Old self vs New self, being born again.

[B-A-C]

I recently watched a video posted by another brother here on TalkJesus, it was mostly about the resurrection, rapture, second coming, etc...
I was doing Ok with most of it, but then they tried to tie being born again to the resurrection. I am often amazed that people don't know what being born again actually means.

The phrase "born again" in only found four places in the Bible. Twice by Jesus, twice by Peter.

John 3:3; Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3:7; "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
1Pet 1:3; Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pet 1:23; for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

These two verses in Peter eliminate being born as equating to the resurrection. Because Peter says "caused us to be born again" (past tense) and "Have been born again" past tense.
Obviously the people Peter wrote this to weren't already resurrected, but they were already "born again".

Besides even the wicked will be resurrected.

John 5:28; "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
John 5:29; and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

Acts 24:15; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

So even the unrighteous, evil people will be resurrected, so the resurrection is not being born again.
So then.. what is it?

The first thing we have to understand, is that "old self" has to die.

John 12:24; "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
1Cor 15:36; You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;

That mean our old selfish ways have to die. The word "selfish" contains the word "self". The world tells us to be about our self.
The Bible says we have to die to self. This isn't physically dying, it's dying to your old sinful ways.

Rom 6:6; knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

Obviously this letter wasn't written to people who were actually crucified, but to those who have crucified their old sinful "self".

Eph 4:22; that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
Eph 4:23; and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
Eph 4:24; and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Col 3:5; Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
Col 3:6; For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,
Col 3:7; and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
Col 3:8; But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
Col 3:9; Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
Col 3:10; and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
Col 3:11; a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

If you have crucified the old self, with it's sinful ways of immorality, passion, evil desires, and greed, then the "old self" is dead. But you still have to put on the new self (which is like Christ).

1Cor 5:7; Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.

2Co 5:17; Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

If we have died to the old self, and put on the new self, we are a new creature, a new creation, we are "born again". The new things have come.

Gal 2:20; "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Paul wasn't actually physically crucified here, he has crucified the old self. The old desires. He is no longer living like the old person he was before he knew Jesus. Now he is living like Jesus.

Gal 5:24; Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

This is what taking up your cross means. It means dying to "self". We have to do this everyday.

Luke 9:23; And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

1Cor 15:31; I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Paul wasn't actually physically dying every day, he was dying to his old ways, sometimes it was daily struggle.
He was dying to what he wanted to do, and living for what God/Jesus wanted him to do.

Rom 8:13; for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Being born again simply means dying to your old self, and putting on Christ. Living like Jesus. No longer for the flesh and it's lusts.

Rom 13:14; But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

 

[complete]

'Jesus answered and said unto him,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.'
(John 3:3)

'Marvel not that I said unto thee,
Ye must be born again.'
(John3:7)

'Jesus answered, 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.'
(John 3:5)

'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to Hs abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you,
Who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
(1 Peter 1:3-5)

'Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.'
(1 Peter 1:23)

Hello there,

New birth is received by means of the word of God, by hearing and believing what is heard concerning the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:
and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him.'
(1 John 5:1)

'Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;
for his seed remaineth in Him: and He cannot sin,
because He is born of God.'
(1 John 3:9)

'Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God;
and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.'
(1 John 4:7)

' For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:
and this is the victory that overcometh the world,
even our faith.'
(1 John 5:4)

'We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not;
but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself,
and that wicked one toucheth him not.'
(1 John5:18)

* The words, 'born again', are associated with an 'inheritance', as can be seen in 1 Peter 1:3-5 (above), and in John 3:3 and John 3:5, which necessitates being, 'born of the Spirit' (John 3:5). This concept can be found in Ezekiel 36:24, where it is promised to the children of Israel:-

'For I will take you from among the heathen,
and gather you out of all countries,
and will bring you into your own land.
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean:
from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,
and I will give you an heart of flesh.
And I will put my spirit within you,
and cause you to walk in my statutes,
and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers;
and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God.'
(Ezekiel 36:24-28)

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris