That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.(John 3:6)
Flesh is the opposite of Spirit. I remember my days of first few years as a Christian. I accepted Christ as Lord. Neither I knew what it means being born again in Christ nor I had any experience about it. Neither I was a regular attender of church meetings nor I was a regular bible reader. It was that one night – I was watching one pastor on YouTube, and got an encounter with the Holy Spirit – baptism of the Holy Spirit. After that night – my spirit got converted to new creation, my confidence got changed, my interest got changed, and so on. That alone was not sufficient – some years passed by, I started going to Church meetings regularly, started reading the word of God, then later I myself knew that I was born again on that very night – by baptism of the Holy Spirit.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20). This is the actual meaning of new creation. You see, part one says – I have been crucified with Christ. Crucifying with Christ is a daily process. Then the second part says, ‘it’s Christ who lives in me’.
To be born again is a change of position—from I to Christ, from me to Christ, from my to Christ.
The I, me, and my belong to the flesh, but new life begins only when Christ takes His rightful place.
1 Peter 1:23 You have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
We read here – it’s because of seed, which is the enduring word of God, we have been born again. “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(Romans 10:8). When someone is born again – these two are essential traits – that a believer will display. But there is a radical truth and way that a born again believer will walk through.
1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, putting aside all……. like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
The radical truth behind being newborn is – like newborn babies they long for the pure milk of the word. When a baby is born – none of us expect it to remain as it is. If it remains so – there is some problem – sickness or death. As soon as a baby is born – it should cry – and this cry is for food – for life. Verse 1 emphasizes that like newborn babies long for pure milk, newborn believers long for pure milk of the word of God.
Do you long for pure milk of the word of God? If you don’t, something is wrong. Perhaps you aren’t born again yet.
Born again believer’s continuous process is continuous renewal of mind by the power of the Holy Spirit through the word of God. Don’t condemn yourself even if you are not born again yet, rather seek for it, seek for the Holy Spirit, without anyone being born again – Jesus said, they cannot see the kingdom of God(John 3:3-5).
Like we learned in previous article – when someone is born again – he sees the kingdom of God – no longer sees anyone neither himself from Flesh but spirit, no longer he lives but Christ lives in him, no longer worldly life style but heavenly life style, no longer just longs for earthly food but craves for pure milk of word of God, no longer lives for himself but lives for Christ. It’s possible only through the Spirit of God and the pure word of God.
Without God’s Word, the world leads.
Without God’s Spirit, the flesh rules.
God loves us forever. Amen!