Man, in order to be fully what God intends him to be, must be a son of man (a human) and a son of God. Flesh and blood, ordinary human life, cannot enter the Kingdom of God. The purely human cannot be part of the Divine Kingdom. We must be, as Jesus is, both human and Divine.

Because our calling is so high, because there are so many dangerous enemies seeking to undermine our efforts, and because we must endure a transition from being solely human to being both son of man and son of God, we must press the battle every day of our discipleship on the earth. We never can relax our vigilance. God will chasten us vigorously because we are His sons. We must continue in faith and prayer or else the trials and battles will bring us down to discouragement and defeat.

God has called Christ to the throne of glory. Christ emptied Himself of His Divine abilities, took upon Himself the form of a servant, and obeyed the Father to the point of death on the cross. Christ overcame every adversary and now is exalted above all who are in Heaven, all who are on the earth, and all who dwell under the earth (Philippians 2:10).

We also have been called to the throne of glory. We have been called to be man as God intends man to be. There are many forces that would tear us down. If we are willing to forsake the world, take up our cross, and follow the Lord Jesus, we too will be raised by the Father to the throne of glory prepared for us.

We saints must understand that we actually have been born of God. Being "born again" is not a figure of speech referring to a change of mind on our part. To be born again is to be born of God in the literal sense.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12,13)

He who truly has received Jesus is born of God. To be born of God is to have the Life of Christ implanted in us.

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

We understand, therefore, that in the creating of man it is necessary that two operations take place: (1) the person must be born of a woman; and (2) the Divine Life of God by Christ must be implanted in the individual. When these two operations take place we have been born twice: once of flesh and blood and the second time of the Spirit of God.

Neither of these births is an indefinite occurrence. To be born of flesh and blood is to be a human being with all that is included in the race of mankind.

To be born of the Spirit of God, having the Seed of God implanted in us, is to be of the Divine Nature with all that is included in Divinity.

There must be a clear understanding of this point. True man is truly human and truly Divine. The Kingdom of God consists of those who are both human and Divine. Unless an individual is born both of water, signifying natural birth, and of the Spirit, signifying Divine birth, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5). Flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 15:50).

To be continued.