Two Kinds of Birth

“Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.” Job 14:2

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,
even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of
the flesh, nor of the will of man, butofGod.” John 1:12,13.

There are two kinds of birth referred to in these Bible verses, two kinds of people: those born of woman, and those born of God. About the former it is said that their life is short and full of trouble. We only have to look around and see the people who live in this world to verify this statement.

In 1 John 5:4, we read: “For whatever is born of God, overcomes the world.” The child of God races trouble but does not lead a life “full of them”. On the contrary, he overcomes them by overcoming the influence the world tries to have upon him. A child of God is an overcomer, and in the same verse reference is made to the weapon used in this spiritual battle, the only weapon through which we may obtain victory: our faith.

While the man born of woman “is of few days”, the one born of God has eternal life and sees everything under a different perspective. He does not rush through life trying to accomplish as much as he can because although he knows that “the days of our lives are seventy years, and by reason of strength they are eighty years” (Psalm 90:10), he counts on an eternity ahead of him. He allows himself to behold and meditate upon the little things in his life that are a manifestation of God’s love and in everything he finds a reason to praise his heavenly Father.

When trials come his way, he does not murmur, but rather sees them as a chance to grow in perseverance to develop a character which can hope for eternity. (Rom. 5:3,4) He sees every difficulty as a test to be faced by faith to bring as a result patience, that leads to perfection. (James 1:3,4)

How much easier is the life of the one who has been born of God! Who would not like to be in his position?
What is the condition for passing from being a simple mortal with a life of toil and trouble, to being a child of God who can start here and now to enjoy eternity? There is one only condition: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God…” (John 1:12) “through whom also we have access by faith into His grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:29)

The condition is to receive Christ as a personal Saviour, and in order to do it one has to be aware of one’s own limitations, of one’s own incapacity to overcome any difficulty and of one’s own sinful condition which leads to the grave, “because the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:28)

It is only when one comes to this realization, by the work of the Holy Spirit in one’s heart, that one exclaims together with Paul: “O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:24) and the answer does not delay, the cross of Calvary rises before one’s eyes, “and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but has eternal life.” John 3:14, 15.

One can see Christ taking one’s place on the cross. “For He made Him who knew no sin for us that we may become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor. 54:21, and from the depth of one’s heart, the cry arises: ” – thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:25)
AMEN

Theresa Corti