The Wind of the Spirit #363

Did you decide to be born? It wasn't your decision at all. So-called "wrongful birth" lawsuits emphasize this. People are actually suing because they believe they should not have been brought into the world. Now let's think about this. Jesus says, "You must be born again" (John 3:7). But if you did nothing yourself to cause your physical birth, how can you really cause your spiritual rebirth?

Jesus responds to our question in John 3:8, "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." People must be born of the Spirit. Jesus says this is up to the Spirit just as the wind blows when and where "it wishes."

This means the new birth is the sovereign work of God. Just as you cannot control the wind, you cannot control the Holy Spirit. The new birth does not come about as a result of human action. The Bible is emphatic. When a person receives the new birth, that person is "born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13). The new birth is the work of God alone. You cannot and should not take credit.

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Contributed by Dennis J. Prutow, email: djprutow@juno.com Voice message and free tapes: 1-800-777-0389 [USA] Or order your free tapes online. Today's cassette is #363 .