Born Again

“The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Genesis 2:7

“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. He led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones,.. O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord… Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’

“So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh.., and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy… and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet…

“He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones… say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.” Therefore… say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people…  And you shall know that I am the Lord… And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live… I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:1-14

“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:7

What vivid pictures the Lord God gives to illustrate the beginning of human life, and the rebirth of the Christian! Every breath we have is from Him, from our first gulp when we emerged from the womb, to our first cry as one redeemed, having received eternal life at the moment of belief. When we entered the world physically, we were spiritually slain by innate sin- dead dry bones without hope, cut off from Christ, in a vale of darkness. But God, rich in mercy, breathed new life into us by grace, that we might believe and be saved, quickened to life to know, love, and serve Him. (Ephesians 2:1-6; 1 Peter 2:10)

We must not marvel that we must be born again, but certainly marvel that we are. Recognizing our depravity and need, and our very faith to believe, are God’s gracious gifts. He alone regenerates our spirits to respond to Him, His Spirit working in us that which is good and pleasing and bears much fruit. (Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 13:20-21)

Once we have been reborn, and indeed the old has gone, what are we doing to make new habits, manners, and passions come along and alive in vibrant vitality? (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 5:8-10)

Lord, in my thoughts, words, and actions, magnify the life of Your Spirit in me, to the praise of Your glory.