I find a growing awareness exists that the sayings of the Son of Man, such as those found in John’s Gospel (chapter 3 and chapter 8, for example), teach that basic humans are lying and hating children of Satan, religious or not, but rebirth can take place to change all that and then a child of God is formed by God Himself. The Son of Man taught this and taught that since He Himself is from God and speaks the teachings of God by the Spirit of God this means He is centrally instrumental in God making such children of God. In fact the Son of Man constantly referred to God as the Father and Himself as the Son. The awareness of this work of the Messiah seems to be growing even among those who seem to be hateful towards children born of God this way and scornful about these sayings. Yet what does this rebirth entail? We each only know in part and the depth of the nature of this rebirth is profound. Yet it seems to be there are several important factors to understand about it. Firstly it is only a work of God Himself at root so the child of God is truly a child of the Father. Secondly it is a work primarily wrought in the events of God’s dealings with the Messiah Himself. Thirdly it is a rebirth taking shape in the individual by their being given by God a hope and faith and love that washes away in stages their natural former nature of being hateful and lying as a child of Satan and instead they become characterised by new improved prospects of being purged of ethical failure of immoral and hateful and lying ways. They believe instead in the veracity of the teachings of the Messiah and His messengers and they believe in the true nature of the Messiah. They love anyone else who shares in this transformation. The central way this comes about was wrought by God’s action of raising His Son from the dead and His Son living eternally to keep these believers in Him purified forever. Being at the Father’s right hand and having these believers always in His prayers and dealings this Son is central to the constant wellbeing and salvation and ongoing purification of these believers whose lives are inextricably intertwined with this Messiah’s life and God’s purpose and eternally loving embrace. The blood shed by the Son on that cross those centuries ago is effective in dealing with their guilt even if they fall from time to time, learning to confess such failings. All these things bring about this rebirth as children not of Satan, not of the world, not of natural human failing tendencies and morally substandard nature but of God. Of course this is just a part of what is the unseen fuller picture. Add to this the giving to these believers of the invisible but ever efficacious Holy Spirit as His mysterious but wondrous ways transform a believer ever more fully into a child of God; a true saint who puts off Satan’s ways and rises above their former ways. Add to this the incorporation into a mystical union spiritually with all other such believers as a Body of the Son of Man and a family of God. Add the involvement of the individual in putting off the hating and lying but with mysterious teachings from heaven to do so exercising the heart. Add the joint partnership and mutual support of all believers in keeping each other in their prayers for purification and their rebukes and gentle restoration from waywardness as and when needed. Add the future of better and better purification from sin that results. Add the need to believe the Messiah truly is. Add the need to follow this Messiah’s teachings by keeping them as adherent disciples along with teachings from the Holy Spirit and true servants of Messiah. Add the promise of the Messiah to bring each believer out of their sinful state into true nature as a child of God so they do not “die in their sins”. Add the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer which by the message that the Messiah died for them and follow-up powerful lessons imparted by this Holy Spirit sets them on the path to ever greater purification of their ways. Add that this must continue through all eternity if it is to be a true work of God because only eternally permanent children of God are true children of God. No children of God are ever temporary. They remain in His family forever or else they are mere servants or slaves. It all adds up to this rebirth by God Himself working in the believing follower of His Son.
