What is "Born Again"? by Marietjie Chase
Prior to being Born Again a human is a dual/two-part being. The spirit- human spirit- though present, is dormant, inactive, dead. And if the human is indeed a spirit who lives in a body and have a soul; then those who are NOT born into the Kingdom of God, born of the Holy Spirit, then they are indeed dead.
At the moment of " New Birth" our human spirit comes to life and we take our first breath of the HOLY SPIRIT. The instant this happens, we become like God, a trinity/ a three-part-being, created in His image to be in fellowship with HIM. We are new creations. We are born from above. We have abilities, gifts and life(zoe) that does not end with body and soul. We have a whole being, not just two thirds.
Growing up into all God wants/purposed us to be is the Salvation of the Soul. After we receive new life in our spirit, we are now equipped for the process of Salvation of the Soul. Our Body is now the servant and not the master. We begin the task of re-ordering our lives. The body has to become subject to the spirit, through the soul. The soul having submitted itself to our spirit. (the human spirit albeit now filled and glowing with the life and spirit of God)
Our spirit is the God part in us. In Genesis, God breathed His Spirit/breath into Adam and he became a living soul. After the fall/sin in Eden, the Spirit of God withdrew from humans, making man the living dead. Since the soul has no "spirit" to submit to in this state, it takes it's cue from the physical body, to care for, please and serve it. The flesh grows in it's demands, since lust is never satisfied. Legitimate needs and pleasures given the wrong place becomes lust. This is the flesh: when soul serves this body instead of this body serving soul and spirit.
The will of man, that is seated in the soul, makes decisions aided by the mind and emotions. It really does not matter what agency - mind or emotions- brings the convincing. The beauty of God's design in humans is that even the retard, the brain dead, the 'dog' have emotions. Reaching the will through the mind may be more feasible in Western Society or the Orient but when you deal with Africa, or the Islands of the sea or less educated societies, (where the mind has not been elevated to the point of idolatry) the emotions becomes the avenue to the will. Once the will is reached, a decision, by the will, is made to either accept or reject Jesus Christ and His sacrifice and in the process either accept or reject God's New Covenant.
When the will makes this decision and it is uttered through the voice using the breath and physical body, the Spirit of God enters the spirit of the human and life ( zoe) results. This person who receives this life(zoe) will never die. This human spirit, once made alive will never die. It cannot be made "un-born" or "un-alive" anymore. So, the people who never accepted God's offer of LIFE are dead and if their physical bodies die in this state, they will NEVER live(zoe). If they are made alive, they will never die. In this life, this existence, we have the opportunity to spread the LIFE of God.
He that has the SON ( Jesus) has the life (zoe). He that does not have the Son does not have life. If you believe in Me(Jesus), you will live(zoe) though you will die( this bios).
For those who are not born again, whose spirits are dead and who are in enmity to God, this life in this earth is ALL they have. For those who are born again it is just a part- a passing through - a sojourn; just a small part in a so-much-better, so-much-better whole. No wonder the flesh - those whose souls serve and cater to the body- are in enmity to God. It is the boss, spoiled, over -indulged and now it knows that when the spirit is quickened/ born again, that the body will become the servant; no longer pampered, but now disciplined.
The soul is in discomfort since the pattern, habit, status quo has been disrupted. Catering to the flesh, has it's reward for the soul, yet the posture of worship to God through the spirit is foreign. Change is resisted since humans are basically lazy. Laziness and change does not co-exist.
Pre-New Birth - Born-Again- B/C (Before Christ) nothing really matters. It does not matter what you do. You will damage your body and soul and make it less useful but in the scope of eternity it does not matter. Once you are Born Again, you are starting to build, to live eternity. Everything has meaning. Nothing is wasted. Everything has value.
There is only two kinds of people walking this earth: the living dead and the living living. Those who does not have the life of God in them are dead while they live. Those who have the life of God in them will never die though their bodies may stop functioning.
