New Birth part 1
I want to put this out there as a disclaimer: I don't understand everything. I agree with 1 John 2:20, "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." I think we know, on a deep level, what's what and what's real. The NLT puts it like this, "But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth." We know the truth. The ultimate truth of the universe that the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands. But I'm readily willing to admit that I don't understand everything I know. There are some things that I don't even deal with, or mess with, because I really have no clue about them. So when I set out to Rant about death and rebirth, I'm not saying I have it all figured out. I'm simply saying this is what I believe... right now. I may get more revelation on it later on. Probably will, in fact. Because this everlasting life is a never-ending journey into the heart of the matter. And the heart of the matter is God's heart beating with love in our chests. Learning and growing is ok. In fact, it's encouraged. So. Having said all that I want to say this: According to Ephesians 2:1, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." We WERE dead in our trespasses and sins. Before the cross. Because when we were in Adam, he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and on that day he died. That was the first death. And in order to be saved from that death... in order to be born again... we needed a second death. Which is what happened on the cross. Jesus was lifted up from the earth and He drew all men into Himself. He drew us out of Adam. Because before the cross, again, we were IN Adam. Adam stood as representitive for all of humanity. That's why when he died... we died. The Message Bible says it like this in Romans 5:18-19, "Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right." The first Adam, and the last Adam. The first representative, and the last representative. We died because we were in Adam when he died. And then we died AGAIN when we were in Jesus because HE died. But the difference is that Jesus laid His life down so that He could pick it up again. So that we could have a new birth. So that we could LIVE! He has quickened us who were dead. By dying--the second death--and rising again. By giving His life FOR us, and giving His life TO us. Jesus brought us out of Adam and into Himself. Out of the realm of the earth--Adam was made from the dust of the ground, and he was earthy--and into the realm of heaven. We were born again. Born from above. Because the sacrifice Jesus made. God's judgment was not to kill anybody. His judgment was raising Jesus from the dead and giving Him (and us in Him) new life. Abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life! A life of love. Because to live IS to love and to love IS to live. Love is what makes abundant life abundant. Love is what makes life worth livng. Love is what makes it POSSIBLE to live. And it all came from a second death, and a new birth!