Spiritual Begettal Parallels Physical Begettal

Next Part We Take On God’s Likeness When Born Again

Spiritual Begettal Parallels Physical Begettal

As explained, one receives the Holy Spirit at baptism (through the laying on of hands). At this point, the Christian is begotten by the Father, just as Christ was begotten in Mary’s womb by the Father. Once begotten, a Christian takes on the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5), who now lives in him (Gal. 2:20).

We can understand spiritual begettal by examining the process of human begettal. Life begins when the human father’s sperm unites with the mother’s ovum. In the reproduction process, an egg has to be fertilized by a sperm cell. It then becomes “sealed off,” unable to be re-fertilized by another sperm.

Human life begins as an embryo, develops into a fetus and eventually grows and matures toward birth about nine months later. Begettal, development and parturition (separation from the womb) are entirely separate phases of the process by which each human being progresses toward birth. A fertilized egg is not a born human being. Similarly, a spirit-begotten human is not a born spirit being or person, as Christ became after His Resurrection. How plain!

God has carefully created an unmistakable comparison—a parallel—between human birth and divine birth at the time of the resurrection. That which is “born of the flesh is flesh”—is a physical human being. And that which is “born of the spirit is spirit”—is a divine spirit-composed being.

There is an all-important time element to both human and Christian development. Both involve a “gestation” period! With humans, the role of the father is complete at fertilization, but the role of the mother continues for nine months. She must literally carry the child all the way to birth. Everyone understands this process of development. No one confuses begettal with birth. If you doubt this, just try telling it to an abortion-rights activist. These people view birth as everything and see begettal as having almost no meaning or importance, and barely acknowledge it as part of the process. In this way, even deceived abortionists recognize a clear distinction between begettal and birth.

Why then do so many believe that professing or accepting Christ automatically leapfrogs them to the point of spiritual birth, without gestation and development? No one speaks of pregnant women as already having new babies.

Why can’t professing Christians comprehend such basic understanding? Why can they not see the critical time element, so essential to human development, as necessary for spiritual development?

Born Again Through Continuing With Holy Spirit

Now understand this point! The very same Spirit, dwelling in us from the moment of conversion, raises us (all those begotten of God) to join God in His kingdom.

Paul describes how spiritual begettal, when the Holy Spirit enters, leads to the time of one’s second birth to spiritual composition—when one is born again: “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you” (Rom. 8:11). The very Spirit of God in us will allow us to awake in the resurrection.

What Paul told the Corinthians about how they would be changed at the resurrection is the same as what he told the Romans about how their physical bodies would be “quickened” by God’s Spirit, in them from conversion.

One final related point must be addressed. It has a direct bearing on when one is born again. Human babies can no longer abort after delivery. This possibility is only a danger, whether by accident, deliberate killing of the fetus or other reasons, prior to birth.

Spiritual Fetuses Can ABORT!

Get this straight! Only those with the Spirit of God have the potential for eternal life: “And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life” (I John 5:11-12).

If one has God’s Spirit, and then through neglect or willful sin, loses it—he has aborted! In a most true sense, let me say again, a Christian (like a human fetus) can “miscarry,” if he does not continue in the right path—if he does not “endure to the end” (Matt. 24:13; 10:22). In this way, the parallel between physical and spiritual development in the womb—gestation—expands.

Notice: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame” (Heb. 6:4-6).

This is most serious for those who ignore the warning of this verse. Those who think themselves already “born again” are either ignorant of or refuse to accept the grave caution explained by Paul in these verses.

Now continue. Physical embryos are a type of spirit embryos, but the two are not identical. There are some obvious differences between physical and spirit embryos. These are developing toward a higher plane of life than physical embryos—life that includes being made of invisible spirit, ability to travel through air, inability to sin, eternal life, and other spiritual capabilities.