When do we become children of God? Let's look at scripture.
John 1:12-13King James Version (KJV)12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
What does this mean? God has everything to do with our spiritual new life.
Let's continue. What does it mean to be born of this new spiritual life? Scripture says.
1 John 5:11King James Version (KJV)11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
We know through scripture that flesh and blood does not inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus said, "Unless one is born of water and Spirit ,he cannot enter the kingdom of God" So it is the Spirit that unites us to the Son of God who is life.
1 John 5:1King James Version (KJV)5 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" It is that simple. We are born of God when we believe that Jesus is the Christ born of God. Amen?
When we believe the above scripture we are born again of the Spirit. Which means we are then a child of God. Amen.
Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" What is Jesus saying.
We are born of the flesh BUT when we believe that Jesus is born of God we are then made spiritually alive being born again. Yes?
Let's continue in scripture. John 3:36 King James Version (KJV)36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Is Jesus telling us how we can have eternal life? HE sure is. By believing on the Son. It's believing on the Son that makes us born again.
Jesus talking with Nicodemus said, "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear it's sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is everyone who is born of the Sprit"
Jesus is comparing the works of God in the Spirit of the newly born again to the way the wind works.
The wind causes different changes as it comes and goes. On a hot summer day the wind can cool the body. In a storm the wind can uproot trees, cut off power and wreak havoc on the land and sea. We do not see the wind but we see the effects. It is the same as the Spirit in the newly born again.
The new birth is the Holy Spirit. It does not come with observation. Let's go back to scripture.
John 6:63King James Version (KJV)63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
It is the Spirit that gives life. Not the flesh. So our new birth and new life comes only from the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit that works in us though we cannot see it we know it is there.
The Spirit is free to move it is not constrained by man. We can feel the works of the Spirit but we cannot see HIM. We don't know where it comes from.
Jesus uses this teaching. Mark 4:26-27King James Version (KJV)26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
How does the seed spring up in us? The bible says. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word of God" So the word is the seed that springs up in us and grows.
I pray this study has helped you. We do not know the works of the wind and we do not know the works of the Spirit. What we do know is when we are born of the Spirit we are now newly born children of God. Amen.
In Jesus name,
Cassie
