Born again of the Spirit
Genesis 1:26, 27
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 2:4-7
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
According to the Hebrew teachings the breath of life is a symbol for the Holy Spirit and it was the Holy Spirit who was breathed into Adam’s nostrils that made Adam a living being separating him from the other animals that creep on the earth.
It was the Holy Spirit living within Adam that made Adam in God’s image, according to God’s likeness.
Genesis 2:15-17
Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
Genesis 3:6, 7
Genesis 2:15-17
Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
Genesis 3:6, 7
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
When Adam ate the forbidden fruit the breath of life was withdrawn from his nostrils. He was no longer a living being and he became just like the other animals which creep on the earth.
When Adam ate the forbidden fruit the Holy Spirit left him and he was no longer in the image and likeness of God.
John 3:3-6
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and 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.”
Jesus says that you and I must be born again of the Spirit to see and enter the kingdom of God.
You and I must have the breath of life breathed into our nostrils in order to become like Adam in the garden of Eden.
You and I must be born again of the Spirit to be made in the image and likeness of God.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Without the Holy Spirit dwelling within us you and I are just like the other animals which creep on the earth.
So…
Have you been born again of the Spirit?
Have you been made in the image and likeness of God?
For more on the Holy Spirit please click/tap here: The Holy Spirit
