“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne
BEGOTTEN AGAIN
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:3-9 KJV
The Greek word “begotten” here is anagennao, which means “to beget anew”. It is translated “begotten again” in 1 Peter 1:3 and “be born again” in 1 Peter 1:23: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.“ We, who are washed in the blood of Jesus, have been born more than once – once into our earthly family by our natural birth and the second time into our heavenly family, the family of God! The second birth is a spiritual birth. In John 3:3-8, Jesus told Nicodemus that unless one is born again – with a spiritual birth – he cannot see the kingdom of heaven. Nicodemus did not understand this at the time.The believer is being kept from sin as he walks in the light.
Man was created in harmony and union with God and also in God’s grace and favor. He fell from this position and the only way for him to get back into God’s grace is to be born again.
New Birth facts:
1. The New Birth is not a physical change, but a moral and spiritual one.
2. The New Birth is a change of heart, will, motives, desires, life and conduct.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NKJV – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
3. We have a change of masters. (See Romans 8:1-4 and Romans 6:11-23)
Romans 6:11 KJV – “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
4. We are adopted from out of the satanic family into the family of God. (See Romans 8:14-16)
Galatians 4:5 KJV – “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
Ephesians 1:5 KJV – “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”
5. It is not a coming into existence of the body, soul, or spirit, as in the natural birth, but it is our consecration to serve God and holiness instead of Satan and sin. (See Romans 8:1-13 and Colossians 3:5-10 and Galatians 5:16-26)
Romans 6:16 KJV – “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
Colossians 3:5-7 NKJV – “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.”
Galatians 5:16 KJV – “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
6. We are not begotten by the Holy Spirit exactly like Jesus, who is called the only begotten Son of God – there was only one like Him born into the earth -but it is a renewal in righteousness and true holiness of one who is already in existence.
Ephesians 4:23-24 KJV – “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Colossians 3:10 KJV – “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.”
Psalm 51:10 KJV – “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
7. It is a change of nature, but not the coming into existence of that nature.
Romans 3:24 KJV – “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Titus 3:5 KJV – “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”
8. A change of favor, a new standing before God. (See Ephesians 2:1-9 and Titus 2:11-14 and 1 John 3:8-10)
Ephesians 2:1 KJV – “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
Romans 5:1-2 KJV – “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Titus 2:11 KJV – “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”
1 John 3:8 KJV – “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
9. A change of character, state and service. (1 Corinthians 13 and Titus 2:11-14)
Galatians 5:22-23 KJV – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
2 Timothy 2:21 KJV – “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”
Titus 2:14 KJV – “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
10. It is a matter of choice. You had no control over your natural birth: conception, embryo, growth process, and actual birth. However, the very moment you are grown up enough to recognize that you are a sinner and when you repent and believe the gospel, a moral and spiritual change takes place.
Romans 10:9-10 KJV – “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”