The New Birth Is a Sovereign Work of God’s Spirit
There are reasons that Jesus chose the term “born again” to describe what happens to us in the salvation process. One is that it parallels natural birth in significant ways. Think about it: what part did we play in our natural birth? Did we decide to become human beings? Did we conceive ourselves? Did we exert the effort to be born? Of course, the answer is “no” in every case. Why then should we think we can birth ourselves spiritually? Is it because we still think that we are in charge of our lives?
Jesus deliberately left Nicodemus (and us?) in a frustrating and confusing state of mind, which was revealed by the religious leader’s next question.
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” John 3:9 (NASB)
Perhaps we are asking ourselves the same sort of questions. “Do you mean that, even if I want to be born again, I cannot simply make it happen? Can’t I simply pray a prayer or something?”
Let’s go back to our natural births. We had no choice or direct participation in our conception and gestation, but, by the time we were born, we were alive and kicking, having a nascent will of our own. If we are alive today it is because we endured the birthing process, which propelled us into this precarious thing called life outside the womb. At first we were absolutely dependent on our mother and father, or on whomever cared for us. Later, as we grew and matured, we learned to fend more and more for ourselves. The long term goal was for us to become self-governing, responsible adults. (Did we make it?)
Yet, even as adults we never become truly independent, especially not from God. God never intended that. He created us to rely upon him and partner with him from cradle to eternity. God is our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. He has always been and will always be that to us. (Hebrews 1:3)
"Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth And have been carried from the womb; 4 Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear you and I will deliver you. Isaiah 46:3-4 (NASB)
Every breath we take ultimately depends on God. We do not choose the day of our birth, our gender, race, nationality, DNA, personality, parents, height, weight, hair color, or anything else that fundamentally defines our being. God did that for us. Are we okay with that? Some people are not. That is why we have an emerging group of people called transgenders. That is why people try to be someone or something else besides who God created them to be. But that’s another subject.
Understanding the new birth requires us humbly to acknowledge our dependence upon God.
That in itself is a pretty big hurdle. Our pride and self-sufficiency wants to get some credit for our salvation. Otherwise why would we balk at this biblical idea? The Bible teaches us that God the Father chose us before he created the world, which was definitely before we could have been part of the process. (Ephesians 1:4-5) Similarly, Jesus died for us before we were naturally conceived, born, or drew a breath. When we finally showed up in history, at the exactly proper time, the Holy Spirit, acting as God’s agent and administrator, connected us in time with God’s eternal plan and work. He began his secret work in our hearts before we were aware of it or even wanted it, when we were still his enemies. (Romans 5:8-10) We were born into the world naturally with a built in hostility toward God, because we were spiritually dead. (Ephesians 2:1-5) If the Spirit had not intervened, we would have had no ability to positively respond to Christ or his gospel. All of this is very humbling, isn’t it?
For us to become a born again follower of Christ, we need to have the Spirit’s work in our lives. When we heard about Jesus and his fabulous offer of forgiveness and eternal life, we were intrigued and drawn. Not everyone is – only those in whom the Spirit is working. Just being drawn toward Christ is evidence of the Spirit’s work in our lives. Jesus said:
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 (NASB)
That being the case, the fact that you are reading this article is an indicator that the Spirit is at work in you.
Jesus understood perfectly this sovereign aspect of the new birth. He knew that only those whom the Father chose and drew would respond to him and his message, and he was okay with that. In fact, he rejoiced in it.
At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Matthew 11:25-27 (NASB)
One sure sign that a person is born again is her or his ability to acknowledge the miracle of the Holy Spirit’s work in his or her life.
I remember reading John’s words after my new birth experience, which caused me to wonder thankfully at the mystery of the Spirit’s work.
Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:7-8 (ESV)
I realized that the Spirit had sovereignly and mysteriously touched my life and opened my spiritual eyes to see and comprehend the reality of Jesus’ risen lordship. I could not do that for myself. Yet I did have a part to play.
Our Participation in the Work of the Spirit
Before having my eyes opened in a flash on that very special evening so long ago, the Spirit was secretly at work in my life. He had been drawing me toward Christ for years. I just did not comprehend that it was he. When my girlfriend, now wife, told me of her conversion, the Spirit was setting me up. After talking and arguing with her, I was further drawn. I remember saying to my best friend that I thought I was going to try out this Christian thing. He warned me of the dangers. Nevertheless, I made the decision to pray a sincere prayer to a God I wasn’t sure was really there. It went something like this.
Jesus, if you are real, please come into my heart. I cannot pretend that I believe in you. Show me that you are real. Amen.
No one forced me to pray like this. It was my choice; yet, knowing what I know now from Scripture, I realize that the Spirit was at work in my making that choice. This is part of the mystery of how God works. He is sovereign and we have a choice. Don’t ask me to explain how both can be true, but they are.
And that is how we relate to God’s Spirit from now on. He is our invisible partner in a mysterious dance. He indwells us, thinks his thoughts through us, empowers us, convicts us, comforts us, encourages us, strengthens us… He is the best forever friend we will ever have, and he will never, ever leave or forsake us.
Paul perfectly describes this mysterious partnership in his letter to the church in Galatia.
I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (NET1)
The Elect
The Bible has a name for those whom God chooses to be his children from before the foundation of the world. They are the chosen or the “elect.” Many followers of Christ balk at this biblical term because they falsely believe that being part of the elect somehow strips them of responsibility and choice. As I mentioned before, our responsibility and God’s sovereignty are both true. The doctrine of election was important to Jesus and should be to us.
Jesus was not trying to build a worldwide movement by reducing the entry requirement. He was content with having disciples only from that group who were genuinely born again by the Spirit – the elect.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36 “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:35-40 (NASB)
It is important that, like Jesus, we only build with those people in whom God has been at work. Our church meetings are full of false disciples, whom Jesus called “tares” or weeds. We cannot always tell the difference between who is real and who is not, but God knows. Over time it will become apparent to all. Do not try to make becoming a disciple too easy. Leave room for God’s Spirit to work. He will, you know. We don’t have to manufacture anything. It is God’s work to build the church.
Conclusion
I wrote this this third part of this series to emphasize the Spirit’s role in the new birth. Why is this important in our being able to know if we have been born again? I believe if you have really been born again, you will know that God did it. You will realize that without the Spirit you are lost. May God open our eyes to the reality of the Spirit’s work!
Prayer
Jesus, I want to know you in the way I read about in the Bible. Please come into my life and be my lord and savior. I give myself to you. Please forgive my sins and the way I have lived independently from you all these years. From now on, I belong to you. Holy Spirit, open my spiritual eyes, unstop my ears, and heal my hardened heart so I can see, hear, and believe God’s words. Reveal Jesus to me, so that I can behold him and be born again. I depend on you to do this. I will not give up until you answer my prayer, which I know you will. Thank you. Amen.
