Date: 12/04/23

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory, Power, and Dominion forever and ever and to the Holy Ghost that is yet abiding in the body. As we approach the end of 2023, this month’s phrase is the: New Birth in Jesus Christ. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, “… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus was speaking to all of us when He said, “… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” You and I must be born again, or we will not see the kingdom of God. This means we will not be saved; we will not be part of God’s family or go to heaven. Before the new birth happens, we are spiritually dead. We are morally selfish and rebellious. We are legally guilty before God’s law and under His wrath. Apart from God’s amazing grace in our lives, it is unsettling when Jesus tells us that we must be born again. Teaching about the new birth is unsettling because it refers to something that is done to us, not something we do. John 1:13 emphasizes this. It refers to the children of God as those who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  Peter stresses the same thing: “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” 1 Peter 1:3. 

My brothers and sisters, we do not cause the new birth, God causes the new birth. Saints, any good thing that we do is a result of the new birth, not a cause of the birth. This means that the new birth is taken out of our hands. It is not in our control. And so, it confronts us with our helplessness and our absolute dependence on God outside ourselves. This can be unsettling. We are told that we will not see the kingdom of God if we’re not born again. And we’re told that we can’t make ourselves to be born again.  I know how unsettling this message on the new birth can be. But I don’t want to give false hope to those who have confused morality or religion for spiritual life. We have no power in ourselves to give life, but God does.

In closing, I am hopeful that God will do what He says in Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” Saints, God loves to magnify the riches of His life-giving grace where Jesus Christ is lifted in truth. My hope is that this month’s phrase will not just unsettle but stabilize and save others. Next week we will look at What Happens in the New Birth?  Until then, let us not forget, “…with God, all things are possible” Matthew 19:26.

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop