Birth from Above: Its Meaning, Necessity and Attainment

By Silvanus Oluoch

"Born again or new birth" has become a Christian buzzword nowadays flippantly tossed about by people everywhere. But what does it really mean? That is what this book, Birth from Above addresses itself to by giving insightful facts regarding this vital experience.
It reveals how the concept is prefigured in the Exodus experience of the Israelites and relates the fact that a person can exchange his or her old sinful life for a brand new one in God, as is alluded to even in other Old Testament Scriptures, like Isa.1:18; Jer 31:33; Ezek 11:19; 36:26 and others. It then expands the scope of that explanation to the New Testament Scriptures, dealing with the various factors that entail the Born again experience ranging from why it is necessary, to how it came about. Finally it addresses some very practical questions that people grappled with.
I highly recommend it, especially to those desiring proper information on how to reconnect with God.

Allan Johnson (Abridged from the preface)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781493106998

Silvanus Oluoch

Silvanus Oluoch is a Christian minister residing in Seattle Washington. He has served as an associate minister with New Life Family Christian Center in Seattle, but he is currently involving with a network of churches and ministries in the Northwest as the thrust of his ministry. He is married to Ann and they are blessed with three children.

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Copyright © 2014 by Silvanus Oluoch.

ISBN:               Softcover                     978-1-4931-0698-1

eBook                          978-1-4931-0699-8

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Rev. date: 12/12/2013

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To all who are yet to experience birth from above

Contents

Preface

Introduction

1 Jesus Visited at Night

The Unexpected Visitor

Things Born Again is not

Simple General Definition

God’s Business

Born Again is a Personal Affair

Recapping the Major Facts in Chapter 1

2 The Original State of Mankind

Human Creation Account

Created in God’s Image

From the Outset

Created to have Dominion

Display of Wisdom

Suddenly Tempted

The Answer that Provoked more Questions

Satan Unable to lie to God

A liar from the Beginning

Sudden Change

Choices have Consequences

Right Standing Lost

God’s Plan of Redemption

Recapping the Major Facts in Chapter 2

3 The Nature of the Father’s Love

Tender and gentle

Longsuffering, never gives up.

Abundant always sufficient

Undeserved and loves in spite of us.

Condescending love

An all encompassing love

Practical

Resolute and immutable

Freeing and purifying.

Full of spiritual lessons

Celebratory

Recapping the Major Facts in Chapter 3

4 God no Respecter of Persons

Some Misconceptions

Scriptural Examples

People Differ but God’s Grace the Same

Man Good as Created a Sinner as Fallen

Criminals not the only Sinners

Recapping the Major Facts in Chapter 4

5 You Must be Born Again

Why You?

Why is it a Must?

Why be Born?

Why Again?

Recapping the Major Facts in Chapter 5

6 Faith for New Birth Personal and Practical

Accenting to Facts not Enough

Jesus is the Life

Being Practical

Hear and Do

Recapping the Major Facts in Chapter 6

7 Some Questions on Salvation Answered

The Nature of the Questions

Universality and individuality of salvation

Do factors like Faith, Grace, Election, Predestination or Calling determine salvation?

Appointed time of salvation

Sinning after New Birth

Isn’t religion just for the simple minded?

Recapping the Facts in the Questions of Chapter 7

Bibliography

Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Authorized Version unless otherwise indicated.

Scriptures marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.

© 1996, 2004. Used with permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version. © 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scriptures marked GWT is from God’s Word Translation, a copyrighted work of God’s Word to the Nations. Quotations are used with permission.

Scripture quotations marked (GNB) are from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version-Second Edition Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission

Scriptures marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. Used with permission.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV™ are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ERV are from, The Easy to Read Version. Copyright ©1999-2006 World Bible Translation Center. Quotations used with permission.

Scripture quotations marked BBE are taken from, The Bible in Basic English. Copyright Public Domain, 1949/1964 Cambridge Press in England

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the English Standard Version, Copyright ©2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TEV are from the Today’s English Version Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission

Scripture quotations marked EMTV are from the English Majority Text Version Copyright 2002 By Paul W. Esposito. Used by permission

Scripture quotations marked Recovery Version are from the New Testament Recovery Version copyright 1985, 1991. By Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim California

Note: All quotations of Scriptures that are boldface type are my emphasis unless indicated otherwise.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born from above.

John 3:7

Preface

Born again or new birth has become a Christian buzzword nowadays flippantly tossed about, almost by people everywhere. But what does it really mean? That is what this book briefly addresses itself to by giving the generally accepted definition of the term within the major Christian circles. It reveals how the concept is prefigured in the Exodus experience of the Israelites. Moreover, it relates that the fact that a person can exchange his or her old sinful life for a brand new one in God is alluded to even in other Old Testament Scriptures like Isa.1:18; Jer 31:33; Ezek 11:19; 36:26 and others. It then expands the scope of that explanation to encompass the New Testament Scriptures.

As it progresses, it zeros in with great details, on the Born again experience as the core shinning portal by which anyone may enter the Kingdom of God. The Born again experience, as the book portrays is in stark contrast to the vaguely disquieting and misguided jargons by some well-meaning Christians, and even other religious groups on how to find God. This book thoroughly deals with the various factors that entail the Born again experience ranging from why it is necessary, to how it came about. Each of these underlying areas is carefully examined under the scriptural microscope.

Finally, it addresses itself to the list of some very practical questions that most people grappled with one time or another in life. I attest that it is a good source of scripturally balanced information that even longtime Christians can use, from time to time, in reviewing and refreshing their basic beliefs about new birth. It is scripturally solid and I believe it will greatly benefit any reader who can apply its message. I, therefore, recommend it, especially to those desiring or requiring proper information on how to be born again.

Allan Johnson

Executive Board Elder

City View Church

Renton, Washington.                                                       November 2012

Introduction

A person must be born physically to exist on earth, and there remains for them another birth that is not physical. This new birth spaces them into a new sphere of existence to live to a higher purpose. It is the second birth that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about. It is what I am going to address in this book from the Christian scriptural perspective based on my current understanding. Nevertheless, this will not be an exhaustive study on salvation, as it is a subject that cannot be exhausted in terms of the various perspectives. I simply write here to connect the necessary information that can help those who desire to find God. Thus, it is for those whose hearts are seeking God, but do not know or do not want to be embroiled in the various doctrinal arguments on this subject.

However, whenever the topic of rebirth or new birth is mentioned, there are those who always only think of Buddhism or Hinduism. Yet it is true some of these groups have used the term rebirth quite often, but in a different context. Nonetheless, human natural existence is badly marred and requires a change in its core so that humans can have a fresh form of existence. Such an existence must originate from outside the human realm, and in this case it comes from the realms of God. That is what new birth is, a fresh commencement of life in a realm other than the human’s. In everyday language it is sometimes referred to as redemption or salvation.

It is a phenomenon that is well depicted or anticipated in the various cultural folklores, legends and myths having been alluded to as early as the Garden of Eden. God told Satan that the seed of a woman would bruise his head. Since then human heart has yearned for that bruising. They know it is what will bring them release from the nature of depravity and oppression. As a matter of fact, the humans seem to be always under circumstances and situations that are bent to control them resulting into negative emotions: despair, absurdity, alienation and feelings of meaninglessness. They have tried through innovations and other scientific breakthroughs to alleviate some of such limitations, but the root cause of it all they cannot solve. Thus, they are lost in the vastness of their existence and cannot extricate themselves. No wonder, their condition calls for a remedy, which can only be found outside them.

The basic graphical depiction of this phenomenon is the story of the redemption of the Israelites from Egypt. They had been enslaved for a period spanning over four hundred years by their Egyptian taskmasters, who oppressed them incredibly. Yet, when they cried to the God of their fathers, He personally came to their rescue.

However, while in servitude they had lost their sense of everything: sense of belonging, individuality, respect and so forth. They even lost the knowledge of the true God, having been brainwashed by witnessing the Egyptians’ religious observances. They then somewhat paid allegiance to the Egyptian deities: Osiris and Isis his wife, the Apis Bull and others.

Their trust and respect were also misplaced as they had been wrongfully programmed. Their respect was mostly to Pharaoh and the Egyptians whom they served. But then the Almighty God burst forth into the scene and intervened in their situation of degradation and hardship. He rescued them by the blood of the Passover lamb, which He ordered them to smear on their door posts. This depicted and set forth the act of redemption by blood yet in future. Because they believed His word, He miraculously delivered them and brought them out of Egypt by unmatched power; doing that so He might bring them into His abundance of free and true living. It was a new beginning for them, sort of new birth. From the outset God intended to reveal Himself to them more and more so that they could have a personal encounter and relationship with Him. But their wrongful programming while in Egypt hindered their rightful and loving responses to God.

They had to be re-oriented God-ward. In the process of time He brought them to His Mountain of personal interaction, where He gave them instructions to help sustain the change He had begun with them. Seemingly, He told them, "Look here gentle people, you have been working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and fifty two weeks a year. You have been on call whenever Pharaoh felt like having things done. But now you need to slow down and change your minds about this; you will be resting one whole day every week. We will call this day of rest, Sabbath. I know you are not used to this, but without rest you will all have nervous breakdown."

"And here is another thing I want you to heed, He went on. I want you to stop worshipping or paying homage to any of their gods so-called, or even to anyone in the name of a god, but Me. Those so-called gods are not God; besides Me there is no God. It does not matter that you formally rallied behind some of them and paid homage to the likes of Osiris. Remember they did not help you in any way while you were trapped in the Egyptian slavery. Nor did they do anything as far as your deliverance is concerned. I AM the Lord your God who delivered you from Pharaoh’s hands and brought you out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage. Worship Me alone."

"Moreover, in line with this, God went on. I want your minds to be renewed too, more so about ethics. You are doing poorly in this regard. You have lived without any regards to each other; you lack moral and relational ethics. So here they are." And He gave them the Ten Commandments.

That was His way then of involving with and engaging them continuously. He was giving them a means of encountering and remaining conscious of Him, as they nurtured the new life He had brought them into. Yet that was the best He could do with them then; now the Bible tells us that God has spoken to, and interacts with us in His Son.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Heb 1:2

If one is to become a frog he or she has to be born within the frog family, and it is the same with getting into God’s family; one must of necessity be born of God. Dear friend I urge you to carefully read and act on the message of this book, and if you do so genuinely, God’s grace will work wonders in your life. You will experience a change and great shall be that change. You will join millions of individuals who have already been reborn from above.

Silvanus Oluoch

1

Jesus Visited at Night

The Unexpected Visitor

One evening after what could have been termed