The Believer's First Birth vs. The Believer's Second Birth

 

The Believer's First Birth vs. The Believer's Second Birth

Genesis 2:7 The Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.

John 1:12 To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:13 These were not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Romans 5:12 Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death became widespread among all people, because all sinned.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: The old has gone; behold, the new has come!

1 Corinthians 6:17 But whoever is united with the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 

Item	First Birth (Natural Birth)	Second Birth (Regeneration / Divine Birth)
Meaning	Born of human parents, receiving the human life and becoming a member of Adam's race.	Born of God, receiving the divine and eternal life, becoming a child of God and a new creation in Christ.
Reason	Through God's creation and human generation, man exists in the old creation.	Through Christ's redemption and the Spirit's regeneration, man enters into the new creation.
Source of Life	Adamic (human) life.	God's eternal, uncreated life.
Way of Birth	Born of the flesh.	Born of the Spirit.
Birth Certificate	An earthly birth certificate.	Romans 8:16—"The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God." The two spirits (the Spirit with our spirit) are our spiritual birth certificate.
Nature of Life	Earthly, natural, corruptible.	Heavenly, divine, eternal, incorruptible.
Identity	A natural man; a descendant of Adam.	A child of God, a member of Christ, the new man, and a new creation.
Position	In Adam.	In Christ.
Illustration	A branch growing on a wild tree.	A branch grafted into the tree of life, receiving a new life supply.
Another Illustration	An old house built on an old foundation.	A new house built upon Christ as the unique foundation.
Explanation	The first birth makes a person a created human being.	The second birth makes a person a regenerated man in whom God's life has entered.
Life Union	United with Adam.	United with Christ and one spirit with the Lord.
Spiritual Reality	Natural life cannot inherit the kingdom of God.	Regenerated life can enter the kingdom and live in the divine life.
Result	Living in the self, sin, the flesh, the world, and death.	Living in Christ, life, the Spirit, the church, and God's building.
Greatest Change	Possesses only the human life.	The human spirit is enlivened with the divine life.
Purpose	To become the object of God's salvation.	To fulfill God's economy by expressing God and building up the Body of Christ.
Relationship	Comes from Adam.	Comes from God; transferred from Adam into Christ.
Spiritual Formula	Natural Birth = Adamic Life + Old Creation.	Second Birth = Divine Life + Christ + the Spirit = New Creation.
Spiritual Sequence	Birth → Fall → Need of Redemption.	Believe → Regeneration → Sanctification → Transformation → Conformation → Glorification.
Relationship with the Lord	God is the Creator; man is the creature.	God is the Father; believers are His children; believers become one spirit with the Lord.
Relationship with the Holy Spirit	The Spirit works outwardly upon man.	The Spirit dwells within man's spirit and is mingled with it.
Relationship with Christ	Christ is the Savior.	Christ becomes the believers' life; believers are in Christ and Christ is in them.
Biblical Examples	All mankind born in Adam (Gen. 5; Rom. 5:12).	Nicodemus (John 3), the three thousand (Acts 2), Cornelius' household (Acts 10).
Practical Application	Admit that the natural life cannot please God.	Live daily in the spirit and exercise to be one spirit with the Lord.
Church Life	Serving by natural ability.	Serving by the mingled spirit to minister Christ as life.
Ministry Burden (Witness Lee)	God does not intend to improve the old man.	God regenerates man to become a new creation, grow in life, and build up the Body of Christ.
Speaking (Prophesying) Guidance	We are not merely those who have experienced the first birth; the natural life cannot accomplish God's purpose.	We have experienced the second birth and possess God's life. Therefore, we should live in the mingled spirit, be one spirit with the Lord, live Christ, and build up the church.
One-Sentence Prophesying Summary	The first birth places us in Adam as the old creation.	The second birth places us in Christ as the new creation, making us one spirit with the Lord to live out the divine life for the fulfillment of God's eternal economy.
Ultimate Conclusion	The first birth begins human existence but cannot bring anyone into God's kingdom.	The second birth begins the divine life, transfers believers from Adam into Christ, makes them children of God, members of Christ, and a new creation, enabling them to become one spirit with the Lord, grow in life, build up the Body of Christ, and ultimately consummate in the New Jerusalem.
Overview of Related Scriptures	Genesis 2:7 — Man was created and received human life. Psalm 51:5 — Man was born in sin. Romans 5:12, 19 — Through Adam, sin and death entered into humanity. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 47–49 — In Adam all die; the first man is of the earth.	John 1:12–13 — Those who receive Christ are born of God. John 3:3–7, 15–16 — One must be born anew to see and enter the kingdom of God. Romans 8:16 — The Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:29–30 — Regeneration initiates God's complete salvation. 1 Corinthians 6:17 — He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:22 — In Christ all will be made alive. 2 Corinthians 5:17 — If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Galatians 6:15 — What matters is the new creation. 1 Peter 1:3, 23 — Regenerated through the living and abiding word of God. James 1:18 — God brought us forth by the word of truth. 1 John 3:9 — Everyone born of God possesses God's life.

 

Spiritual Sequence

First Birth (in Adam)

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          The Fall

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    Believe into Christ

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     Second Birth (Regeneration)

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   One Spirit with the Lord  (1 Corinthians 6:17)

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   A New Creation in Christ  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

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   Living in the Mingled Spirit

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      Growth in Divine Life

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 Building Up the Body of Christ

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      The New Jerusalem

 

The Central Spiritual Relationship

The first birth determines that we belong to Adam.

The second birth determines that we belong to Christ.

The first birth gives us the human life.

The second birth gives us the divine and eternal life.

The first birth makes us created human beings.

The second birth makes us children of God.

The greatest issue of the second birth is not merely the forgiveness of sins, but that "he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17), bringing believers into the reality of the mingled spirit where God and man live together as one.

Ultimate Conclusion

God's complete salvation is not an improvement of the life received through the first birth, but the impartation of another life through the second birth. Through regeneration, believers are transferred from Adam into Christ (1 Cor. 15:22), receive the divine and eternal life, and become a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).

The reality of this divine birth is confirmed by the Spirit witnessing with our spirit (Rom. 8:16), which serves as our heavenly birth certificate. Its highest spiritual issue is that "he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17). Therefore, believers no longer live by the natural life but by the mingled spirit, expressing Christ, growing in the divine life, building up the Body of Christ, and ultimately consummating in the New Jerusalem, the eternal fulfillment of God's economy.

 

*Please refer to the April 2026 Summer Training, Part One: Disciples, Believers, Saints, and Christians.