There is obviously a clear distinction
between the new birth by the will of God and the blessing of given to the power to become God's children, conditioned upon believing.
The problem arises when the two are equated
as one and the same thing.
The logic is so simple: those who had been born of God were enabled
to believe... and in believing, they were given the right and authority to
claim God as their Father!
Verse 12 describes the experiential effect of
believing in Christ - given the power (right and authority) to claim themselves
as children of God.
Verse 13 describes the basis and ground of
that act of believing in Christ - WERE born of God.
One must be made son first by spiritual birth
from above before he can ever begin to believe in Jesus Christ. In believing,
he certifies and justifies himself as someone possessing eternal life...
evidence of having been born by God... thus enjoying the right and authority to
claim himself a child of God.
Of course, VERY MANY believe and insist that
a person is born by God when he believes. This would amount to
'born of the will of flesh'!
Yes, both the gospel regeneration and
decisional regeneration are by the will and the flesh of man. They are both
lies.
An illustration:
Little Wong is Big Wang's son, but he would not believe that Wing, Big Wang's eldest son, is his elder brother. In
such a case, how could Little Wong have the right and authority to claim
himself a son of Big Wang?
