The Trunk of the Tree, Part 2

The title of the sermon today, The Trunk of the Tree Part II, and the title or subtitle is, Just What Do You Mean, Born Again? That title, of course, was a booklet written by Mr. Armstrong.

I guess it was probably released in the 50s. I first came across it somewhere around 1960, and it was a booklet that changed my life. After I read that booklet, I knew why I was born and why I existed, and it gave me the purpose for being. The theme of the Bible is summarized by these words, God is bringing sons and daughters to glory in his family and in his kingdom. That's what the Bible is about. The other is supporting material, surround material, and all of that.

So we can say that the family of God is the kingdom of God, and one of the most exciting things that people are excited about in the church today around the world has to do with the kingdom of God seminars. We can say that the church of God is the kingdom of God in embryo. The foundation for understanding the family of God and the kingdom of God is rooted into the answers to the seven great questions of life that you hear me refer to in nearly every sermon. We are going to pound that until we know and hope that our children know it as well. Does God exist? The first article of faith is to believe he would come to God, must first of all believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. That's Hebrews 11 verse 6. And then if God exists, and by faith we believe that he does, and by many infallible proofs, not only do we have it in faith, but we have it on concrete evidence and historical evidence as well. There is a God, and Jesus Christ is his son, which we shall hear about far more today. Who is God? He is our creator, our father. What is God? He is spirit. His purpose is to bring sons and daughters to glory in his family. Of course, there are many other purposes and facets of that associated with it.

Because God is love and he wants to share his being with us, the corollary to those questions is who is man, man made in the image of God, with faculties of mind akin to God. What is man? He is physical, made of death, subject to sin and death. What is his great purpose? He is to be born into the family of God, to receive his spirit, his very essence, to be born into the family of God at the resurrection.

In today's world, we hear people say that they have been born again. We have had two presidents in recent years, especially Jimmy Carter in the 70s who professed to be a born-again Christian, and then President Herbert Walker Bush in the 90s who professed to be a born-again Christian, not so much the father, but more the son in recent times. The principal was George W. Bush, who principally said that he was born-again Christian. So we will answer the question today, just what you mean born-again. Preachers like to ask people, have you been born again? The lady members also like to ask the question, well, have you been born again, brother?

And the analogy of human conception and birth parallels the spiritual process of begettle and being born into the family of God with one exception.

In the miracle and wonder of human conception, the father begets. The father supplies DNA chromosomes from his sperm that unites with the elven of the mother.

The mother carries the baby for nine months and then brings to birth.

So, begettle by the father and bringing to birth by the mother, with each supplying an essence of their very being that was generated within their body, the sperm and the elven. But in the spiritual begettle and birth, God the father begets us with his spirit and he brings us to birth. Thus, he is in the role of father and mother in that sense of bringing us to birth. Now, we talk about, and we shall talk about today, an interim period between begettle and birth born into the family of God, and we call it the begettle stage or the fetal stage or the embryonic stage, your first of embryo and then a fetus, the Church of God as being our mother. And we'll read that scripture.

So, God begets us and he brings us to birth in his family. The two steps in this process of human and spiritual birth are contained in the Greek word ganal. The Greek word ganal has been greatly discussed within the Church of God in recent years, and it was one of the things that caused a great deal of discussion and also some wonderment and agony back when the doctrinal changes were being made in the worldwide Church of God in the last few years there and then eventually with the, in essence, trying to do away with the spiritual law of God.

So let's define and explain the meaning of the Greek word ganal up front. We'll be referring to it throughout. This is very important to understand this. In the simplest terms, when ganal is translated as beget when used in the Bible, it is for the action of the Father. So please turn to Matthew 1.16. Well, we want, let's do Matthew 1.2 to begin with through verse 16. We're not going to read all these verses, but we'll just demonstrate what we're talking about here. In Matthew 1, verse 1, the book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham begat Isaac. That word begat in the Greek is ganal.

It is obviously the action of the Father. Abraham begat Isaac. Then we have a whole series of begettles through verse 16. You look at verse 16. And Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Now, if you go to Luke 1.57, we see here the action of the mother in ganal is used here for the action of the mother to bring to birth. This is speaking of the birth of John the Baptist, Elizabeth the mother, in Luke 1.57. Now, when Elizabeth's full time came, the term of her pregnancy came to fruition, the nine months. When Elizabeth's time came that she should be delivered, she brought forth. The Greek word for brought forth is ganal, action of the mother. She brought forth a son, John the Baptist.

So, I think this will become much clearer as we read and expound the scriptures. We'll briefly note what some of the lexicons say with regard to this. Thayer's ganal, properly of men begetting children, more rarely of women giving birth to children. After each one of this, there's a line of scriptures of God conferring upon men the nature and disposition of his sons, imparting to them spiritual life by his own holy power. So, exactly what I said was in keeping with what Thayer said, action of the father, action of the mother, action of the father to beget, action of the mother to bring to birth, action of God to impart the Holy Spirit. Lidle and Scott says, ganal means to beget of the father, to bear, to bring forth of the mother, to generate, to produce. Webster's dictionary defines generate, to beget, to procreate.

Strongs.

When use of the father, procreate, when use of the mother to be born to bring forth. Young's analytical. Ganal, to beget, to bring forth.

All of these definitions agree with the simple definition that I gave up front. Ganal, when use the action of the father, means to beget. When use the action of the mother means to bring forth or to conceive. Now, in recent times, some in the church have contended that Ganal only refers to a born child and does not include the entire process.

I submit to you, just as Mr. Armstrong wrote, that it does include the entire process.

I believe the best way to determine the definition of a Hebrew or Greek word in the Bible is by way, the way it is used in the preponderance of scriptures and the context of where it is used.

Now, the basis for religious people asking this question, have you been born again, stems from the conversation that Nicodemus had with Jesus Christ. You can go to John 3 now. John 3. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

The same came to Jesus by night and said unto him, you know, the Pharisees were very critical of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ was very critical of them and condemned them for what they taught and the way they were so filled with hypocrisy. Rabbi, we know that you are to teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that you do except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, of course, Jesus already knew why he was coming and the intent of his heart and what the main question would be, verily, verily I said, you accept a man be born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God. Now, this expression, Ganal, the Greek here, born again, is Ganal for born and Anathan, A-N-O-T-H-E-N, for above. Now, there are two main meanings that are given for for Anathan. One is from above and the other is again. Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily I say unto you, accept a man be born again. Now, some contend that the King James translators were biased and because of their biased nature, they translated this again as again.

So, this word appears, Anathan appears three times in the New Testament. Three times is translated from above and twice as again. So, some insist that it means from above, contending that a father engenders. Now, some say it would be strange to say that we must be born from God when fathers do not give birth. But in the case of our spiritual birth, as we shall see, the father does give birth. The father does bring us forth, whereas in the human realm, the mother brings us forth.

So, some say this has to do with origin, that life begins, spiritual life begins from above, from the father, which it does.

But as we read through this, we'll see that Nicodemus thought that Jesus Christ was speaking in literal terms with regard to born again instead of from above.

Now, as we say, it is obvious we've already noted that the father does beget us with his Holy Spirit. He imparts life to us, and we could say from above. But as we read the context here of what the discussion and how the discussion ensues between Nicodemus and Jesus Christ, we can see that Nicodemus is viewing this in literal terms, not as some spiritual thing of, well, where is the origin of life? Nicodemus said unto him, How can a man be born when he's old?

Can he enter the second time in his mother's womb and be born?

So he's viewing it in literal terms, born again.

Some argue that it would be better to translate this as born from above. I suppose that would be all right if you really understand what when actual birth in the kingdom of God takes place.

Nicodemus said unto them, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time in his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say, And you accept a man be born of water?

So that's the first birth. And then Jesus Christ speaks of another birth again. Except a man be born of water. So in the birth process, the mother's water breaks, and generally the baby comes shortly thereafter. In some cases, the water breaks well before. And in those cases, generally, the birth is far more difficult if the water breaks way in advance of the birth. Except a man be born of water, someone to argue that this is baptism. Baptism does not beget you with the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is a ceremony, an ordinance of the church, commanded by God in Christ, that signifies that we're burying the old man and we're entering into a covenant of sacrifice with God in Christ to be raised in newness of life, to live thereafter through the spiritual mind. It prepares us to receive the laying on of hands and the receipt of God's Spirit.

This is talking about physical birth. Jesus said, 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. And we know that we are not yet Spirit beings. We are still flesh, but we have the essence, the Spirit of God, abiding in us. Marvel not that I said unto you, you must be born again.

Well, you want to say born from above, but if you understand what this is about, and now I am going to give a direct quote from Mr. Armstrong's booklet title, just what you mean born again. Quote, when Jesus was talking with Nicodemus, he was referring to the time when we may enter into the kingdom of God, and that is the time of final birth, where the kingdom is literally the family of God. Therefore, the translators correctly rendered the Greek ganao as born in John 3, verses 3 through 8 in the English word born. Marvel not that I say unto you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it comes, and where it goes. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. The Spirit is invisible. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, how can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, are you a master of Israel, and you don't know these things? Verily, verily, I say unto you, we speak that we do know and testify that we have seen, and you receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? Now, the Apostle Paul picks up on this and makes it clearer with regard to the time frame. If we go now to 1 Corinthians 15. There were those in Corinth who did not believe that there was a resurrection from the dead. How can you claim to be a Christian and not believe in the resurrection of the dead? Notice in 1 Corinthians 15. Now, if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen? And if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain. Your faith is also vain. Verse 20, But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept, where since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as an Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive, but every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ at his coming. Now we pick it up again in verse 35. And these sections appear... Well, I'm not going to get into that. In verse 35, but some will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?

You see that in the doctrine of the Trinity, one of the great things that they cannot explain with regard to the incarnation and the resurrection. They can try to waffle around, which really is of no value, the incarnation, and say, Well, the one thing that was written is the entire essence of God was not exhausted when Jesus Christ came to the earth. Wasn't me.

It's like you could still have the Father in heaven and have the Son on earth, and yet there would be one and all that. It's mumbo-jumbo. But then when you talk about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, here's a distinct entity that appears to the disciples and all that.

And so, I was in Pasadena, the faculty here in Big Sandy was called out in 1993 to this lecture by the Greek scholar. After a couple of days of talking about this, I sort of played the like the innocent, dumb guy, and I said, Well, Dr. So-and-so, when did you come to this knowledge, and how did you come to it?

He said, I've always believed this. So they drew Jesus Christ down in the corner, the resurrected Christ as a little stick man that he called a pneumaticos.

He said, that means a spiritual body.

So I said, Well, in the resurrection, I wrote this later, and so in the resurrection, how are we identified? Are we just beeps on God's great radar screen, or are we distinct beings?

With an identity in the kingdom of God. Of course, we are distinct beings with an identity in the kingdom of God.

36, verse 36, he pegs it just right, you fool. That which you sow is not quickened, except it die, but that which you sow, you sow not that body that shall be, but bear grain. It may chance a wheat or some other grain. Of course, he's using the analogy of planting a seed and it germinating and coming up. But God gives it a body as it has pleased him, and to every seed his own body. To every seed his own body.

We're not just beeps on God's great radar screen. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of men, another of beasts, fishes, and birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial, earthly, but the glory of the celestial is one, the glory of the terrestrial is another. There's one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, glory of the stars, and they differ from another in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonors. Raised in glory, is sown in weakness, is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised. It is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

When are you born again? As we shall see, it's at the resurrection.

Do you now have new life from you, abiding within you, from God, from above?

Yes, you do. If you are converted, if you are repented, exercise faith, and sacrifice of Christ, being baptized, receive the laying on of hands, and God has placed you in the body where it pleases him, then you have this life within you, the very essence of God. And so, as it is written, the first man, Adam, was made a living soul. The last Adam was made a life-giving spirit.

See, Jesus Christ is the forerunner. Now listen to this. Jesus Christ was the forerunner of a new order of beings, as it were. There had never been in the whole creation. The angels were created. Humankind was created. The animals were created. The earth, material matter, and all that was created. But there had never been this birth or resurrection into the family of God.

Jesus Christ is the captain of our salvation, the forerunner. He went through this process. He lived in the flesh. He died for the sins of the world. He was raised a quickening life-giving spirit.

Verse 46, Howbeit that was not first, which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward, that which is spiritual.

The first man is of the earth, earthy. The second man is the Lord from heaven.

As is the earthy, such are they that are earthy, and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall bear the image of the heavenly. In one verse that we'll probably read later, it says, we shall see him as he is. That's 1 John 3, 2. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Remember in the discourse of Jesus Christ and Nicodemus, where Christ said, that which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the spirit is spirit. And as Mr. Armstrong wrote in his booklet, Jesus was talking about the time order.

When will you be literally born into the family of God? Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

Neither does corruption inherit... I'm sorry, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

Behold, I show you, Mr. 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 incorruptible, and shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

See, this process, as far as becoming a spirit being, had never taken place before. The angels were created, as they were, with what we call free will.

And they could choose, and once they made their choice, their will was set.

I'm just quoting now what is in Hebrews chapter 1. It's also in the Psalms. He said that of Jesus Christ. Then the purpose of angels, Hebrews 1.14, are not they all ministering servants sent to the heirs of salvation. So when this corruptible shall put on incorruptible, shall be sent to the heirs of salvation. So when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, this mortal shall put on immortality. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. This is precisely what Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus. Nicodemus was born in the flesh. He was flesh. He was born of the earth. He was earthy. And so are all of us. And as the heavenly bears image of the heavenly, so will we in resurrection. It is absolutely made clear that we do not enter into and inherit the kingdom of God while still flesh and blood, but only after we are resurrected to spirit life. So now let's notice the origin of Jesus Christ. We're going to trace now that Jesus Christ was a captain of our salvation, His origin, and the forerunner of our salvation. He goes through this process, becomes the firstborn among many brethren, and show how that resurrection is equated with being born into the family of God. I think we can make it very clear from the Scriptures. First of all, the origin of Jesus Christ. And John 1.1. As far as the origin of Jesus Christ, as you're turning there, Jesus Christ is without father, without mother. So the Word, the one who became Jesus Christ, and God the Father, exists in eternity. Now eternity, in the sense of always existing. So no matter how far you go that way, in infinity, or how you go far that way, there's no beginning and there's no end. We don't go through eternity, we live in eternity. And John 1.1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. There are three important things in this. In the beginning was the Word. That denotes the Greek word was, spelled e-e-n, is the verb to be, means to exist. In the beginning, the Word existed. And the Word was with God, showing relationship, that these two were together, God the Father and the one who became Jesus Christ. And the Word was God, showing identity, His state or level of existence. Now, let's go to Philippians 2.

I want to go to Hebrews 7 first. Hebrews 7, I'm sorry. Hebrews 7 first. I've already mentioned this, without father, without mother. We're talking about the origin of Jesus Christ, His begatble, and Him coming to birth. We will go through the same process, except we were not God to begin with. In Hebrews 7, verse 1, For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham, returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave you a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation king of righteousness. Some people, some scholars, commentators want to make Melchizedek into just another human being. But what human being could be called king of righteousness? And after that also, king of Salem, which is by interpretation peace, which human king personifies peace without father, so which human king had no father or had no mother, without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, abides a priest continually. That is only one being, fits that description, and that being is Jesus Christ. Of course, God the Father had no father, no mother, no beginning as it were. Now we go to how He became the first begotten Son of God. We go now to Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter 1 in verse 26. Here's what it says about how Jesus Christ was begotten.

In Luke chapter 1 and verse 26, And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into his city of Galilee named Nazareth. Now that's the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy in verse above. So John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus Christ. To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, the house of David and the virgin's name was Mary. The angel came in unto her and said, Hail, you are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind, what manner of salutation is this? And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for you found favor with God, carous, divine favor. And behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bring forth a child, and you shall name and call his name Jesus. And he shall be great and shall be called the Son of the highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. We talked about that from Acts 2 last week. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and in his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? So here is the spiritual, the angelic messenger, telling us how this would happen, how he would be begotten. So you have, as we'll read just a moment from Philippians, that the Word was in the form of God, and he took on the form of a man. And the angel entered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon you. So the very essence of God in the Word, the Holy Spirit shall come upon you. The power of the highest shall overshadow you. And some talk about this overshadowing as a symbolic of the great presence and power of God. Therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.

So exactly how this transfers, as you will, from being in the form of God and taking on the form of man, the Father plays this role of this essence being placed in the womb of Mary. Philippians 2 helps us understand this to some degree, and is probably the best explanation that we can find. Philippians chapter 2 verse 5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Of course, the mind he's talking about described in the verses above of esteeming others better than yourselves being totally in humility before God in Christ. Paul was in prison when he wrote this.

But what he describes here, this mind, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, colon, showing, I believe the punctuation is correct, the example of Christ, who being in the form of God, Morphe, M-O-R-P-H-E is the great word for form, who being in the form of God thought it not, Harpo-pachmos, this word robbery, means a thing to be seized. Thought it not a thing to be seized to be equal with God. Why didn't he? Because he was already on the God plane, being in the form of God. He was equal with God in the sense of level of being, of spirit being. But this one agreed to humble himself and then be subservient to the Father in eternity.

If you really grasp the significance of what Christ gave up in humbling himself, and when the church begins to talk about Christ-centered servant leadership or Christ-like leadership, then you can begin to get a bit of a glimpse of what that entails.

As you read this, who being in the form of God thought it not a thing to be seized to be equal, Isis, I-S-O-S, and the Greek, he was on the same plane, but he made himself of no reputation. I am going to be totally subject to the Father. I'm going to obey him. I'm going to give up the glory that I had with you, and I'm going to take on the form of a servant and come and die for sinful humanity so that they can be viewed as sinless before you, the Father, and that they can eventually be in your family. But made himself of no reputation took unto him the form Morph, Morph A, M-O-R-P-H-E, of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the stake. Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted himself and given him a name which is above every name. You begin to understand you give up your glory and you come to earth and take on the form of a man. The sacrifice, the servant essence of this, is beyond description. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Now you go to John 17 and you see that Jesus Christ did have this glory with the Father before he came to earth because in this prayer that he prayed to the Father before he was betrayed, tried, and later crucified. Look at John 17.5, and now, O Father, glorify you me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world began. So there is no question that Jesus Christ existed in eternity with the Father and then humbled Himself as described in Philippians 2. Now go back to John 1. Back to John 1. In John 1, verse 12, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.

That born in the final sense, as we shall see, is at the resurrection. We're in the Begettles stage now, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld his glory, the glory of the Father, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Now the only begotten of the Father, monoagacy in the Greek, means that he is the only one of that kind to be begotten in such a way. The only one who was ever on the plane of God, and he was then begotten and was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus was the only one begotten supernaturally in the manner described above.

As we mentioned earlier, let's go to Romans chapter one now. As we mentioned earlier, Jesus Christ introduced a new order of being. He was the begotten Son of God, having divested himself of his glory, and he came to earth.

In Romans chapter one, verse three, concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, so physically descended from David with Joseph and Mary having David in their lineage and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the resurrection from the dead. Before Jesus Christ was the word was begotten in the womb of Mary and became the only begotten Son, there was not a father-son relationship. Because we've read from Hebrews chapter seven, verses three, four, and five without father, without mother, without beginning or end of days. So this begins the family relationship when he was begotten, and then he's brought to birth in the family of God, the first one to go through that process. And so that's a new order, as it were, of actually begotten and born sons of God.

After baptism, we're baptized in the body of Christ, the church of God, the Israel of God, the Holy Nation, the kingdom of God, and embryo. So forward now to 1 Corinthians 12, 12. 1 Corinthians 12, 12.

In 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 12, For as the body is one and have many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit we're all baptized into one body, whether we be Jew or Gentile, whether we be bond or free, have been all made to drink into one spirit. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. It is shed on us through Jesus Christ, Titus 3 verses 4, 5, and 6.

So after that, we are in the Begettle stage. This great plan of salvation was ordained before the foundation of the world. Go to 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 18. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 18.

What did I say in turning here? This great plan of salvation was ordained before the foundation of the world.

In 1 Peter 1 verse 18, For as much as you know that you were not redeemed, not bought back with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, without spot, who was verily foreordained, Proganosco means to know beforehand, who was known beforehand, before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in these last times. So what we talked about, Him giving up the glory, coming to this earth, being made flesh, dwelling among us, dying for our sins, becoming the Son of God through the resurrection, that plan was carefully planned out before the Word was made flesh.

Who by Him do believe in God that raised Him up from the dead, who raises us from the dead, who brings us to birth? It is God the Father. So He begets us and brings us to birth and gave Him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. See, even Jesus Christ Himself pointed us toward God, God the Father. Seeing you have purified your souls and abating the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren.

Unfain means no ulterior motives. Jesus Christ had no ulterior motives in coming to this earth and giving up Himself to die for the sins of the world. And that you love one another with a pure heart fervently, being born again, more properly begotten again, not of corruptible seed. What are you begotten with? The very Spirit, the essence of God. By one Spirit we're all baptized into one body, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the Word of God which lives and abides forever. The Word of God will live and abide forever. By analogy, we are in the womb of our spiritual mother, the Church of God, to be fed and nourished.

Let's go to Galatians 4. Galatians chapter 4, we've already mentioned this, but let's read it. Galatians 4 verse 25. Paul here is speaking of an allegory of the Old Covenant, New Covenant, in which he uses the example of Hagar and Sarah. Hagar representing the Old Covenant, Sarah representing the New Covenant, and also between that the allegory between Ishmael and Isaac. Galatians chapter 4 verse 25. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answers to Jerusalem, which now is physical, fleshly Jerusalem in bondage with their children, but Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all.

So in this Begettled stage, we are kept in this stage to be born, and we remain faithful into the family of God. The ministry is supposed to feed the flock of God, to give them spiritual nourishment, the words of life, the Word of God.

You remember Christ's admonition to Peter in John 21, where he appeared to Peter after the resurrection, after they'd gone fishing, after they had eaten. He turned to Peter and said, do you love me, Peter? Peter said, you know I love you, Lord. And Jesus said, feed my sheep. And he asked him that the second and third time. Now we go to 1 Peter, 1 Peter 15, I mean 1 Peter 5, 1 Peter 5, verse 1.

Peter did not forget that. Remember Peter, who was told by Jesus Christ later in John 21, no matter how you live your life, Peter, how are you going to die? You are going to be crucified upside down, and that's how you're going to die. No matter how faithful you are, that's the way that your physical life is going to end. And I think we have placed far too much emphasis on physical salvation in the church through the years. It's about giving up this life. It's all about if we should gain the whole world and not save our lives, our very essence, it's all in vain.

Why were you born? It's to be in the family of God. 1 Peter 5, verse 1. The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also are partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. That partaker of the glory that shall be revealed, he was among those three, Peter, James, and John, that saw the transfiguration.

So he had had some of the glory revealed in that vision of the transfiguration. The partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God, which is among you taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint but willingly, nor by a for filthy lucre but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.

So in this fetal stage, we're to be nourished in the mother of us all in the Church of God. We're to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Remember John 6, 63. The flesh profits nothing. It is the spirit that quickens or makes a lie. The words I speak, they are spirit and they are life.

So even though we're in the spiritual stage of development, not yet spirit beings, we're viewed as children of God because we have the divine essence of God in us. Let's go back to Romans chapter 3. Romans 3. Let's see how quickly we can move. I mean Romans 8. I didn't mean 3. I mean 8. Yeah, Romans chapter 8. In Romans chapter 8 verse 14, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you are received the Spirit of sonship, not adoption. Sonship. The great word is weia othea. Sons of God. The adopted children can have the same rights and privileges as a son by birth, but they do not come out of the loins of their parents. Whereas with us, the very essence of God is given to us.

We are no less than sons in the literal sense.

And I view spiritual as literal. These other things are not the real things. They are a figure of what is to come. Whereby we cry, Abba, Father, we are sons. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God. On that plane of existence. And notice, its joint heirs with Christ. So is anyone going to deny that Jesus Christ was raised to spirit life and is ascended to the Father? We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Thus, we would be on the same level, not that we will take His place or anything like that. If so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. Christ, the firstfruits of them that slept, and each man in His order at the coming of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul equates resurrection from the dead with being born into the family of God. This is so exciting. You notice Psalm 2 first of all, because he quotes Psalm 2. In Hebrew, there is a Greek word. In Hebrew, there is a Greek word. In Hebrew, there is a word that corresponds to Gennao. That word is Yalad. Y-A-L-A-D. Easy to spell. Yalad. When used to the Father, it means to be yet. When used to the Mother, bring to birth. In the case of spiritual forget on birth, the Father does both. Psalm 2 verse 7. I will declare the decree, the Lord has said unto me, You art my son. This day have I, Yalad, brought you to birth in this case, as we shall see from Acts chapter 13. This day have I, Yalad, brought you to birth. Ask of me, and I shall give you the nations for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, and you shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now, therefore, O kings, be instructed you, judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled, but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Now we go to Acts 13. Acts 13 is one of the great summary chapters of the Bible. There are three great inspired sermons recorded in the book of Acts. Peter's sermon of the day of Pentecost Acts 2. Stephen's sermon in Acts 7, and Paul's sermon in Acts 13.

I don't have time to read all of the context, but I need to finish. I may have to go a few minutes over to finish this and tie this all down. In Acts 13, verse 29, breaking in, Paul is recounting similar to what Stephen did, but a more directed toward Christ, the history of Israel, and how Jesus Christ came to be and was crucified. Acts 13.29. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a sepulcher. But God raised him from the dead. Who raised him from the dead? The Father. Who brought him to birth? The Father. Who begat him? The Father, as we have clearly seen.

And he was seeing many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Father's. God has fulfilled the same unto us, their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again, as it is also written in the second psalm, You are my Son, this day have I, God, now owe you. This day have I brought you to birth. I've raised you from the dead. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption. He said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Now to Revelation, chapter 1. You see very clearly that resurrection is equated with being born into the family of God. But here's even more. In Revelation 1, verse 4, John to the seven churches which are in Asia graced be unto you in peace from him unto him which is, which was, which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne. This is God the Father. This is God the Father. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the prototichos, old King James says, first begotten, New King James says, first born, which is correct, prototichos, first born, and this, and the first born of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us, washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

But there's more. Isaiah 66. Peter speaks in 1 Peter 2.9 of a holy nation, a purchased people, a holy nation that should show forth the praises of him. Isaiah 66 speaks to this holy nation being born.

In Isaiah 66 verse 5, hear the word of the Lord, you that tremble at his word. Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for his namesake said, let the Lord be glorified, but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that renders recompense to his enemies. Before she travailed, she is the church. She brought forth before pain came, she was delivered of a man child, who have heard of such a thing, who has seen such a thing. Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once, for as soon as Zion travailed? Paul writes in Hebrews 1222 that you have not come to Mount Sinai, but you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the general assembly of the first born.

You have come, for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children, and brought forth is Yalad, the Hebrew word that corresponds with the canal. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to Yalad, to bring forth, says the Lord? Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the wound, says your God? Well, no. Rejoice you with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you that love her. Rejoice for joy with her, all you that mourn for her.

Verse 12, for thus says the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations, like a flowing stream. Then shall you suck, and shall be born upon her sides, and shall be dandled on her knees, as one whom the mother comforts. So will I comfort you, and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. Yes, God is going to bring you and I and the Church of God. Everyone that is remains faithful to the Church of God will be born into the family of God, made kings and priests of God and Christ, and we will reign forever and ever. So, brethren, hold fast to the trunk of the tree. This is one of the important parts of the trunk of the tree. If you'll be faithful to the end, God the Father will bring you to birth, and you will reign with God and Christ and the saints forever. As a born-again, glorious, radiant spirit being in the kingdom of God.