Five Reasons For Holy Living

by J. E. Todd (England)

3. BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN

The new birth will result in a new way of life, but the new birth itself is more than a change of living. The birth is to receive a new kind of life which the person did not possess before. The life we received from our parents at our natural birth is physical, human and mortal; the life one receives from God at the new birth is spiritual, divine and eternal. As described by the apostle Peter, ‘According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness … Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,’ 2Pet.1.3-4. When a person believes in Christ, the Holy Spirit of God brings that divine nature into the life of the believer. ‘In Him (Christ) you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,’ Eph.1.13, R.S.V.

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself described the new birth. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,’ Jn.3.5. Then the Lord upbraided Nicodemus for being ignorant of this, v10. Why should Nicodemus be aware of this teaching? Because Nicodemus was a master (i.e. teacher) of Israel. He should have known the teaching of the prophets, in this case the prophecy of Ezekiel. ‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean … A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you … I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes,’ Ez.36.25-27. The clean water speaks of the cleansing from sin, the new spirit speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the new heart speaks of the new birth itself. As the Lord said the new birth is by water and the Spirit. The water speaks of cleansing brought about by the blood of Christ and the spirit speaks of the Holy Spirit who brings about regeneration (i.e. re-creation), which is the new birth.

The believer now possesses two natures. A human nature by natural birth which is referred to in Scripture as ‘the flesh.’ Also a divine nature by the new birth which is controlled by ‘the Spirit.’ These two natures are opposed to each other. ‘For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would,’ Gal.5.17. How can we live out the new nature and control the old nature?

The faith of the believer has a twofold role. The initial act of faith in the crucified Saviour brings instant justification; the continuous attitude of faith in the risen Lord brings continual sanctification. Not only are we saved by faith, we also live by faith. ‘If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit,’ Gal.2.25. If we have faith that Christ can save us from the guilt of sin by His death, how much more can He save us from the practice of sin by His living presence. ‘For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life, Rom.5.10.

If we claim to be born again, we claim that the very life of God, as revealed in Christ, has been re-created (regenerated) in us. Therefore it follows, ‘Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,’ Eph.3.20. We must therefore say, “No!” to the negative works of the flesh, Gal.5.19-21, and, “Yes!”, to the positive fruit of the Spirit, Gal.5.22-23.

While, like our Master, we live and move and work in this world, yet like Him we must be separate from the world in spirit. That is in our attitudes, thoughts, words and deeds. The Lord said of His disciples, ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,’ Jn.17.14. and He repeated this for emphasis in v16!

‘Wherefore come out from among them (the unbelievers), and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing,’ 2Cor.6.14-7.1. ‘But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world,’ Gal.6.14. This is the, ‘No!’, of holy living. But holy living is not just negative, it is also positive.

The positive result of the new birth is to begin to show something of the character of Christ in holy living. ‘But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord,’ 2Cor.3.18.

This new life needs to be guided, kept in touch with the Lord, encouraged and exercised.

This new life is guided in its actions by the Holy Scriptures. Specially the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, for example the Sermon on the Mount, Matt.5,6,7. Also the teaching of the New Testament, for example the epistle to Titus.

This new life needs our prayers in order to keep us in touch with the Lord. ‘Pray without ceasing,’ 1Thess.5.17.

This new life needs fellowship with other Christians, for the purpose of encouragement. Not just our encouragement but theirs also. ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching,’ Heb.10.25.

This new life needs exercise, the exercise of serving the Lord. ‘Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love,’ Eph.4.15, R.S.V.

Thus our claim to be born again is yet another continual reason for living a holy life.

—to be continued (D.V.)