Kind Begets Kind
Remember, God created man in the image of God. As stated, human reproduction is a true cycle. We can discover no beginning of the cycle short of actual creation.
Not only did God reveal that He created man "in His image," but when Adam and Eve had children, the Bible says "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his own image; and called his name Seth" (Genesis 5:3). Of course, Cain and Abel came along before Seth, and perhaps several daughters were born somewhere in between, but the important point is that in this first of the genealogical tables of the Bible, God's Word says Seth was "in the image" of Adam and Eve, his parents.
There is no more obvious law at work in our ecosphere than that of the law of biogenesis. Kind begets kind. Like produces like. Horses do not produce dogs; chickens do not produce cows; dolphins do not come from elephants, and, for all the obvious similarities in comparative embryology, (which should prove to questing minds the fact that the same great DESIGNER produced all forms of life.) the embryo of the egg becomes a chicken, and the human embryo becomes human.
It is a fabulous MIRACLE that a microscopic spermatozoon (male sperm cell) can unite with a virtually invisible human female egg in the womb of the mother, and that this new life which is now engendered by the uniting of male and female cells, is on its way toward becoming a separate, individual HUMAN BEING.
I have said, for many years, that birth is ABSOLUTE. There was a moment when you did not exist. Then, there was a moment when that life which became you was the result of intense competition between potentially hundreds and thousands of others, but YOU were begotten, instead.
Humorously, I have told audiences for many years that "never has a young girl come home, frightened, and said to her mother, 'Mom, I am half pregnant.'"
Begettal is a positive act. When it takes place, a separate, unique human life is being developed.
It is a fabulous miracle that height, shape, weight, texture of skin, color and texture of hair and eyes, tone of voice, abilities and proclivities, talents and aptitudes can be conveyed from parent to child.
No wonder David marveled that he was "fearfully and wonderfully made." No wonder David gave God the credit for having "knit me together in my mother's womb," and exulted, "How marvelous art all thy works, 0 Lord God."
When human parents reproduce, it is as if a microcosm of the whole plan and purpose of GOD-a microcosm of ultimate human destiny.
There was a moment in time when you were begotten. For the sake of understanding one of the great "mysteries" of the plan of God-understanding your own human destiny, you need to understand the process by which YOU came to be. You need to understand the difference between begettal (conception), the gradual development of the fetus in the womb, and actual parturition, or birth.
Obviously, begettal and birth are not the same. There is difficulty with a Greek word, gennao, which means the entire process of begettal and birth. The Greek makes no distinction between begettal, and birth, but is used interchangeably.
It is only in the context that we can discern whether the Bible is speaking of a spiritual begettal, or spiritual BIRTH.
And there is a DIFFERENCE.
When you were begotten, your mother was probably unaware of it. She may have discovered it about a month or so later, but wasn't really sure, until after two or three months, and a visit to the doctor. Meanwhile, you were gradually developing within the womb of your mother. Now, the placenta that was forming was causing the nutrients from your mother's own bloodstream to flow into the tiny, strange-looking little shape (bearing resemblance to other types of embryos) that was to someday become YOU.
The Bible instructs us through analogies often. It speaks of God (the great God whom Jesus came to reveal, but who no man has ever seen.) as "the Father."
Jesus said we are to pray "our Father, which art in heaven..." He warned us not to call any man "father," in a spiritual sense on this earth, for "One is your Father, who is in heaven."
Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The church is depicted as a woman (see Revelation 12) and is spoken of as the "mother" of those who are the members of the church.
Within the church, converted men and women are called "brothers and sisters." The apostles spoke of "the brethren," and these family terms are found throughout the New Testament.
What have we here? We have words commonly applied to a human family being applied to God and Christ in heaven, to the church, and to members of the church.
Now, follow the analogy: Even as you, as a tiny embryo, had to be protected and nurtured in the womb of your mother; so newly-begotten Christians must be "fed with the milk of the word" (1 Corinthians 3:1,2), and must be nourished and protected within the church, which is a group or assembly of "called-out ones."
The nourishment is not physical, but SPIRITUAL. The food comes through sermons from the pulpit, perhaps radio broadcasts or telecasts, written literature such as articles, Bible study courses, pamphlets and booklets, through personal/social contact with other Christians, through private conversation, and, MOST importantly, through personal Bible study and PRAYER. In these ways, God's Holy Spirit flows into the mind of the newly-developing Christian, in similar fashion as nutrition flows through the mother's body into the placenta, and to the developing embryo.
At last, after approximately nine months in the womb, you were "full-term," and ready to be BORN.
Now, a shocking change occurs.
No longer are you carried about in the womb of your mother; no longer are you fed through the umbilical cord directly into your stomach from your mother's bloodstream and the placenta. Now, shockingly, you enter the world, gasp your first breath, perhaps begin to cry from the shock and surprise of it all, and are truly ON YOUR OWN. Of course, if a loving mother (or nurse) did not care for you immediately, you would die of starvation or exposure, or both.
But now, you are truly a separate human being.
Another analogy can be developed beginning at birth, relating the Christian development, but for the sake of the analogy I am drawing here, being BORN of your human parents, becoming completely SEPARATE; beginning to develop your own personality, your own peculiar talents and abilities, developing your own thoughts and mind, developing your own individuality, your own conscience and personal morality-all these things are uniquely YOU.
These analogies are not imaginary-the Bible truly uses analogous representations of the family unit as a teaching method. It is through understanding the physical creation we can come to understand Almighty God as an invisible Spirit Being.
"The invisible things about God are clearly seen by looking at what He has created-they are understood by the things He made-including His eternal power and godhead-so ungodly men are without excuse." (Romans 1:20, paraphrased).
Jesus used the physical creation; specifically, the phenomenon of wind and its actions in attempting to teach Nicodemus about spiritual rebirth. "You Must Be Born Again"
Jesus told Nicodemus "Verily, verily I say unto you, except a man be born again [gennao, Greek-meaning 'born from above'], he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
The Greek word Jesus used has already been explained. You can only discern whether He intended "begotten" or "born" in the context.
In this case, we need not wonder, for Nicodemus was responding to Jesus in the Greek language.
"Nicodemus said unto Him, how can a man be born [gennao, Greek] when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" (John 3:4).
Do you see? Was Nicodemus engaging in a little sarcastic humor? The point is, Nicodemus did not misunderstand the word Jesus used. He knew the word Jesus used connoted birth. Stunned, dumbfounded by Jesus' statement, Nicodemus spoke of the utter impossibility of what Christ implied.
Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit IS SPIRIT.
"Marvel not that I said unto you, you must be born again.
"The wind blows where it will, and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell where it comes from, and where it goes. So is everyone that is born of the spirit" (John 3:5-8).
Paul was inspired to write, "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.
"Behold, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised in-corruptible and we [we who are alive and remain at that time] shall be CHANGED.
"For this corruptible must PUT ON incorruption, and this MORTAL must PUT ON immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:50-53).
Read that again. Come to understand.
Your Bible plainly tells you that you CANNOT ENTER the "kingdom of God" as a human being.
Jesus Christ said you must be born anew-born from above. When Nicodemus assumed Jesus was referring to the impossible, Jesus told him "Marvel not." He then explained. He said you can hear the noise the wind makes in the trees, or under the eaves of the house-but that the wind, while powerful enough to uproot trees, blow down buildings, or sink ships with hurricane force, is invisible.
And what did He say? "SO IS everyone that is born of the spirit.''
How is one who is born of the spirit? He is like the wind. He is invisible. He IS SPIRIT.
WHY cannot many sincere, yet deceived people see the plain, simple TRUTH of what Jesus SAID?
He said, "That which is born of the flesh [you and I-we human beings who are physical, fleshly, created 'in the image' of our physical parents.] are flesh."
So far, so good. Are you physical? Are you human? Are you FLESH?
Of course you are.
Were you born of fleshly parents? Of course.
And what are you? You are FLESH.
Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh IS FLESH."
Now then. Read the rest of John 3:6. "and that which is born of the spirit IS SPIRIT."
Have you, then, been "born" of the spirit? How to answer the question? ARE you spiritual essence? Are you composed of spirit? Can you appear or disappear at will? Can you walk through solid stone, granite, concrete block or brick? Can you zip around the heavens, visiting Mars, Venus and Jupiter?
No, you are mundane, temporal, mortal, human, FLESH.
Then you HAVE NOT been "born of the spirit" according to what your Savior, Jesus Christ, plainly tells you.
You can become "begotten" by God's Holy Spirit. You can repent, be baptized, and receive a spiritual begettal by receiving the Spirit of God. (Acts 2:38).
But you cannot, now, be "born of the spirit" UNTIL a certain moment, of which you have already read. (1 Corinthians 15:23).
Go back and read that quotation from 1 Corinthians 15 again. Better yet, turn to and read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15. Here is the "resurrection chapter." If you read it slowly, carefully; if you ponder what you read, drinking in meaning from each word, you will learn great and profound truths which are not known; not taught, by the churches of this world.
No one, reading the simple and beautiful words of Almighty God concerning the coming resurrection at the return of Christ could believe in the pagan fables of the "immortality of the soul"; that people go either to heaven or an ever-burning hell when they die.
Rather, they would come to know the TRUTH of the Bible; that man is physical, fleshly, mortal. That when man dies, his very thoughts cease, and he shares the very same kind of death as do beasts.
And what did Paul say? "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." What is the Kingdom of God?
You have heard of "the plant kingdom," "the animal kingdom," and "the human kingdom."
Biologically, the term "kingdom" is often used to connote flora and fauna, or humankind. A famous television series is entitled, "Wild Kingdom."
Technically, however, a "kingdom" is the government of a king.
A "kingdom" correctly includes four parts: (1) A king, (2) A territory over which that king rules; (3) Subjects, living in the territory under the rulership of that king; (4) Laws, by which that king rules over his subjects in his territory.
When we speak of "the kingdom of Great Britain," or "the kingdom of Norway," we know exactly what we mean. Even though parliamentary and democratic-type governments have supplanted monarchies, the expression "kingdom" is clearly understood.
Read Revelation 19. In this shocking chapter, you see the description of the returning, conquering CHRIST. Notice. "And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written KING OF KINGS, and LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:16).
The great KING of the coming kingdom of God is Jesus Christ.
His territory? THIS EARTH. Notice many Bible PROOFS. "And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: [the physical, human nations of this earth.] and He shall rule them with a rod of iron..." (Revelation 19:15).
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the EARTH." (Matthew 5:5).
"...ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven SHALL SO COME in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11).
"Behold, the day of the Lord cometh. . then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.
"And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east.. .and the Eternal shall be King over all the EARTH: in that day there shall be one Lord, and His name one." (Zechariah 14:1-9).
"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:10).
"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations [on this physical earth.] and he shall RULE them with a rod of iron... (Revelation 2:26, 27).
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne [on this EARTH.] even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne." (Revelation 3:21).
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them... and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years... blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:1-6).
Study Isaiah 11, the whole book of Zephaniah, Zechariah 14, and especially the latter chapters of the book of Revelation.
Jesus Christ is the returning, conquering KING of the kingdom of God.
The territory over which His kingdom will rule is this earth. The subjects are those human, physical remnants of rebellious, war-making nations which will still be alive following the great battle of Armageddon, the outpouring of the last plagues of God, and who will be forced to submit to the government of God after the second coming of Christ.
The laws by which Jesus Christ will administer His kingdom are God's Ten Commandments as magnified by Jesus Christ; GOD 'S LAWS, mercifully and justly applied at last to a sinning, rebellious, war-mongering world.
The kingdom of God is the living, ruling, governing FAMILY of God. At this present moment, it consists only of Father and Son.
Yet, it is into this ruling family we must be BORN.
Now comes the greatest truth you could ever come to understand. Christ the "Firstborn"
Jesus Christ is called the "firstborn from the dead".
"For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29).
Do you now understand what that scripture means?
When Jesus came back to His disciples after His resurrection He said, "ALL POWER is given unto me in heaven and in earth-go ye therefore..." (Matthew 28:18-20).
Did you notice it? Jesus said He had now inherited ALL POWER. Now, He was no longer merely flesh and bone, but SPIRIT. He was once again VERY GOD.
He had risked everything, and won. He had overcome Satan the devil; dispossessing and disenfranchising him as the present world ruler. He had overcome sin in the flesh. He had qualified to become the super WORLD RULER. Now, as VERY GOD; having been BORN OF GOD by a resurrection from the DEAD, He said He had inherited "all things."
Yet, He says you and I have the opportunity to be born of God just as HE WAS.
He is the Captain and Author of our salvation-the "first born" from the dead.
Notice. "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption [son-ship.] whereby we cry, 'Abba,' Father.
"The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
"And if children, then HEIRS [not yet inheritors.] heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ..." (Romans 8:15-17).
And what did Christ inherit?
ALL THINGS. He has been given eternal life forevermore. He now has ALL POWER. He has conquered death. He will live forever in joyous happiness; ruling, administering, carrying out the plans, policies and purposes of God the Father at His right hand. As such, Christ is the executive member of the Godhead; the KING of the coming "kingdom of God" to rule on this earth for one thousand years and throughout the UNIVERSE for all eternity.
And what did He promise you? Read again the promises of Revelation 2:26 and Revelation 3:21.
He promises you... are you ready for this? Are you willing to believe it? He promises you CO-RULERSHIP with Him in His kingdom.
Notice. "But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the FIRSTFRUITS of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Christ has been resurrected from the dead. He is alive. He is VERY GOD.
If you are to be BORN into the very family of God, then what will you BE?
Will you be a kind of "superhuman"? Will you be at the angel level? Will you be like a spiritual "plaything," a "pet," or some lesser being, staring up adoringly into the eyes of the Father?
What are you, now, in relationship to your human parents? Are you not, in every way their equal, except that you owe them HONOR as your parents? Are you not of their very flesh, bone and blood? Are you not a mature, adult human being, on an equal level with your fleshly, human parents? Are you not an intimate member of their family?
Of course you are.
And when you are BORN OF GOD what will you be? Will you not be a member of the very FAMILY OF GOD? Notice. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive.
"But every man in his own order: Christ the FIRSTFRUITS; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming."
No one has ascended to heaven except Christ Himself. He said so. "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven" (John 3:13).
What is the order of events-WHEN can you and I be born into God's kingdom? You just read it-"AT HIS COMING." And not one second before.
Do you see, now? God is your Spirit FATHER. Christ is your Spirit OLDER BROTHER.
IF you are converted-begotten of God by His Holy Spirit, then you are ON YOUR WAY to becoming a full-BORN member of GOD'S OWN FAMILY.
Now, drink in what you are about to read-and NEVER FORGET it. God is a Family
The Hebrew word used in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created..." is "Elohim." Elohim is a plural. The "im" ending connotes MORE than one-a duality of Persons in the Godhead.
Notice. "And 'Elohim' [God] said, 'Let us make man in our image...'" He did not say, "I will make man in my image"-but, "Let us," MORE THAN ONE-"make man in OUR image."
You know now that Jesus Christ of the New Testament is the Person or the Godhead who DID THE CREATING. (John 1:3, 10). The member of the Family of God who wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger; who parted the Red Sea; who wrestled with Jacob; who spoke to Abraham-that Person was one of the Divine Beings called, in the Hebrew tongue, Elohim. He became HUMAN; changed from Spirit to flesh, born of a virgin, and came among us as Jesus Christ of Nazareth-a human, to become the Author of our salvation; our redeemer from sin and Satan-the firstborn from the dead.
He revealed to us that He had a FATHER in heaven.
He said, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John 1:18).
Jesus said, "I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me..." (John 8:18). He enraged the Jews when He proclaimed, "Verily, Verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8:58).
The Jews knew by heart what God had said to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM; and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel; I AM hath sent me unto you." (Exodus 3:14).
To them, this was BLASPHEMY. They "took up stones to cast at Him" when He made that statement. They later accused Him of "making Himself EQUAL WITH GOD."
And WHO WAS Christ?
He WAS THE CREATOR-come in HUMAN FLESH. He was the executive member of the Elohim (GOD) who did the commanding; who "Spoke, and there was light," Truly, before Abraham was ever thought of-HE EXISTED.
He reveals to us that there is a divine FAMILY of beings; which HE chooses to call the "Father," and the "Son."
He says we can be "begotten by His Holy Spirit, and become "children" of God. We are then "brothers and sisters'' in Christ.
The church, which nourishes and protects us, is likened to our "mother." When we are resurrected, or when we are instantaneously changed, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump..." at the second coming of Christ, then we are BORN OF GOD. Yes BORN into our new, spiritual, divine FAMILY.
We are then "JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST."
And what did Christ "INHERIT?"
ALL THINGS.
Now do you see?
Your great human potential-your divinely-appointed human destiny-YOUR PERSONAL FUTURE is to become a MEMBER OF GOD'S OWN DIVINE, SPIRIT FAMILY.
YOU are to become a MEMBER of the FAMILY (KINGDOM) OF GOD.
Paul said, "Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" (1 Corinthians 6:3).
Yes, those who are resurrected in the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5) are to share RULERSHIP OF THE WORLD with Christ for the first one thousand years (Revelation 2:26, Revelation 20:4), and are to be like "pillars in the temple of God" (Revelation 3:12) living, ruling, reigning with God the Father and with Jesus Christ His Son FOR ALL ETERNITY.
God says the time will come-after the millennium-AFTER the great judgment of the "rest of the dead" (Revelation 20:5, 11:15) that He, God the Father, will come down to THIS EARTH-and ".... the throne of God and of the Lamb [Christ] shall be in it..." (Revelation 22:3), and then Christ says, God will"... MAKE ALL THINGS NEW" (Revelation 21:5).
Then is a "NEW BEGINNING" in the great plan and purpose of God.
THEN it will come clear WHY Almighty God is SO GREATLY enlarging HIS FAMILY. Then we will know perfectly what we can now know only in part.
Does your mind comprehend it? Can you really grasp it? YOU were born of your human parents as a POTENTIAL MEMBER OF GOD'S SPIRIT FAMILY. As you are a full-fledged member, an equal, in your HUMAN family, so through God's Holy Spirit-through growth, development, overcoming-and, finally, through an actual, literal CHANGE; a change from HUMAN to DIVINE; a change from FLESH TO SPIRIT-you will experience your own great personal, human destiny-YOU WILL BECOME A SPIRIT BEING-A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNING KINGDOM, THE FAMILY OF GOD.
This GREAT TRUTH is somehow hidden from the eyes of the MILLIONS, today. The churches don't teach it. But you have SEEN, with your own eyes, in your own Bible, the real truth about YOUR personal DESTINY.
May God help you to surrender your will to HIM; to repent; to be baptized; to receive His Spirit-to become HIS CHILD-to finally be BORN into His great Spirit FAMILY. That is the only real reason you are living on this good, green earth.
Ping.