We are NOT begotten of the Spirit.
Not begotten = not born.
Conception and then birth in that order.
We are NOT begotten of the Spirit.
We become AS Christ is, when we confess Him.
Yes, I like the NIV but I realize it is an interpretive translation not a literal translation.
gennaō ek sarx esti sarx kai gennaō ek pneuma esti pneuma
born of flesh is flesh and born of spirit is spirit
That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6 KJV)
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (John 3:6 NIV)
Not begotten = not born.
Conception and then birth in that order.
...though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. (Hebrews 5:8 NKJV)
We are no different, we do not become mature by fiat, it takes time and trials.
Not begotten = not conceived.
Jesus never said to be re-conceived, which is why He said to Nicodemus what He did.
We are born again in our spirit when we realize and accept the gospel/good news of Jesus Christ.
Not sure what you mean by fiat, but I agree that those who the Lord loves He disciplines. We are NOT duplicate Jesus', we become joint heirs WITH Jesus as the first born. Rom 8:29 (NIV)
We are NOT duplicate Jesus', we become joint heirs WITH Jesus as the first born. Rom 8:29 (NIV)
Let's back up a verse.
Jesus answered, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."Jesus did not say born again in our spirit, he said born again in pneuma meaning our Father's Spirit.
(John 3:5 NKJV)
I realize people have various interpretations of what it means to be born of the Spirit but Jesus defined what he meant by being born of the Spirit.
The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8 NKJV)Jesus gave an example by appearing in a locked room and then disappearing from that room.
Jesus was not pneuma until he was resurrected from death.
The on-line Merriam-Webster defines fiat as: "a command or act of will that creates something without or as if without further effort"
We know from scripture that it is through pressure that we enter the kingdom of God. An example is what Paul said, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22 NKJV)
This means we do not enter God's family without effort on our part.
Jesus said, "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it." (Luke 16:16 NKJV)
Pressing means force.
It takes effort and force on our part to enter God's kingdom. There is no easy or instantaneous salvation.
We are not Jesus' twin since we each have a human father. We are Jesus' brothers and sisters just as your quote of Paul says.
Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2 NKJV)To be like Jesus requires an incorruptible body and immortality, which is our destiny but we do not yet possess.
When John wrote this he had not yet become pneuma, he was still flesh. He did not have an incorruptible body and he was not immortal.
So far Jesus is the only human to become immortal. And he did it with effort on his part.
Right, Jesus said "born again" in v3 and then qualified it in v5. He basically was telling Nicodemus that He was not speaking about a physical rebirth, but a spiritual one. His answer in v5 shows one has to not only be born of the flesh, which is conveyed by water as in a women's water breaking, and the Spirit.
I'm not sure what you are trying to convey by your last sentence here?
Salvation is instant, but it does involve effort. Our free will is just part of that effort. Going against peer pressure was one as well in those days and probably just as applicable today.