Born Again

    Being born again…by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 

(1 Peter 1:23)

In verse 22 the apostle Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit to command us to do something that is truly impossible to man: “love one another with a pure heart fervently.” Fallen, self-centered man is unable and unwilling to love others in the same way he loves himself. He cannot deny his sinful nature because he is a slave to sin. Therefore he cannot love others in a way that is acceptable to God. Fallen man cannot stop being self-centered.

However, Peter is telling believers to love one another fervently. Why can he tell believers to do something that unbelievers cannot do? He gives the reason in verse 23: “Being born again.” What happens to make us able to act against our fallen nature? Peter calls it the new birth. This phrase is also used in other places in the New Testament to describe the change that God makes in someone to save him.

In John chapter 3 Jesus tells Nicodemus about the new birth. Jesus says that Nicodemus does not believe in Jesus because he has not yet received new life through the new birth. (John 3.3, 5, 11-12). Peter tells us that we were “begotten again unto a lively hope” (1.Pt.1.3). Because we have been given new life in Christ we have a hope and expectation that is very real and certain. Those who are still dead in sin have no hope and are without God in this world. In the epistle of James we are told that we were “begat…of the word of truth”. (Jas.1.18) This verse points to the same fact Peter brings out in our verse above. God gave us new life through His Word.

What does new birth and new life have to do with loving others? Since fallen man cannot act against his fallen nature, he needs a new nature if he is going to obey God. His fallen nature does not want to deny itself and love others. So, man needs a new life to do new things. What was impossible to fallen man becomes possible to the regenerated man. The Holy Spirit gives us a new nature that wants to obey God. He also gives us grace to do what our new nature wants. In this way we are ready, with the continued help of the Holy Spirit, to do what was impossible before.

Peter tells us that God uses His Word in giving us new life. How does He do it? That is a mystery. All believers can testify to the fact that God revealed Himself to them through His word. We can all say that God continues to bless His Word to us for our spiritual health. Exactly how He does it, we do not know. Peter calls God’s Word a “seed” in this verse. The seed is hidden in the ground when it sprouts forth. No one sees it until the plant comes up out of the ground. God’s Word is put into the heart when it gives new life. No one sees that either, but the life that springs forth is visible to all. The difference between God’s seed and plant seeds is this: God’s seed never fails to bring forth life. Farmers would love to have seeds like that! We do.

Have you been born again?