration, do we understand it as being the bringing into
existence of a new creature?
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There
is a natural birth and a spiritual birth. Jesus explained, “That
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). In the birth of the water and
the Spirit, “We know that our old self was crucified with him
so that the sinful body might be destroyed” (Rom. 6:6). We
died with Christ, were buried with him by baptism into death, and
were raised with him that we might walk in newness of life. “And
you made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins”
(Eph. 2:1). Being baptized into Christ, we can be assured that “if
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (or creature); the old has
passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).
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These
and other references speak of being born again, being born anew,
being raised, being made alive, being regenerated, becoming a new
creature, receiving newness of life, and putting on the new man. In
this transaction one becomes a child of God, which in analogy with
natural birth would indicate that a new life comes into existence.
These expressions seem to indicate that a new spirit-being is
initiated into life replacing an old, dead, discarded one.
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All
of this brings some questions. Is not the soul/spirit/life immortal?
If only the reborn being is immortal, then the natural,
unregenerated life ceases to exist. If the unregenerated life is
annihilated, then it does not endure hell. If we accept the premise
that a new life is created in the new birth, we must conclude that
only the apostate reborn person will suffer everlasting punishment.
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Metaphors
are only one of the many literary devices used in scripture. A
metaphor is a figure of speech where a word literally denoting one
idea is used in place of another to suggest likeness or analogy
between them, like Jesus saying he was a door, a vine, or a
shepherd. So, an abrupt, sanctifying change of life is referred to
as a new birth. The change initiated by faith which produces
repentance confirmed by baptism is like a person putting off one
life and putting on another. An old identity is repudiated and a new
one is established with Christ involving new desires, aims, goals,
and purposes.
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The
physical body is not changed in this conversion process. Each organ
still functions as before. The body is still responsive to the same
desires, instincts, and inclinations. Although there is help in
controling the appetites, the alcoholic is still tempted by alcohol,
and the sexual interests of the lustful are not diminished by some
act of God in the new birth:
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In
the new birth, the soul/spirit/life is unchanged. The person has the
same knowledge, memory, experience, self-image, abilities, and
emotions as before baptism. While it is true that the convert will
have a new determination and added help to use and control these,
these elements were not refined and changed by an act of the Spirit
in the person. We, not the Spirit, must “put to death”
our sinful nature (Col. 3:5). In the conversion process the old,
sinful person is not perfected by an act of God but, through the
grace of God applying the merit of Jesus, the person is accounted as
pure and innocent and as though righteousness were actually
accomplished in him. Because of the sinner’s faith,
righteousness is imputed to him. He is justified by grace through
faith rather than being transformed into a different kind of person
by the Spirit.
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Being
baptized into Christ, the guilt of sin is remitted by Christ’s
atonement. That guilt had brought separation and alienation from
God, which is spiritual death. Life — forgiveness,
reconciliation — is restored when ‘the believing sinner
is united with Christ in baptism.
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Even
though we may all admit that the references to the new birth are
metaphorical, there may be some lingering doubt, or even serious
objection, in the mind of some. The metaphorical explanation credits
the change within us to our own reception of, and response to, the
gospel. It leaves out any change directly affected in the individual
by the power of the Holy Spirit. Upon our obedience to the gospel,
doesn’t the Spirit enter into us to change us into the kind of
person Christ wants us to be? Isn’t that a work accomplished
for us and in us?
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At
this point, our inherited sacramental concepts mix with thoughts of
achieved righteousness to cloud our vision. According to the system
of the sacraments, when certain prescribed rites or ceremonies are
performed, grace is infused into the soul and, by this means, God
makes us pure and righteous and the kind of person he wants us to
be. This calls for infused and achieved, or accomplished,
righteousness rather than the sinner being accounted as righteous
when he can never be anything but a sinner. The one concept is that
of baptismal regeneration — a change worked in the individual
through a sacrament to make him acceptable. The other concept is
that of justification on the basis of faith, in which imputed
justification is metaphorically termed as a regeneration or new
birth.
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It
is true that we receive the renewal in the Holy Spirit in our
washing of regeneration. This is done through the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit, which pouring out is the same as was fulfilled by the
baptism of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, for the same word used in
quoting Joel in Acts 2:17 is used by Paul in the next reference in
speaking of his outpouring on us in our washing of regeneration.
This identifies the gift and the baptism of the Spirit as being the
same. This is stated comprehensively by Paul: “He saved us,
not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of
his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the
Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ
our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become
heirs in the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:5f).
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The
Spirit cannot be poured out literally so that men may be filled with
the Holy Spirit literally, nor can one be baptized in the Holy
Spirit literally by immersion into and emersion out of him. Neither
can we believe that the Spirit literally inseminates water so that
it gives us birth. This must have its metaphorical aspects, but it
does not deny the activity of the Spirit. The Spirit does not
over-power the individual to do his work for “the spirits of
the prophets are subject to prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32).
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I
cannot understand or explain how the Spirit gives me life, lives in
me, and works in me, and I doubt that anyone else can. I am still
not in position to speak condescendingly of Nicodemus’ lack of
perception. Nicodemus could not understand the mysteries of the wind
but he could see the undeniable effects of it. I have evidence of
the working of the indwelt Spirit that surpasses the usual
subjective, individually perceived evidence when I see the fruit of
the Spirit in the life of the one who claims the promise. —
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Huisache, New Braunfels, Texas 78130