The Miraculous Nature of the New Birth
John 3:4-7 – “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
Birth is a miracle. In my travels, young couples have many times allowed me to hold their infant. Every time I hold someone’s baby, I think of the miracle of life. When holding a precious baby, I cannot understand how any human being can so heartless as to be pro-abortion. To carry out a premeditated plan to stop the beating of a human heart is murder in our courts, unless the victim is a defenseless, helpless child in the womb. If you believe in a woman’s right to have her baby murdered, you are considered an “intellectual.” Those who believe in such stupid nonsense call themselves progressive; and they are! They are progressing into a sick, disgusting, repulsive, sickening, ghastly, nauseating monster! Each time I hold a baby, I cannot escape from confronting the truth of the miracle of birth. It is a miracle how that, from a single cell, a complex little body with functioning organs can be formed inside the womb. It is miraculous to think how a baby, very early in its development in the womb, can feel pain, move, and even sense the mood of his or her mother. While physicians can understand how a baby is formed, there is much regarding the baby in the womb and his or her birth that is unknown even to the physician. Birth in itself is miraculous.
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is miraculous. It is appalling that the intellectuals will deny the virgin birth of our Lord. They say that it is not scientifically possible for a human being to have a human mother, but not a human father. Then, they’ll turn around and teach that the first human had apes for parents! It only goes to show that liberalism is hypocrisy on every level. Yes, I believe in the miraculous event of the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In addition to birth in general and the virgin birth of our Lord, the Bible records miraculous births. John the Baptist was a miracle baby. He was born of Zacharias and Elizabeth, both of whom were very elderly. Isaac was a miracle baby, being born of elderly parents as well. I believe in the miracle births recorded within the pages of God’s holy Word.
The phenomenon of a man being born again is also miraculous! Nicodemus heard the cure for lost mankind from the lips of the Saviour – “Ye must be born again!” Upon hearing this, he immediately began to rationalize the cure. “How can a man be born when he is old,” he asked. “Can he go into his mother’s womb and be born a second time?” Now, understand this, dear reader, that if Jesus had been speaking of a physical second birth, that occurrence would certainly be miraculous. But, Christ is not speaking of being born physically the second time. We are already born of the flesh, and that’s what got us into trouble! Jesus is speaking of our spirit, which is dead in trespasses and sins, being born again! That is why He tells Nicodemus, “That which born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” It would undoubtedly be miraculous if we crawled into our mother’s womb and were born physically a second time; but Jesus Christ is speaking of something much more miraculous than that.
When a lost man is born again, the miracles that take place in that man’s life are astounding! Let us look briefly at a couple of these miracles.
The Miracle of a New Creation
II Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
This is a miracle I have witnessed many times. I have seen men and women who were bound by drugs and/or alcohol get immediate deliverance! I can name families that were on the brink of destruction; I have witnessed marriages on the edge of the cliff of divorce; but in one moment’s time, someone in the family came to Christ, and Christ took the pieces and put them back together! I have seen it! You came too late to tell me it doesn’t work; I have seen it! There’s no debate over whether or not it works. You either believe the evidence, or you do not! It is an amazing miracle how God can take the lowest of the low, and give them new life!
The Miracle of Justification
Romans 5:1 – “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Justification, as I have stated many times, is a legal term, meaning, “to declare one to be righteous.” It is a declaration that one is not guilty. But, it is infinitely more than that! When a man is justified by God, God Almighty sees that man as having never sinned, and as always having the righteousness of Jesus Christ! No wonder the songwriter said it this way:
Born of the Spirit with life from above
Into God’s family divine,
Justified fully through Calvary ’s love,
O what a standing is mine!*
It is a miracle that one, whose life is full of sin, can be justified in the sight of a holy, righteous, just God. It is only made possible that Christ’s righteousness can be placed upon me because my sins were placed upon Him, and He died to pay the penalty thereof. What a miracle!
*John Willard Peterson
TO BE CONTINUED…
