First, we are convicted that we were born of Adam in sin and that we should take Christ as our righteousness. If we do not, we will bear the judgment with Satan. This conviction brings us into the death and resurrection of Christ. At this juncture, the Spirit of reality germinates us, the repentant believers, with the resurrection life of Christ to regenerate us, to beget us anew in our spirit (1 Pet. 1:3; John 3:3, 5). We must take note of the two spirits here. The Spirit germinates our spirit. This is the key for us to understand regeneration.
“That which is born of the Spirit [of God] is spirit [of man]”-a spirit born of the Spirit (John 3:6).
Right away the Spirit of God with the spirit of the regenerated believers witnesses that they are the (spiritual) children of God (Rom. 8:16). The children of God are divine and spiritual. We should not say that they are mystical, because it is very clear and evident that they are children of God.
The Lord wants the regenerated believers as newborn babes to feed on the (spiritual) milk of the word, which word is spirit and life (John 6:63), that they may grow in His life unto their daily salvation (1 Pet. 2:2). The first step of God’s organic salvation is regeneration. After regeneration the newborn babes need to feed on the milk of the holy Word. The holy Word is the Spirit, so that milk is the spiritual milk. This feeding is so that they may grow in life unto their daily salvation. Every day we need to be saved. This is because our attitude, the tone of our voice, and our spirit are not so right. Even the way we look at others is not right. We need to be adjusted, to be saved from many things. We need to grow unto such a salvation. The word unto means “resulting in” or “for.” We have to grow for salvation and we need a growth that results in salvation. If we have no growth, we cannot enjoy the salvation we need.
As they grow up in the divine life, the regenerated believers have to feed on the solid food also, not only on the milk, by exercising their spirit to contact the Spirit of God’s word that they may receive the supply of life (Heb. 5:13-14; Matt. 4:4b). Our receiving the supply of life is for our maturity in life. Even in the section of feeding, the Spirit and our spirit both are involved.
(Point III of this message is recomposed to replace what was spoken in the conference. All the attendants of the international blending of the co-workers and elders: please read this recomposed portion as a special loving request.)
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