This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
He that hath my commandments,
and keepeth them,
he it is that loveth me:
and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father,
and I will love him,
and will manifest myself to him.
— KJV, John 14:21
If any man will come after me,
let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily,
and follow me.
— Luke 9:23
The living of The Word is the path to spiritual rebirth.
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Clearly, a “new birth” will reflect in a new lifestyle oriented around Truth (ref. “Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted For Righteousness“).
Lifestyle is not what happens on Sundays, but how we think, speak, and act in minor and major matters.
Striving for a Truth-aligned lifestyle gives us access to the Power in the Word (ref. “Truth vs Human Words“), strengthening us and making further improvement possible:
The words that I speak unto you,
They are spirit, and they are life.
— John 6:63
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
— John 17:17
The increasing spiritual strength helps us to overcome our weaknesses, regain true free will (ref. “The (Free) Will To Be Born Anew“) and develop a spiritualized nature (ref. “How Can Left Hand Not Know What Right Hand Doeth?“, “Turn The Other Cheek: Why? How?“):
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you
–John 15:3
Purity and maturity are different things. That a man is spiritually pure (“clean”) does not mean he is fully mature. That is why Christ also said:
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
— John 16:12
Purity is relative. For example, the highest possible purity of a human being cannot be comparable to the purity of Christ Himself.
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So, that Christ called His disciples “clean” does not mean they were perfect – Peter’s denial of Christ still lay ahead, for example. Even they who had been working hard to imbibe The Word in the presence of Christ for years had room to improve spiritually (ref. “One Man’s Faith Is Another Man’s Knowledge“):
If ye continue in my Word,
then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the Truth,
and the Truth shall make you free.
— John 8:31
The jarring experience of the Crucifixion forced them to confront their main weaknesses and to fully appreciate the level of spirituality that Christ had always demanded.
It is at this point that they were sufficiently changed to be called “born anew”, even if imperfect. They had renewed themselves through The Word to the extent that they could consciously experience the omnipresent and omnipotent Power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (ref. “The (Free) Will To Be Born Anew“).
The “baptism” at Pentecost was an outcome of their being born anew, not the cause.
So, we might say that being born anew is an event in the sense that it happens at some definite point in the journey of spiritual purity and maturity.
But it is wrong to separate the event from the preceding process i.e. digestion of The Word, which involves strenuous effort and self-sacrifice.
To attain the level of purity that can be called “born anew” is not as easy as many churches teach:
[S]trait is the gate,
and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it.
— Matt 7:14
“Born anew” should be interpreted only in the sense of Christ’s Word:
- It is not the decision to surrender one’s life to Christ. That is good, but merely a beginning (ref. “Act To Experience To Know“). The meaning of a “personal relationship” with Christ was discussed in “The Word Is Christ, Not Jesus“.
- It is not a spiritual “experience” or “encounter”. That is good, but the journey of spiritual maturity contains many experiences (ref. “One Man’s Faith Is Another Man’s Knowledge“).
- It is not baptism. Baptism can be helpful, but a third party (e.g. a priest) cannot bring about spiritual rebirth or the forgiveness of sins (ref. “The Unforgiven“).
Today’s Resolution:
- We shall strive to become truly born anew by rebuilding our mindset through living and experiencing The Word.
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