Born of the SPIRIT ?
or Born of the FLESH ?

A tablet from the on-going INTERNET BOOK, "The Doctor's Terrific Tablets"
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by John N. Todd III, M. D. (link)


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John 3: 5 (NRSV) Jesus speaking: NO ONE can ENTER the Kingdom of God (link) without being born of water.... and SPIRIT. 6 What is born of the flesh is FLESH, and what is BORN of the SPIRIT is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be BORN from ABOVE.' 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it.... but you do not know where it comes from -- or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is BORN of the SPIRIT.



In this chapter, I want to express my understanding of another big and important spiritual concept -- based upon a number of scriptural references, from the Bible.... "the word of God". This "spiritual concept" concerns the "Spirit of God" -- and how we who consider ourselves to be God's people (link), "obtain" or "receive" God's Spirit. As a starting point, consider the following premise (which reflects my personal interpretation of what the Bible states on this subject):

The indwelling Spirit of God.... God's Holy Spirit [link].... is bestowed by God as a gift.... to human individuals of God's choice. God's "Spirit" cannot be conferred or granted by one human-being ("flesh") to another human. No human individual can achieve or earn the "Spirit of God"; either by works and deeds; or by a human "decision"; or by baptism; or by reciting a creed; or by joining a church. Neither can God's Spirit be obtained by vote or designation of a group of human-beings -- or from a "church".... or from any doctrine's minister, or priest, or rabbi, or mullah, or imam.

The essence of this concept is captured in the following scriptural references. Additional Biblical references are also shown, later, in this chapter:
1 Corinthians 2: 12 (NRSV) Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the SPIRIT that is FROM God -- so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words not taught by HUMAN wisdom, but taught by the Spirit -- interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. 14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit -- for they are foolishness to them; and they are unable to understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

John 3: (NRSV) (Repeated from above) 3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, NO ONE can SEE the Kingdom of God without being born from above." 4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb, and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, NO ONE can ENTER the Kingdom of God without being born of water, and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is BORN of the SPIRIT is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be BORN from ABOVE.' 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it.... but you do not know where it comes from -- or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is BORN of the SPIRIT.

Same (NIV) 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water, and the Spirit. 6 FLESH gives birth to FLESH -- but the SPIRIT gives birth to SPIRIT.

Same (KJV) 6 That which is born of the flesh, is FLESH; and that which is born of the SPIRIT.... is spirit.

John 6: 63 (RSV) (Jesus speaking) "It is the SPIRIT that gives life; the FLESH is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit.... and life."

Same (NIV) "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit; and they are life."

Acts 8: 15 (NIV) When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had NOT YET come upon any of them.... they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1: 21-22 (NEB) And if you and we belong to Christ, guaranteed as His, and anointed; it is ALL GOD'S DOING. It is God also who has set His seal upon us; and as a pledge of what is to come, has GIVEN the Spirit to dwell in our hearts.

Acts 5: 32 (NIV) We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has GIVEN to those who obey

1 Thessalonians 4: 8 (NIV) Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man, but God -- who GIVES you His Holy Spirit.


These scriptures say, to me, that we humans ("flesh") cannot obtain the "Spirit of God" by something that we do; or by something that we wish, or hope; or by certain words that we recite; or by a humanly concept that we "accept"; or by an individual "choice", or by a man-made "decision" of our own. The "birth" of the indwelling Spirit of God, within an individual, comes only from God ("Spirit"); and comes as a "gift" from God -- and comes only to those individuals whom God has accepted ("chosen", selected) -- for reasons that we earthly creatures cannot understand.

"The Spirit gives birth to Spirit." Human-beings ("flesh") are not able to create or produce God's Spirit within themselves -- and earthly human-beings (ministers and priests and institutional "churches" included) are not able to cause the Spirit of God to be "born", or to occur, or to become present -- within other humans. It is all God's doing, as is stated in 2 Corinthians 1: 21, quoted above.

Similarly, we humans of the world cannot "understand" the spiritual knowledge that comes from God, unless the understanding of that knowledge comes into us by way of the "Spirit" of God. Read again the reference about "spiritual knowledge", from 1 Corinthians, shown above.

To me, the concept of "Spirit giving birth to spirit", is much like the Biblical truth of the "called", the "chosen", and the "elect" -- a truth which is stated and established repeatedly in Godsword. (See the numerous Biblical references on this subject in the "tablet" in this book entitled "The Called, the Chosen, and the Elect" [linked].) The Biblical statements on "flesh and Spirit", like those on "the chosen", indicate that God gives His Spirit, in the same way that He gives FAITH (link); and "righteousness" (see link, the righteousness from God); and "justification"; and mercy; and salvation (link).... to whomever He chooses (accepts, claims, "saves") -- based only on God's decision.... and not dependent upon the wishes and hopes and creeds and deeds of an individual; and not dependent upon the vote or approval of other humans -- or any humanly group. God chooses His own: God does not wait helplessly for earthly humans to choose to "accept" Him.

Read carefully the following additional Biblical references (some of which are repeated from above):
1 Corinthians 15: 48 and 50 (NIV) As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the Man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot INHERIT the Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable (flesh) inherit the imperishable (Spirit).

Galatians 3: 2 (NIV) I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the Law -- or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

John 3: 5 (NIV) Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water, and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh -- but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

Acts 19: 2 (NIV) And Paul asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "NO -- we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

Acts 8: 15 (NIV) When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had NOT YET come upon any of them.... they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
(Author's note: These last two references, from Acts, tell me that the Holy Spirit -- the Spirit of God -- is not conferred upon an individual simply because of some rite or ritual (reciting creeds; being "baptised") -- or because of the choice or "decision" of a human-being. The "Holy Spirit" is given by God to those individuals selected by God -- at a time and place decided upon by God, only. The Holy Spirit does not magically and spontaneously "appear" within an individual because of some church ceremony -- or because a church-goer simply "chooses to accept" the Spirit. And (to repeat) -- regardless of any earthly ministerial claims or promises or pleadings -- the Holy Spirit cannot be bestowed upon an individual by a priest or bishop or rabbi; or by a "church"; or by a board of deacons. The indwelling Spirit of God, is from God -- given by God -- to those of HIS selection.)
Romans 8: 5 (NRSV) For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life -- and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law -- indeed, it CANNOT, 8 And, those who are in the flesh CANNOT please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit -- since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ, does not belong to Him.

Romans 8: 11 (NRSV) If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through His Spirit that DWELLS in you. 12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh -- 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For ALL who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
(JNT note: These quotations from Romans 8 tell me that those who are not born of the Spirit ("in the Spirit", "led by the Spirit") "cannot please God"; and that those of the FLESH "do not submit to God's law -- indeed, they "cannot" submit to God's law. And -- "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ, does not belong to Him."
That is what the Bible says; and therefore -- I accept it; and believe it!)
Ephesians 2: 18 (NIV) For through Him, we both have access to the Father -- by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens -- but fellow citizens with God's people, and members of God's household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In Him the whole building is joined together, and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in Him, you too are BEING BUILT together, to become a dwelling in which God LIVES -- by His Spirit.

Titus 3: 5 (NIV) He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done; but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth -- and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6: 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you -- whom you have RECEIVED from God? You are not your own.

1 Corinthians 12: 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit -- and He gives them to each one -- just as HE DETERMINES.

John 1: 11 (NRSV) He came to what was His own, and His own people did not accept Him. 12 But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the WILL of man -- but born of God. (NEB translates: "the offspring of God Himself".)

Ezekiel 36: 26 (NRSV) A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove from your body the heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I WILL PUT my Spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes, and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28 Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

2 Corinthians 3: 17 (NRSV) Now the Lord IS the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are BEING TRANSFORMED into the same image, from one degree of glory, to another -- for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

Luke 11: 13 (KJV) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?
This "tablet" is a fascinating subject to me -- about how one "receives" the indwelling "Spirit of God".... as a GIFT from God.... and not from human-beings ("flesh"); or from the deeds and "decisions" of humans; or from the sermons, lectures, and threats of the churches-of-man. I consider the numerous Biblical quotations above to have established, to my satisfaction, my earthly "perceptions" of what God is saying on this subject.... in His Book.

You may now forget or ignore any-and-all of my personal remarks -- but if you believe and trust God's statements in the Bible, then read again the Bible-references that are quoted. What is your perception of these powerful scriptures?

Now here is one more important Biblical truth:

Job 32: 9 (NRSV) It is not the old that are wise, nor the aged that understand what is right. 8 But truly it is the SPIRIT in a mortal -- the breath of the Almighty -- that makes for understanding.