Jesus and the Concept of Being Born-Again

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2nd Peter 3.5-7
March 6th 2016
Meat

Okay. We are in the final chapter of II Peter and last week we read, in verses 1-4

1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last daysThe final years of the old covenant age—fulfilled in the first century, not future end times. scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Peter's Era of Scoffers and Belief in the Last Days

I used these passages as a platform to discuss a few things. First, that Peter was saying that in his day – his day – there were scoffers and mockers who were criticizing the idea that Jesus was going to return.

I also suggested that Peter and the rest of the Apostles believed (according to their own words) that they were in the last days (and that is why there were scoffers)

And then we launched into a discussion of the Two Covenantal Periods into which Jesus was born – and last week we covered the first – the period where He was

Born of a virgin into this world. That His purpose in this world was to redeem the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel (who at that time were His own and were of the Tribe of Judah). That this mission was obscured by God for the purpose of that Nation (His own) to put Him to deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God.. And that coming from the Tribe of Judah he could not EVER reign on this earth as a priest or as a King, after the order of Melchizedek, who in my estimation was not an actual King and Priest but was, as scripture says, “without father or mother,” and was a spiritual type of the Messiah to come.

If you weren’t with us last week we summarized all of this by saying this was all part of Jesus' first birth (his physical birth) but, I suggested, He had another “begetting” – a birth that would bring Him, Jesus, the Man, into a realm where He could and would reign as both King and Priest – the heavens.

Regeneration and Jesus' Second Birth

And I touched on the fact that this part of His mission as Messiah was in fact revealed to all that world (the people of that age) and this was the culmination of the end of that age, as prophesied all through the Old Testament.

So, I touched on some of this on HOTM last Tuesday but the information is worth repeating as we are discussing this very topic here in Meat.

Alright, on the show a few weeks ago we talked about Jesus and said “that since He was a Man,” and that “men need to be born-again” (in order to see the Kingdom of Heaven,) we wondered if “He Jesus was born-again in order for Him to see the Kingdom of GodGod’s spiritual reign—fulfilled and present, not political or future.?”

If He was, when and where was Christ “born from above?”

Automatically you can see that I am suggesting that Jesus experienced the second birth of His ministry and into a second Covenant when He was regenerated. Understanding this is hugely important to our understanding more about His make-up and nature (as Lord and Savior) but also about regeneration in general.

Diverse Views on Jesus' Regeneration

Now, remember the idea behind the terms, “re”-generation, “re”-birth, born “AGAIN.” Most in the faith maintain that there is no reason for Jesus to have been spiritually regenerated (since He was God in the flesh from the start). I understand this view if we are only looking at Him as God. But IF we take His humanity into consideration then it does open up a door to see a need for the Man to be regenerated BEFORE He entered into the realm of His Father.

Other Christians suppose that Jesus was born from above at His water baptism, when the Holy Spirit fell as a dove upon Him and God spoke saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Because we can say that at His birth that He was the Son of God that at His water baptism the descent of the Holy Spirit was anointing Him for the ministry and that at this point God announced that He was (indeed) His beloved Son and that He was indeed well pleased with Him and the

The Regeneration of Jesus

I maintain that both of these positions held by Christians contain merit but neither of them are complete in and of themselves regarding what we might call “the total regeneration” of Jesus, which again, would prepare Him to enter into heaven. Complexity can be a frightening situation and so as a means to get through or past it most of us accept simplified explanations as a means to save time and simultaneously feel secure.

But we are talking about the very eternal God having His Word take on flesh, become a human being, and then after living by every word which proceeded from the mouth of God, suffer an incomprehensible death in the flesh He inhabited, rise up over the grave after three days death, and then as the man Jesus of Nazareth entered into heaven AFTER living life on earth! This was unheard of happening before and it’s not a subject that can be simplified or fully explained by our measly minds.

So again to the question, “Was the Man Jesus born again at some point? There is a biblical precedence that says, “yes, He was,” and that it occurred . . . at His resurrection.

Two Births of Jesus

This is an important biblical concept relative to the “two births” of Jesus and that they relate to two Covenant Worlds. Jesus was born twice – physically, then spiritually. Both births were “into” specific Covenant Worlds – the first into the Covenant World of the Jew, and the Second into the Covenant World of Heaven. Remember, (it’s important) when He came to earth He was NOT born into a second covenant world of gentiles that exists here on earth. Again, the first birth was into the covenant world of the Jews and the second was the covenant world that exists in heaven.

Remember, from the Bible it is a false premise to believe (in the light of Hebrews 8:5) that Jesus could be a King or priest on earth.

However, Christ's Priesthood and Kingship, after He lived a mortal life, was put to death, resurrected, and ascended, were once and for all "revealed" (in power and glory) at his coming at the end of the Old World age which Peter and John have clearly said, was “at hand.”

When this was completed we would see a result of it in a “New Jerusalem,” (which included the completed and perfected New Temple in heaven) which would come down from “a new heaven” onto “a new spiritually regenerated earth,” and, as Revelation 21:1-4 says, “the cry would go forth, "the tabernacle of God is with man.”

The first physical birth of Jesus definitely had limiting factors in regard to his Messianic mission. These limitations were the first step that would lead inexorably to the full revelation of the Messiah – which all believers HAVE to admit was not yet experienced when the Apostles were writing but was being promised to those people at that day.

Jesus' Eternal Reign

But once this full revelation was completed Jesus could and would reign as a King and a Priest from and in heaven – where everything is, and has, been based ever since.

The idea of a futuristic return and reign of Him for us is not only against all the evidence in scripture (which His own apostles taught was to happen in their day and age), but it is clearly against the fact that for Him to reign on earth as a physical King and Priest it was against the physical Law – which He came to fulfill, and replace with a new way, a new heaven, a new earth, and a New Jerusalem.

So after . . .

Fulfilling the law and the prophets. After living by every word that proceeded from the mouth of God. After suffering for sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. – actually becoming sin for us Healing us by His stripes, And after offering His sinless life up for the sins of the world and being put to death BY HIS OWN (who did not know fully what they were doing because it remained hidden from them)

Jesus the human being was regenerated, reborn, transformed from “earth Man” to “heavenly King and Priest man.” He was “born-again” into a realm/sphere where he could fulfill all the Old Testament prophecies that futurists believe apply to Him returning to a physical earth to live out in the confines of His mortal flesh.

Again, at his resurrection Jesus went into that heavenly “realm or sphere,” (Now listen . . .)

His second birth or regeneration no more

The Dual Births of Jesus Christ

Enables Him to become an earthly King on this physical earth than His physical birth enabled Him to reign in heaven.

He had to be regenerated prior to reigning in the heavens. It was this rebirth that enabled Him to enter that realm as a man! Put it this way, the only way for Him to reign here on earth was for Him to denigrated or be degenerated (by taking on flesh and submitting below all things), right? And after denigrating Himself by taking on flesh and blood He could not turn around and IN THAT STATE inherit the Kingdom of God. There had to be a regeneration – even of Christ Jesus – as hard as it is for some to believe.

Listen to how some of the apostles, post ascension of Christ, spoke of this heavenly Kingdom over which He reigns. Paul said in 2nd Timothy 4:18, “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

And Peter added in 2nd Peter 1:10-11, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Christ's Resurrection and Rebirth

Now, to put a cap on all of this, and to give you what you’ve been waiting for, in Acts 13:27 Paul preached about Jesus and his resurrection. In that resurrection, the apostle said, "God hath fulfilled this for us their children, in that he has raised up Jesus.” Got that? Then Paul adds, “As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are my Son, This day I have begotten You.’" Take note that the Father, speaking of the Son's resurrection says, "This Day’ I have begotten you."

I thought Jesus was begotten when He was born? He was, but into the first Covenantal world. But at the resurrection of Jesus He was begotten again! This was His second birth! He was begotten by God at His resurrection! In Romans 1:3-4 Paul contrasts these two "births" of Jesus, and says, “He was "born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." I don’t think there can be a clearer passage supporting what I am saying!

He was first the only begotten Son of God in flesh, born of the seed of David and then He was “declared to the Son of God WITH POWER, according to the spiritual of Holiness BY . . . BY . . . BY THE RESURRECTION from the dead.”

The Role of Jesus as High Priest

And then as “the Son of God with Power” He is now able to reign over the spiritual Kingdom of all things as King and Priest – and from heaven. We know from Hebrews that it was when Christ entered into the Heavens that He became our great High priest. Not before. Again, couldn’t be one here – wrong tribe, wrong time, wrong sphere. When was He made a High Priest to reign from Heaven? When He was begotten by God the second time at His second birth. We have support for this in Hebrews 5:5 which says:

Hebrews 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, “Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.” So again, in the day that God said unto Jesus, “thou art my Son, today I have begotten you,” Jesus was made a high priest. When was that day? Paul tells us as quoted in Acts, speaking of Jesus resurrection, and saying: "God hath fulfilled this for us their children, in that he has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are my Son, This day I have begotten You.’"

So, what are we to make of all of this and how does it (or how should it) affect our views on how it all applies to us today? Jesus is our model and example, the firstfruits of everything, etc. As such the LDS claim that He came and first did what all humans who seek to follow Him would do. The implication of this, in LDS circles, is that all people who accept Jesus here, do their best to follow Him, repent when they

Understanding Justification and Regeneration

Let's explore a deep issue surrounding the concepts of justification and spiritual rebirth (regeneration) as it is perceived within certain faith traditions, specifically the LDS church. It brings to mind LDS Apostle Hugh B. Brown’s story of J. Reuben Clarke, a highly devoted man, who expressed deep uncertainty about his place in the afterlife. This points to a fundamental issue where some believers, even with immense contributions, can be unsure of the salvation promised through Christ.

Yet, it's not just limited to LDS beliefs. Some Christians suggest that rebirth happens only after resurrection, suggesting no spiritual rebirth occurs on earth. They argue that true regeneration, without sin, only happens at resurrection, challenging the commonly taught evangelical views on being born-again.

The Concept of Death and Life

• ADAM (DEATH): Adam’s “death” was gradual. His spiritual death began the day he sinned, causing God to depart.

• JESUS (THE WAY, TRUTH and LIFE): Jesus' life was ever-present, perfectly lived per God's word, culminating in His physical death and victorious resurrection as the firstfruit of the grave, symbolizing total Regeneration.

• MAN (Eternal Life): Our life is gradual—starting with spiritual rebirth when the Holy Spirit indwells us, growing as we walk by the Spirit until our physical death. Eternal life in resurrected bodies awaits for a life lived in Christ.

Understanding these foundational views helps uncover deeper implications for believers questioning their spiritual rebirth and the assurance of their salvation.

Peter's Words on the Scoffers

In II Peter, Peter addresses scoffers of his time who questioned the return of Jesus. Specifically:

5 For this they (the scoffers and mockers) willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

These verses show Peter's response to those questioning the second comingChrist’s return, fulfilled in 70 A.D., ending the old covenant—not the world., emphasizing the certainty of God’s word throughout history and its future fulfillment.

The Role of Human Will in Understanding Doctrine

as they were from the beginning of the creation.” According to the later interpretations the sense is, "They hold to an opinion that all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” but they have either willingly or purposefully ignored the fact that “there has been a destruction of the world once by water." So how could they say that things have remained the same from the beginning?

There is an implication, whichever interpretation of the Greek that we adopt – Luther or that of others – that “the will” of the scoffers was involved in how they were viewing the world around them, to the point that they convinced themselves that “the world, as they knew it, had remained the same as from the beginning!” Every now and again we may run into a person who discounts all the biblical stories of creation and floods and Sodoms and Gomorrah’s and they often maintain similar positions. But again, one way or another the Greek seems to convey that these scoffers were possessed by personal obstinacy. From this we might believe that the human will has more of a role in our denial and rejection of doctrine than our understanding.

Instances of Belief and Will

I have seen former believers move from being zealous for God to denying His existence all together. I cannot believe this has to do with understanding and learning over faith, but instead has to do with the will and desires of the individual to believe what they want over maintaining faith. So it seems to be with the scoffers of Peter’s day. And the argument that Peter appeals to appears to be a simple one – the scoffers say the worlds from the beginning has remained the same (and that it always would, apparently) and Peter points out that these guys have missed something as simple as the flood which forever altered the course of the World.

The Biblical Perspective on Creation

Admittedly this is a verse that supports a world-wide flood and not a geographical. Something to consider. So they have said that from the beginning the world has remained the same but “this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: This is the beginning of Peter’s rebuttal, and He starts by pointing out that by His word alone God the heavens were, and the earth upon which these scoffers stood. The idea here seems to be that everything depends on Him, his Word and His will. And just as the heavens and the earth were originally made by his very command, so by the same command the end would be.

Genesis and the Role of Water in Creation

And where it reads, “the earth standing out of the water and in the water,” the idea, which the translators seem to have had is that “in the formation of the earth, a part was out of the water, and a part under the water; and that the former, or the inhabited portion, became entirely submerged, and that thus the inhabitants perished.” This, however, does not seem to be what Peter meant. He has made reference to the account given in Genesis 1 relative to the creation of the earth and where water played an important role.

The thought that Peter seems to have been making was that water entered materially into the formation of the earth, and that in its very origin there existed the means by which the world would later be destroyed. The word which is translated "standing" could mean, “consisting of or constituted of,” and the meaning is, that the creation of the earth was the result of the Divine agency acting on the mass of elements which in Genesis is called “waters.” According to Genesis there was at first an immense fluid of some sort, called waters and from this the earth rose. The point of time that Peter seems to be speaking of here is NOT when the mountains, and continents, and islands, seem to be standing partly out of the water and partly in the water, but when there was a vast mass of materials called waters from which the earth was formed. I say this because the phrase "out of the water" speaks to the origin of the earth and says that it was formed “from, or out of,” that mass. The phrase "in the water" (di udatov) more properly means through or by. It does not mean that the earth stood in the water in the sense that it

The Formation of the Earth from Water

The earth not only arose partially submerged from a mass called water, but that mass was the grand material out of which the earth was formed. All of it arose out of that chaotic mass, through which all things were formed. Because of this, there were causes that ultimately resulted in the deluge, or Noah’s flood.

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

Another problematic passage arises as the pronoun here is in the plural number, causing different interpretations. Some, like Dodderidge, think it refers to the heavens mentioned in the preceding verse and that the windows of heaven were opened in the flood. Others think the Greek phrase means, “whence the worlds that was then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” Wetstein believes it refers to the "heavens and the earth." Although the plural number is used and the word water is in the singular, it seems to be speaking of water. The apostle seems to have the waters from Genesis in mind, describing their effect on the earth. He twice refers to water: “out of the water and in the water." It seems he is referring to the waters from Genesis, which formed the world, destroyed it, and from which the world arose.

Some scholars believe Peter's verse 6: "Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished," refers to a universal catastrophe before Noah’s flood and before the earth's current form. It simply suggests that the world had been destroyed once, implying it could happen again.

The Earth and Heavens in the End Times

Some argue that Peter could refer to the flood, though there's scholarly dispute. Peter adds:

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word (again, Peter’s point) are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Take note of something here: the talk of the end of the world (or the age) includes both the earth and the heavens. When referring to the earth, Peter uses a term commonly indicating a geographical area (Ghay, in Greek), unlike Kosmos. This suggests discussion specific to that vicinity. However, he also includes the heavens, prompting questions about their fate at the end of the ageThe close of the old covenant era, fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not the end of the world.. We'll explore this meaning next week.

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