Arkansas State press., 1952-01-25

this new birth III
comes very early in mnTA
Life. DR.. Warfield. a
very conservative Dr.. Foremon
theologian. used to
think that the second birth might IL
some cases actually come before
the natural birth. (See jeremiah
l:O.
A man may become very dis.
tinguished. may be a great scholar
and still not have been born again
Nicodemus is a case in point. H,
was q man who had everything. a.
the saying is; he was a Judge ii
the Jewish High Court, a man both
wealthy and respectable. But he
had not been born again.
God Is the Life Giver
THE English translation Of John
= 81 has given many persons the
idea that being born again is q
duty. Now a duty is something that
you ought to do, and that by your
own choice you can do II you will
It's up to you. But taking the teach
ing Of the Bible as a whole) being
born again is not a duty. II is the
act Of God.
What Jesus was saying las the
Greek Of John 3 indicates) Is
that Il Is necessary. II Is In
dispensable, to be born again.
There can be no development,
no growth, In the spiritual life
unless there Is somewhere the
beginning Of that life. You must
have been born once In order
70 see the sunshine. You must
be horn again In order 10 see
God.
The seed which we SOW In field
or garden must have the germ OF
Ne in It or it will never grow. But
no farmer can give life to lifeless
seed. God alone Is the life.giver
In the first birth or In the second
Turn; Follow
GONE people get this far In their
- thinking and then they become
discouraged. III only God can give
life." they think. what is the use
Of my trying to obey him? If God
takes the first step then all can
do Is to wait for him. No matter
how much | want to be a Christian
in my heart. l may not be able TO,
for God may not see fit to make Il
possible for me to do what | want
TO do" This is mistaken thought
John Calvin. as Is well known,
was very strong believer in
predestination. As pastor of a
large church. he had numbers of
people In his congregation who
heard him talking about predeS-
tination, the doctrine that we
are in Gods hands and that spir-
itual life can come only as he
himself begins II In our souls.
They would ask just about this
same question; l want to be a
Christian, but how do know that
God has chosen me? | want to be a
Christian, but how can | know
whether | have been born again?
Calvin's answer was simple one
II you really want TO be a Christian
in your heart. that is a sign, the
very best sign. that you have been
born again.
Turn; Follow
IN the Bible, the commands are
Z Turn: Follow; Believe;
obey. II we have not been born
again these commands fall on deaf
ears. II they stir our conscience. II
they make us respond, then that is
q sign we have been born again.
Then can't we tell when we
are born again? Certainly we
can tell just by being alive.
1--WE know that we have passed
from death unto life, because we
love the brethren" aid the
same apostle who recorded
Jesus conversation with Nico-
dcmus.
We wish very much we knew
whether Nicodemus himself was
ever born again. but students Of the
Bible have never agreed on this
And the reason for the uncertaint,
10 that Nicodemus never did com,
right out.
We know Matthew was born agar
because he turned his back on hi
former life and followed Jesus. w,
know that N!codemus said som,
kind things about Jesus. We know
that after Jesus was dead, Nicode
mus came through with a handsom
contribution for the funeral. Wa
that only late. or was II too late?
tCspyrigbt 1851 bv the Division
Christian Educ alton, National Couno
> 81 the Churches Of Christ Of the Unite
ktstrs 81 America. Released By VIM
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