Rebirth

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee.” Christ the Lord often spoke to His hearers in this manner to illustrate that He was speaking the truth; and above all, that it was necessary to believe the truth. The repetition of the word serves to arouse attention to its noteworthiness, to impress the hearers with the importance of this truth. For the same reason, and mainly for this end, Jesus is speaking here to Nicodemus. These words are not the same as swearing an oath because God is not called upon as a witness, but it is a strong assuring word to affirm the truth. It is more than simply saying, yes or no; it is different from the words Christ used in Matthew 5:37: “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

Being born is mentioned here, although not the natural birth which is implied as being insufficient and use less to salvation, but rebirth is mentioned, a particular new birth. The first birth has to be repeated, although rebirth is totally different from our natural birth. The first birth concerns a person who did not exist before; rebirth is wrought in a person who already exists but is depraved.

By birth each man receives the likeness of Adam, which is of sin and death, “And Adam ... begat a son in his own likeness, after his image” (Gen. 5:3); “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5).

In rebirth man receives the likeness of Christ, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” (Gal. 4:19). The virtues and perfections which are in Christ the Lord put an imprint and likeness in the soul. The first birth not only generates a sinful, but also a mortal life; rebirth, a spiritual and eternal life. Therefore Peter said that He “hath begotten is again unto a lively hope” (1 Pet. 1:3). The Lord Jesus emphasizes rebirth as most necessary, yes, so necessary that He explains to Nicodemus that no man can enter the kingdom of God except he be born again.

Concerning the matter itself, rebirth is God’s work of grace by means of changing the depraved sinner, actually translating him from his sinful state into a state of grace and spiritual life, henceforth to live to God’s honor.

It is, we repeat, an actual change in man. Justification also results in a change. It causes the legal state of man — being guilty, cursed, and under condemnation — to be such that he is acquitted and set free from condemnation, thereby receiving a right to eternal life. Justification, however, does not bring about a change and improvement in man himself. It is true that he who is justified will also be changed and renewed, but the grace of justification as such does not bring this about.

God finds man deprived of His image, separated from His Spirit, and therefore dead in sins and trespasses. “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh” (Col. 2:13), blind of understanding, unable to see godly truths or to give a right judgment.

He is unjust and distorted in his desires because “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21). Disorderly and excessive are his passions and tempers. Foolishness, disobedience, wickedness, hate and envy are so intertwined that reason is thereby counteracted to such an extent that it causes great disorder and an evil disposition in man. It is not only as though they are blind, dumb, and deaf, but as if all the members of the body are dislocated.

Upon this, then, the Lord comes in regeneration, and takes the blindness, wickedness, and evil passions away; and implants in him the light of knowledge, reasonableness, and suitableness, in all righteousness and holiness.

This is initially already the kingdom of God, which in principle is established here upon earth when Jesus calls sinners and transfers them into His kingdom — to rule and reign in their hearts as King. Wherefore Paul thanks the Father that he himself, and others with him, have been delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of His dear Son (Col. 1:13).

This kingdom was established directly after the fall. As soon as the Lord had a church, He also had a kingdom, since the one includes the other, although it was revealed under another name in respect to its revelations. After Christ was manifest in the flesh, however, and when, by His deeds, the work of satisfaction was accomplished, this kingdom was established in a more extraordinary way.

Therefore, from that time on, the work of the kingdom was extended through the proclamation of the gospel to all the ends of the earth, and was founded in the midst of Gentiles who came under His dominion, bowing down before Him, acknowledging Him as their King, according to the prophecy in Psalm 72:8-11.

This kingdom shall finally be extended into glory. Then the King shall place all His subjects in immediate possession of all the heavenly gifts, according to His own words, in Matthew 25:34: “Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Rev. Florentius Costerus (d. 1703), a Dutch Second Reformation divine of Voetian persuasion, studied theology at Utrecht and pastored at Wognum and Hoorn, The Netherlands. He became most renowned for his classic, De geestelike mensch (The Spiritual Man), written in 1687 and last republished in 1987. This article is translated from Reformatorisch Dagblad.

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