Monday, September 24, 2012

No More Virgin Births


           I use to think that all babies came into this world the same way Jesus did. God put 
the baby inside the mother's stomach (womb), the baby grew inside the woman and finally 
entered into the world. I will never forget my fellow freshman in the college dorm telling me 
that was not how babies were made.
            I'm kidding! That's a joke.
            Actually, I learned at age 7 that my view of bringing babies into this world was incorrect–thanks to some older boys that I hung around with.
            It took a while to fully appreciate this, but in time I realized that while God was involved in the birth of every baby, so were human beings–the father and mother. Through the years I have continued to marvel that God would work through people to bring babies into this world. That is how he has chosen to empower the fulfillment of his commandment for the human race to be fruitful and multiply (see Gen. 1-2.)
            God has another commandment for people in his Kingdom. It is to be spiritually fruitful and multiply.
            As with physical births, God chooses to deliver spiritual babies in a process that involves people. God chooses to bring spiritual babies into his Kingdom through a process using people. Just like a physical birth requires a human father and mother (except for Jesus), so too a spiritual birth requires human participation in the process.
            Many Christians act as if they belief God alone will bring people into His Kingdom. He could, of course, but he chooses not too. There was only one virgin birth—and it is over and done with.
              All Christians I have known, who married and desired children, completely understood that they must participate in the process. Many Christians I have known who desire to see spiritual children fail to realize that they too must participate in the process.
            Jesus calls for us to go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This can be a burden, or it can be an enjoyable process. We love, we serve, and we teach people about Jesus. What a blessing to participate in God’s mission of helping people to be born… again.

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