In order to understand the real birth which is spiritual you need to understand the real death which is a spiritual separation from God.
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” — John 3:6 ESV
If you are not born again, you can’t walk in this reality because you have to be qualified by the spirit of God to have him dwell in you. Your spirit man has to be made alive. Until you have a recreated human spirit you can’t relate with God.
“Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."” — John 3:3 ESV
“Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” — John 3:5 ESV
There are two dimensions that Jesus was speaking about the ability to see the kingdom and the ability to enter the kingdom which implies experiencing the kingdom. Remember we’ve established that we can’t see nor enter the kingdom of God without the Holy Spirit.
The Real Death is Spiritual
Since your spirit man was separated from God at the fall it has to be reborn in order to have life again. Hence unless one is born again they can’t relate nor know God personally. In order to understand the real birth which is spiritual we have to understand the death that occurred in man.
When we read the account in Genesis 3 we learn about the fall of man and the deceit of the devil. When the devil deceives you into accepting anything from him it’s because what you are losing is far greater than what he offers you.
“Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” — Genesis 2:7 ESV
The breath of life that God gave man was the ability to exist materially and to relate with God. Only man was formed by the hands of God and could receive the breath of life. The man became a living soul made in the image and likeness of God. God is spirit and we were made in his image which is a spirit man made to exist in the material world.
“So 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 to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” — Genesis 3:6-7 ESV
They were cut off from divinity and could only exist relating with the material world because of the sin of rebellion. As a result the glory of the Lord was removed and man became lost. When Adam realized he was naked he hid himself from the Lord . It’s important to note that anything that makes you hide from the Lord is dangerous, take your relationship with God seriously and avoid anything that will cause separation. If we are in a state of separation we can repent and return back to him confessing our rebellion and receiving the cleansing of the blood of Jesus . Similarly a believer who separates from the Holy Spirit becomes naked and vulnerable to the devices of the enemy.
The absence of God’s spirit causes nakedness and vulnerability. That’s why God has provided the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus so that we can be made into the new creation. The Holy Spirit is within us and with us so we can conform to our status as children of God.
The First Adam a Living Soul
The first Adam was created and filled by God and he was living within the confines of the will of God. When sin entered they become separated from God.
“Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” — 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 ESV
All those who are from the dust are from the first Adam and those who are born again belong to the last Adam the life giving spirit. The first Adam gives birth to your physical nature which is a nature of sin, whereas the last Adam gives birth to your spiritual nature.
“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” — 1 Corinthians 15:50 ESV
The Kingdom in this context is the Holy Spirit who gives us the expression. Jesus is the king and the Holy Spirit is the administrator of the kingdom. The Holy Spirit grants us the empowerment to express divinity. The focus and essence of our relationship is to give kingdom expression in every area of our lives.
“Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” — John 3:5 ESV
