Bible Studies

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Born from Above 1

This significant phrase; has been said by Jesus while talking to Nicodemus (Jn. 3: 3) the teacher of the Law- who was not sure concerning who Jesus really is. Jesus used this expression that seemed to be a sort of strange or foreign to the ears of this great teacher to the degree that he didn't understand what does it mean. This is probably due to the fact that the expression is nearly hidden in the Old Testament Scriptures; especially Psalms (see Ps. 51: 10).
To understand what Jesus meant by this expression, we must look at His words in the succeeding verses (Jn. 3: 4-8), which reach its most powerful point in my opinion at (Jn. 3: 6) "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Followed by the clarification which Jesus announced in (Jn. 3: 7-8); that this kind of birth which He mentioned is not controlled by humans will, but by the will of God.
When we are born from our earthly parents; we start our physical life on earth, this biological birth and the so called "above birth" which Jesus meant here, have some similarities and other irreconcilabilities.

Similarities

- In case of biological birth; a baby comes out from his mother womb to the world, on one hand it is a complete human, but on the other hand he is not an independent, mature person, it is dependent on his parents nearly in everything, and honestly speaking if they leave it without proper care, the baby dies. Similar in case of birth from above, or from the Spirit; a spiritual human comes out to the world, but he is not mature, nor independent person, he is also critically dependent on his spiritual parents that he had come out from (The Holy Word and the Holy Spirit) (see Jn. 3: 6), and (Jam. 1: 18), and this spiritual baby born from above would probably die also if he didn't get the proper care.

- When a human is born to this world; he starts a new life with eyes to see this world, ears to smell, and of course other senses -that we all know well- which equip him to taste, perceive, and to communicate with his world. Similarly when someone is born from above ; new eyes, new ears, new senses, and mostly important a new heart& mind are formed within him, in order that he can be able to see, sense , live this new life that he has been gifted with. Cause the old eyes cannot see the grace of the Lord, and the old ears cannot hear the voice of the Lord, these old senses – however noble they may be- cannot live or sense the things of the Kingdom of God, in other words they carry the corrupted genes of our biological sinful human nature, and they hinder us from perceiving, communicating in this new realm of spiritual life we are graced with when we are born from above. So being born from above is an enlightenment from darkness ( Heb. 6: 4) it is a life out of death (Jn. 3: 36) through faith in Jesus Christ, and union with Him (the begotten Son of God) who is the real eternal Life.
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