Our Nature

Our Nature

When I speak of our “nature,” I am referring to our hard-wired inherited traits. When we were born of the flesh, we inherited our traits from Adam. Therefore, though not everyone sinned in the same way as Adam (see Romans 5:14), all are sinful right from the start. It is the default state of everyone born on earth. When we were born of the Spirit, we were taken out of Adam’s lineage and placed into God’s lineage.

The Bible talks a lot about whose “seed” people come from. The Greek word translated “seed” is “sperma.” Here is a poignant example: 1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed (sperma) remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In the most profound sense, believers are children of God.

Jesus makes a very clear statement about this in John 3:3–6 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

You are not what you were. You do not have two natures. You are not God because you are not the source of life or of anything else. Nevertheless, you are Abba’s child in the truest sense.