The miracle of rebirth

418 the miracle of rebirthWe were born to be born again. It is your as well as my destiny to experience the greatest possible change in life - a spiritual one. God has created us so that we can share in his divine nature. The New Testament speaks of this divine nature as a redeemer that washes away the filthy layer of human sinfulness. And we all need this spiritual cleansing, since sin has taken purity from every man. We all resemble paintings to which the dirt of centuries clings. As a masterpiece is clouded by a multi-layered film of filth in its radiance, the remnants of our sinfulness have tarnished the original intent of the almighty master artist.

Restoration of the artwork

The analogy with the dirty painting should help us understand why we need spiritual cleansing and rebirth. We had a famous case of damaged art with Michelangelo's scenic representations on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican in Rome. Michelangelo (1475–1564) began designing the Sistine Chapel in 1508 at the age of 33. In a little over four years he created numerous paintings with scenes from the Bible on the almost 560 m2 ceiling. Scenes from the Book of Moses can be found under the ceiling paintings. A well-known motif is Michelangelo's anthropomorphic (modeled after the image of man) representation of God: the arm, the hand and fingers of God, which are extended towards the first man, Adam. Over the centuries, the ceiling fresco (called a fresco because the artist was painting on fresh plaster) had suffered damage and was finally covered with a layer of dirt. In time it would have been completely destroyed. To prevent this, the Vatican entrusted experts with the cleaning and restoration. Most of the work on the paintings was completed in the 80s. Time had left its mark on the masterpiece. Dust and candle soot had severely damaged the painting over the centuries. Moisture too - rain had penetrated through the leaky roof of the Sistine Chapel - had wreaked havoc and severely discolored the work of art. Perhaps the worst problem, however, was, paradoxically, the attempts made over the centuries to preserve the paintings! The fresco had been coated with a varnish made from animal glue to lighten its darkening surface. However, the short-term success turned out to be an enlargement of the deficiencies to be eliminated. The deterioration of the various layers of varnish made the cloudiness of the ceiling painting even more apparent. The glue also caused shrinkage and warping of the painting's surface. In some places the glue peeled off, and paint particles also loosened. The experts then entrusted with the restoration of the paintings were extremely careful in their work. They applied mild solvents in gel form. And by carefully removing the gel with the help of sponges, the soot-blackened efflorescence was also removed.

It was like a miracle. The gloomy, darkened fresco had come to life again. The representations produced by Michelangelo were refreshed. From them radiant splendor and life again went out. Compared to its previous darkened state, the cleaned fresco looked like a re-creation.

God's masterpiece

The restoration of the ceiling painting made by Michelangelo is an apt metaphor for the spiritual cleansing of human creation from its sinfulness by God. God, the masterful creator, created us as his most precious work of art. Mankind was created in his own image and was to receive the Holy Spirit. Tragically, the defilement of his creation caused by our sinfulness has taken away that purity. Adam and Eve sinned and received the spirit of this world. We too are spiritually corrupt and stained by the filth of sin. Why? Because all people are afflicted with sins and lead their lives contrary to the will of God.

But our Heavenly Father can renew us spiritually, and the life of Jesus Christ can be reflected in the light that emanates from us for all to see. The question is: do we actually want to implement what God intends for us to do? Most people don't want this. They still live their lives in darkness, stained all over with the ugly stain of sin. The apostle Paul described the spiritual darkness of this world in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus. Regarding their former life, He said: "You also were dead in your trespasses and in your sins, in which you formerly lived after the manner of this world" (Ephesians 2,1-2).

We have also allowed this corrupting force to cloud our very nature. And just as Michelangelo's fresco was soiled and defaced by Russ, so did our soul. That is why it is so urgent that we give space to the essence of God. He can cleanse us, take the scum of sin from us and let us spiritually renew and shine.

Images of renewal

The New Testament explains how we can be spiritually re-created. It cites several apt analogies to make this miracle clear. Just as it was necessary to free Michelangelo's fresco from dirt, we have to be spiritually washed clean. And it is the Holy Spirit who can do this. He washes us clean of the defilements of our sinful nature.

Or to put it in Paul's words, addressed to Christians for centuries: "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" (1. Corinthians 6,11). This washing is an act of salvation and is called by Paul "rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3,5). This removal, cleansing or eradication of sin is also well represented by the metaphor of circumcision. Christians have their hearts circumcised. We could say that God graciously saves us by surgically removing the cancer of sin. This severing of sin—spiritual circumcision—is a type of forgiveness for our sins. Jesus made this possible by His death as a perfect atoning sacrifice. Paul wrote, “And he quickened you with him, dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, and forgave us all our sins” (Colossians 2,13).

The New Testament uses the symbol of the cross to represent how our sinful being was robbed of all potency with the killing of our self. Paul wrote: "For we know that our old man was crucified with him [Christ], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we henceforth serve sin not" (Romans 6,6). When we are in Christ, the sin in our ego (our sinful ego) is crucified or it dies. Of course, the worldly still tries to cover our souls with the filthy garment of sin. But the Holy Spirit protects us and enables us to resist the attraction of sin. Through Christ, who fills us with God's nature through the action of the Holy Spirit, we are set free from the predominance of sin.

The apostle Paul uses the metaphor of burial to explain this act of God. The burial in turn entails a symbolic resurrection, which stands for the one who is now reborn as a “new man” in the place of the sinful “old man”. It is Christ who made our new life possible, who continually forgives us and bestows life-giving power. The New Testament compares the death of our old selves and our restoration and symbolic resurrection to new life to being born again. At the moment of our conversion we are born again spiritually. We are born again and raised to new life by the Holy Spirit.

Paul let Christians know that “according to his great mercy God hath born us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1,3). Note that the verb "born again" is in the perfect tense. This expresses the fact that this change already takes place at the beginning of our Christian life. When we are converted, God makes his home in us. And with that we will recreate. It is Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Father who dwell in us (John 14,15-23). When we - as spiritually new people - are converted or born again, God takes up residence in us. When God the Father works in us, so are the Son and the Holy Spirit at the same time. God gives us wings, cleanses us from sin and changes us. And this power is bestowed upon us through conversion and rebirth.

How Christians grow in faith

Of course, born-again Christians are still, to use Peter's words, "like newborn babies." They must "desire the pure milk of reason" that feeds them, that they may mature in the faith (1 Peter 2,2). Peter explains that born-again Christians grow in insight and spiritual maturity over time. They grow “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3,18). Paul is not saying that more Bible knowledge makes us better Christians. Rather, it expresses that our spiritual awareness must be further sharpened so that we really understand what it means to be a follower of Christ. "Knowledge" in the biblical sense includes its practical application. It goes hand in hand with the assimilation and personal realization of what makes us more Christlike. Christian growth in faith is not to be understood in terms of human character building. Nor is it the result of spiritual growth in the Holy Spirit the longer we live in Christ. Rather, we grow through the work of the Holy Spirit already within us. The nature of God comes to us by grace.

Justification comes in two forms. For one thing, we are justified, or experience our destiny, when we receive the Holy Ghost. Justification viewed from this point of view is instantaneous and made possible by Christ's atoning sacrifice. However, we also experience justification as Christ indwells us and equips us to worship and serve God. However, the essence or “character” of God is already imparted to us when Jesus takes up residence in us at conversion. We receive the empowering presence of the Holy Ghost as we repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ. In the course of our Christian life a change takes place. We learn to submit more fully to the enlightening and uplifting power of the Holy Ghost already within us.

God in us

When we are spiritually reborn, Christ lives fully within us through the Holy Spirit. Think about what that means. People can change through the action of Christ who lives in them through the Holy Spirit. God shares his divine nature with us humans. That is, a Christian has become a completely new person.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come,” says Paul in 2. Corinthians 5,17.

Spiritually born-again Christians embrace a new image—that of God our Creator. Your life should be a mirror of this new spiritual reality. That is why Paul was able to instruct them: "Do not conform yourselves to this world, but change yourselves by renewing your minds..." (Romans 1 Cor2,2). However, we should not think that this means that Christians do not sin. Yes, we have been transformed from moment to moment in the sense that we have been born again through receiving the Holy Spirit. However, something of the "old man" is still there. Christians make mistakes and sin. But they do not habitually indulge in sin. They need constant forgiveness and cleansing of their sinfulness. Thus, spiritual renewal is to be seen as a continuous process throughout the Christian life.

The life of a Christian

If we live according to the will of God, we are more likely to follow Christ. We must be prepared to renounce sin daily and submit to God's will in repentance. And as we do so, God, through the sacrificial blood of Christ, constantly washes us clean of our sins. We are spiritually washed clean by the bloody dress of Christ, which stands for His atoning sacrifice. By God's grace, we are allowed to live in spiritual holiness. And by translating this into our lives, Christ's life is reflected in the light we make.

A technological marvel transformed Michelangelo's dull and damaged painting. But God performs a far more amazing spiritual miracle in us. It does far more than restore our tainted spiritual nature. He recreates us. Adam sinned, Christ forgave. The Bible identifies Adam as the first man. And the New Testament shows that, in the sense that we as earthly people are mortal and carnal like him, we are given a life like Adam (1. Corinthians 15,45-49).

Im 1. However, the Book of Moses states that Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. Knowing that they were created in God's image helps Christians understand that they are saved through Jesus Christ. Originally created in God's image, Adam and Eve sinned and were to blame for sin. The first-created men were guilty of sinfulness, and a spiritually defiled world was the result. Sin has defiled and sullied us all. But the good news is that we can all be forgiven and spiritually recreated.

Through His act of redemption in the flesh, Jesus Christ, God releases the wages of sin: death. The sacrificial death of Jesus reconciles us to our heavenly Father by blotting out what separated the Creator from his creation as a result of human sin. As our High Priest, Jesus Christ brings justification to us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The atonement of Jesus breaks down the barrier of sin that has broken the relationship between mankind and God. But more than that, the work of Christ through the Holy Spirit makes us one with God while at the same time saving us. Paul wrote, "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more shall we be saved through his life, now that we have been reconciled" (Romans 5,10).

The Apostle Paul contrasts the consequences of Adam's sin with Christ's forgiveness. Initially, Adam and Eve allowed sin to enter the world. They fell for false promises. And so it came into the world with all its consequences and took possession of it. Paul makes it clear that God's punishment followed Adam's sin. The world fell into sin, and all people sin and fall prey to death as a result. It is not that others died for Adam's sin or that he passed the sin on to his descendants. Of course, the "carnal" consequences are already affecting future generations. As the first human, Adam was responsible for creating an environment in which sin could flourish unchecked. Adam's sin laid the groundwork for further human action.

Likewise, Jesus' sinless life and willing death for the sins of mankind made it possible for all to be spiritually reconciled and reunited with God. “For if because of the sin of the One [Adam] death reigned through the One,” wrote Paul, “how much more shall they who receive the fullness of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (verse 17). God reconciles sinful humanity to himself through Christ. And, moreover, we, empowered by Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, are born again spiritually as God's children on the highest promise.

Referring to the future resurrection of the righteous, Jesus said that God is "not a God of the dead, but of the living" (Mark 12,27). The people he spoke of were not alive, however, but dead. But since God has the power to achieve his goal of resurrecting the dead, Jesus Christ spoke of them as living. As children of God we can look forward to resurrection to life at Christ's return. Life is given to us now, life in Christ. The Apostle Paul encourages us: "...consider that you are dead to sin, and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6,11).

by Paul Kroll


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