Daily Bread - Nov 13 2006

John 3:6 - "What is begotten of the flesh is flesh and what is begotten of the Spirit is Spirit."

It is worth taking note of the fact that the miracle birth of Jesus was described as being begotten of the Spirit, "for that which was begotten in Mary was of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:20). Of course there is a unique and very important difference between the message to Nicodemus and the birth of Jesus - for Jesus was the Eternal God incarnated into flesh.

When a man is begotten of the Spirit a "new man" created in Christ Jesus is brought forth. This new creation does not co-exist with the corrupt nature of unredeemed man for Paul revealed that the "old man" was crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be destroyed and likens the new birth to being raised up with Christ (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:11).

Paul further takes up the contrast between the "flesh" and the "Spirit" or the "unredeemed man" and "those born of the Spirit" in Romans 8. He makes it perfectly clear that when a person is redeemed they are no longer classified as being "in the flesh" but in Christ Jesus which he equates to being born of the Spirit (Romans 8:1-9). Jesus is not presenting a "Spirit Nature" that would co-exist with an "unredeemed nature" but rather an opportunity for a total regeneration of the nature of man (Titus 3:5).

Be blessed,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org