The New Birth, Reprise

As the Holy Spirit would have it, the topic that began in my daily devotions this week and evolved into a discussion with friends, predictably arose as the topic of a sermon this Sunday evening.  I will share a few more thoughts on being born of God, ones that our guest speaker shared with us last night.  

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.  Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'  So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." -Galatians 4:5-7.

Wow!  These are powerful words.  Not only are we, through the new birth, sons of God, but we have "full rights as sons" and are not slaves, but "heirs."  

Who was he writing to?  In chapter 1, Paul addresses his letter simply "To the churches in Galatia" (Gal. 1:3).  And by the second or third chapter, it becomes evident that these churches were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles--with some of the Jews trying to bully the Gentiles into submission by imposing upon them circumcision and other Jewish ceremonial customs.  

Paul exposes this for what it is: "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which really is no gospel at all." (Gal. 1:6).  

What was this non-Gospel?  It was the idea that Christ's grace was not sufficient, that they also had to prove their faith through works of the flesh.  

The word "gospel" comes from "evangelion."  It literally meant "good news."  Grace is good news.  But the idea that we must be again subjected to the Law is not good news.  It is bad news, because for about three thousand years, the Jewish nation proved to the world that human beings are miserable failures when it comes to following God's laws.  They may circumcise the flesh, but who can "circumcise" the heart to do righteousness, unless God takes their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh? (Eze. 36:26).  

The New Covenant is "good news."  Anything less is no good news at all.  

"For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Gal. 2:19-21)

Yet isn't this exactly what the Watchtower's theology promotes?  The upper-class Christians, the 144,000, may have access to the Spirit.  But for the second-class citizen, there is no hope of regeneration, of new birth in the Spirit and sonship--that close relationship with Jesus Christ that is so precious to our Christian walk.  Whether that is the intention or not, the absence of the Spirit in one's daily life means that you must live under the Law.  There is no other way to live a distinct life, a life pleasing to Jehovah.  

If we live under the Law, we have no freedom in Christ.  We are once again slaves, under a heavy yoke.  

"It was for freedom that Christ set you free, therefore do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."  (Gal. 5:1) 

Freedom in Christ--that is good news.  That is the gospel.  Not following the letter of the law.  Paul in II Cor. 4:6 says that "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."  Jesus Christ has life in Himself, and that life is the light of men.  Through being reborn in His Spirit, we have opportunity to be rejuvenated, to live a new life in which we are not His slaves, but His precious sons:  

"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Gal. 3:27-29)

Think about the power of that statement to the Galatian church.  Here they are, wrapped up in their Pharisaical traditions, and Paul comes and lovingly smacks them alongside the head: "You're not slaves.  You're sons!  Get up, stop groveling, and look God in the eye, because you're His beloved children!"  

Now, with a promise of overwhelming grace like that... don't you think the Holy Spirit would have inserted a disclaimer in there somewhere?  Something like, "Wait a minute... remember this is only for a few of you, only the ones who are Anointed can receive this message.  The rest of you servants of Jehovah, don't go getting fancy ideas about being God's sons."  

No.  

Never!

And yet, the Bible is full of this type of language: "...that we should be called the sons of God" I Jn. 3:1, "and if sons, heirs also," Rom. 8:17, "Be imitators of God, as beloved children," Eph. 5:1, "He predestined us to adoption as His sons..." Eph. 1:5, "And I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to Me," II Cor. 6:18, "He who overcomes will inherit all these things; and I will be his God, and he will be My son." Rev. 21:7.  

Even in Revelation, there is no disclaimer, no qualifier.  

Never in the entire New Testament does God say that some of you can serve Him, but not be called His children!  If you can find it for me, let me know.  

The only evidence that the Watchtower Society can provide to separate us from the adoption as sons, is a shaky interpretation of Revelation 7 and 14, in which there is no mention whatsoever of the spiritual-birth status of those 144,000.  It simply says they are set apart, presumably from the rest of unbelieving Israel, and sealed for redemption.  

Yet this theological assumption--assumption!--is then used as a glass to interpret the rest of Scripture.  Brothers and sisters, we cannot insert qualifiers into the Bible where they do not exist!  

When God said that "Whoever believes Jesus is the Christ is born of God," He meant it!  He did not say, "But only a certain number of those who believe are born of God."  He said "Whoever"!  It is man, not God, that would add disclaimers and qualifiers to God's promises, essentially shutting the Kingdom of Heaven in men's faces, while not even entering in themselves, and hindering those who are trying to!   

For anyone trying to live up to a religion by fleshly works, I have news for you: That is not the Good News!  You can learn Greek, pray fancy words, sing hymns perfectly in key, choke yourself with a tie, and live in a fishbowl to keep yourself from stumbling in worldly lusts.  But you can't be happy that way.  True joy comes from knowing God personally as a child knows his father, from experiencing His grace firsthand, and from gaining a righteousness that comes not by works of the law, but by His powerful work in your life.  God loves you, my brothers.  He came to restore a relationship with you--not with a fence, but a strong right hand reaching out to touch all humanity.  

It is my prayer that you may find that happiness.