Born From Above

 In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam a command, "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17) In saying "you shall surely die" literally means "dying you shall surely die." In other words, in eating from the tree "of the knowledge of good and evil" Adam would experience death in two realm, first the spiritual realm then the physical. In the spiritual realm, his sin cut off his ability to communion with God and he became dominated by his body and soul, that is, the flesh. (Genesis 6:3) We also see this in the physical realm, after he ate of the tree, his physical body lived another 930 years (Genesis 5:5).

When Jesus met with Nicodemus, He made a very interesting statement, "Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:5-6) The key here is found in verse six. There is a distinction between the flesh (body and soul) and the spirit. Notice, "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." In other words, the human spirit is born (born again) of God's Spirit. After Adam fell, all people were now spiritually dead and were in need to be born of God's Spirit. In order for this to happen, God would have to reverse what Adam did. As believers, we know this was accomplished through Jesus Christ. But how?

Isaiah 53:9 tells us, "And they made His grave with the wicked, but with the rich at His death..."  However, in the Hebrew the word "death" is plural, deaths. This indicates that Jesus died both spiritually and physically. Isaiah also tells us, "...And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6) The Apostle Paul tells us, "For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us..." (2 Corinthians 5:21) God made Jesus sin with our sin. Paul tells us, "For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) We know that Jesus was sinless, (Hebrews 4:15) so it was not His physical death that gives humanity the right and privileged to be born again of the Spirit, but His spiritual death that paid the price and now provides "...the gift of God, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Keep in  mind that Jesus was fully human. It was not the Holy Spirit in Him that became sin, but Jesus' human spirit.  

The Apostle Paul tells us, "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." (Romans 6:6) The old man (the old spiritually dead, satanic nature) is dead, so let it be dead and live in the newness of life. Paul tells us, "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection." (Romans 6:5) "even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." (Ephesians 2:5) "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses." (Colossians 2:13) Here we witness the miracle of the eternities which took place in the depths of hell where Jesus was "Justified in the Spirit," (1 Timothy 3:16) where Jesus was, "...put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18) 

How it must have shaken the foundation of hell when they saw Him made alive breaking the bonds of spiritual death, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death." (Revelation 1:18) The Father said of Jesus after He was made alive, "You are My Son, today I have begotten You." (Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33) Paul reveals, "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." (Colossians 1:18) Jesus Himself was the fist to be born again and has now opened the door of redemption to all to become as He is. PTL

Paul tell us, "Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." (Romans 4:25) In hell God declared Jesus righteous and alive and at the same time counted us righteous and alive also. We are now new creations, (2 Corinthians 5:17) His sons and daughters. (1 John 3:1) The moment we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, new birth became a reality in us and "our old man was crucified with Him," it died. Jesus tells us, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) So let us say goodby to the old man, and live in the fullness of the new abundant life in Christ Jesus.