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Life in the food

There is no lesson more vital to the young convert than the realisation of his dependence upon the Bread which came down from Heaven. Babies grow, not because of their own health or strength, but simply because they are fed. The life is in the food. The Christian is entirely dependent upon his living bread. (Cf. Ps. 1.)

N.B.1. The New Birth is wholly a gracious act of God, and is not the result of any action on man's part. It is not the consequence, but the cause of faith. (John 1:13, James 1:18, I Peter 1:3, Eph. 2:8-10, cf. Lk. 6:10.)

This living faith, given by God through the New Birth, is what God counts as justification. It is of the heart, and not just the intellect; and includes:

(a) an understanding and grateful acceptance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, so that we believe as He did about sin and its consequences and atonement; we are His brethren, like-minded on these vital subjects. (Is. 53, Lk. 24:25-28, 44-47, Rom. 3:21, 5:21, 10:9-10, Gal. 3:1-15, I Peter 1:17-21.)

(b) Actions which proceed naturally from it. (Mt. 3:8, Lk. 19:8, James 2:14-26, Mk. 16:16, Acts 2:38, 8:36-38, 10:47-48, 19:18-19, Rom. 1:5, 16:26, Gal. 5:6, II Cor. 4:13, Heb. 11.)

N.B.2. The New Birth does not put the believer back into the position in which he was born. Then he was "born of woman" with the spirit of a servant of God, looking upon God as his Creator and Lord, and upon this earth as his natural habitat. At death he expected to go to Hades, an experience which he dreaded, since he was cut off from God's presence for a season through the loss of his spirit; but his hope was a resurrection to life upon the earth at the last day, when God should restore all things. He was in fact of the earth earthy, for God had created Adam and Eve to live for ever upon this earth through the Tree of Life.

At the New Birth, however, he becomes a child of God with the same spirit of Sonship that Christ has. Earth is no longer his habitat, but Heaven. At the death of his body, since he retains his spirit, he goes, not to Hades, but to Paradise and the presence of God; and at the resurrection he will receive a body fitted for

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life, not on the earth, but in Heaven. His fellowship is no longer with man born of woman, but through the help of the Holy Spirit of God, with his Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the rest of the Royal Family of God in Heaven and earth. Although the New Birth is an experience which is highly individualistic, yet the effect of it is to place this lonely person into a family in which he should grow to maturity. (Rom. 8:9-15, John 8:35, Heb. 11:40, 2:14-15, II Tim. 1:10, Mt. 11:11, Lk. 16:19-31, II Kings 20:1-3 (contrast Phil. 2:21-23, Acts 7:55-59), Rev. 5:9-11, Acts 3:21, John 11:24-26, Job 10:21-22, 19:25-27, Ezek. 37:11-14, Dan. 12:2, Heb. 12:22-24, Phil. 3:17-21, Col. 3:1-4, I John 1:3, Mt. 12:46-50, 23:9.)

See Diagram 5—The New Birth

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The Disastrous Effects Of The Doctrine Of Original Sin | By His Stripes We Are Healed | The Book Of Revelation | The Second Coming Of Christ | The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit | The Comforter Is Come