The miracle of rebirth
We 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 shines forth from us for all to see. The question is: Do we truly want to put into practice what God intends for us? Most people do not. They still live their lives stained with the ugly taint of sin in darkness. The Apostle Paul described the spiritual darkness of this world in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus. Regarding their former lives, he said, “You too were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly lived according to the ways of this world.” (Eph 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, in the words of Paul, which have been addressed to Christians for centuries: “But you have been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Kor 6,11)This cleansing is an act of redemption and is called "rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit" by Paul. (Tit 3,5)This removal, cleansing, or eradication of sin is also well represented by the metaphor of circumcision. In Christians, this involves the circumcision of their hearts. We could say that God, in his grace, saves us by surgically removing the cancer of sin. This separation from sin—spiritual circumcision—is an image of the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus made this possible through his death as the perfect atoning sacrifice. Paul wrote: “And he made you alive together with him, who were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, and forgave us all our sins.” (Kol 2,13).
The New Testament uses the symbol of the cross to illustrate how, through the killing of our ego, all power was taken away from our sinful nature. Paul wrote: “For we know that our old self was crucified with him [Christ] so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” (Röm 6,6)When we are in Christ, sin in our ego (our sinful self) is crucified, or rather, 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 allure of sin. Through Christ, who fills us with God's nature through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are freed from the dominion 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 the Christians know that God “according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Petr 1,3)Note that the verb "born again" is in the perfect tense. This expresses that this transformation takes place at the very beginning of our Christian life. At our conversion, God takes up residence in us. And with that, we are recreated. It is Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father who dwell within 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 too do the Son and the Holy Spirit. God inspires us, cleanses us from sin, and transforms us. And this empowerment 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 spiritual milk" that nourishes them so that they may mature in faith. (1 Petr 2,2)Peter explains that born-again Christians gain more and more insight and spiritual maturity over time. They grow “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Petr 3,18)Paul is not saying that more extensive knowledge of the Bible makes us better Christians. Rather, he is expressing that our spiritual awareness needs to be further sharpened so that we can truly understand what it means to follow Christ. "Knowledge" in the biblical sense includes its practical application. It goes hand in hand with acquiring and personally living out that which makes us more like Christ. Christian growth in faith is not to be understood as human character development. 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 who already dwells within us. By grace, we receive the nature of God.
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.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” says Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Born-again Christians embrace a new image—that of God, our Creator. Their lives should reflect this new spiritual reality. That is why Paul could instruct them: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Röm 12,2)However, we should not think that this means Christians do not sin. Yes, we have experienced a transformation from one moment to the next in the sense that we have been born again through receiving the Holy Spirit. However, something of the "old self" still remains. Christians make mistakes and sin. But they do not habitually give in to sin. They need to continually receive forgiveness and cleansing from their sinfulness. Thus, spiritual renewal should be viewed as a continuous process throughout the life of a Christian.
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 miracle transformed Michelangelo's faded and damaged painting. But God performs a far more astonishing spiritual miracle in us. He accomplishes far more than a restoration of our tainted spiritual being. 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 beings, are mortal and carnal like him, we are given a life just like Adam's. (1 Kor 15,45-49).
However, the Book of Genesis states that Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. Knowing that we were created in God's image helps Christians understand that they are saved through Jesus Christ. As humans originally created in God's image, Adam and Eve sinned and incurred the guilt of sin. The first humans became guilty of sinfulness, and a spiritually defiled world was the result. Sin has soiled and defiled us all. But the good news is that we can all receive forgiveness and be spiritually reborn.
Through his redemptive work in the flesh, Jesus Christ, God forgives us the wages of sin: death. Jesus' sacrificial death reconciles us to our heavenly Father by erasing what, as a result of human sin, separated the Creator from his creation. As our High Priest, Jesus Christ grants us justification through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus' atoning sacrifice breaks down the barrier of sin that led to the rupture of the relationship between humanity and God. But beyond that, the work of Christ through the Holy Spirit unites us with God, making us blessed. Paul wrote: "For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" (Röm 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.” (Mk 12,27)The people he spoke of, however, were not alive, but dead. But since God has the power to accomplish his purpose of resurrection, Jesus Christ spoke of them as being, as it were, alive. As children of God, we may joyfully look forward to the resurrection to life at Christ's second coming. We are given life even now, a life in Christ. The Apostle Paul encourages us: "...consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Röm 6,11).
by Paul Kroll
