God had a marvelous plan in mind when he created the human race; a plan that provided a most enjoyable life on earth and a special relationship with him. It was a plan that man could either accept or reject. How could Adam and Eve, who were created perfect by God, not choose what was being offered? How could they reject their creator by disobeying him, but they did and plan A would now have to become plan B if God wanted to have a loving relationship with humans.
“In the day when God created Man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth” (Genesis 5:1 – 3, NASB). The original plan was for the offspring of man to bear the image of God, but since death had entered the race all offspring will bear the image of fallen Adam. How would it now be possible for God to use humans to produce offspring that bear his image? That is plan B!
Plan B must solve two major problems. First, man must pay the price of his disobedience by giving his life. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23, NASB). Second, the seed of man determines the nature of the offspring and as long as the seed is corrupted the offspring will be corrupt.
God would solve the first problem by sending his only Son to live as a perfect man on earth and have him die on the cross as the perfect sacrifice. Through his death the requirements of the law would be met and justice would be satisfied. Humans would then have the ability to ask for and receive forgiveness for their sin. Anyone willing to accept God’s conditions would then receive the gift of eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).
The second problem is solved by being born again: “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23, NASB). Mary was human and was impregnated by God so Jesus would be in the image of God. When one believes, then that person is impregnated with a seed which is from God and the new creature that is produced is in the image of God. “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB).
God gave man a choice in the garden to choose him or himself. Man chose himself. God is again giving man a choice. If he is willing to accept by faith that Jesus is God’s Son and is also willing to accept by faith his death and resurrection then God will create a new creature in Christ within him to once again bear God’s image. The process of God creating that eternal image bearer within the one who believes is referred to as being born again.
