Being born again is not the message of salvation from wrath. Rather, being born again has to do with the nature of the Kingdom of God and with the personal transformation that takes place after our sins have been forgiven.

Let us take a closer look at what it means to be born again.

Specifically, being born again involves planting in our soul the Divine Seed—the Substance and Virtue of Christ. We see at once there are two aspects that must be considered: first, the conception; second, bringing the child to full term.

Some may object that we are being too literal in distinguishing between conception and birth. We are not being too literal. An understanding of the distinction between the conception and the birth of the sons of God is important in the present hour.

God has given to a friend of ours a vision concerning the Christians of our day. The vision is that the Life of Christ is being aborted in many if not most of the believers. Conception takes place but then the new Life is aborted before a son of God is brought forth.

What is it that aborts the Life of Christ in us? It is the babylonish church system, a scheme of manmade religion that permeates Christendom.

The writer has come to the conclusion that the greater part of Christian work is performed apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. To a significant extent, many Christian churches of our day are not following the specific directions of the Lord Jesus, or so it seems to us.

In today's program, after a person receives Jesus as his Lord and Savior he is counseled to become part of a church. If he is a Jew he is encouraged to forsake his family and culture, including his priceless religious heritage.

As soon as he joins a church he is brought, not to Jesus but to the various aspects of the particular church. In many instances the church does not assist him in finding the reality of fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Rather it burdens him with numerous externals, such as bringing others into the church, helping with the various ministries of the church, supporting the building programs of the church, constructing the parking lot, and so forth.

It is felt to be of special importance that the convert blend into the church society. But the Lord welcomes those who seek His face in the solitude of their prayer closet.

How many pastors of today, when speaking of the grandeur and value of "their church," place emphasis on the splendor of the parking lot?

Such concentration on the church activities rather than on the Lord Jesus aborts the Life of Jesus that has been conceived in the believer.

The Lord never commissioned us to build churches; He commissioned us to make disciples. There is, in practice, a difference between building churches and making disciples. The one is the creating of an institution. The other is the perfecting of the union between Christ and His follower.

To be continued.