I am probably stepping outside my area of comfort level in understanding here, but bear with me as we began talking yesterday...about the spiritual ‘rebirth’ we must all undergo if we have any hopes or inclination of seeing and entering the kingdom of God. (John 3:3-5)

As we all know, medical advancements have increased by leaps and bounds, especially in the area of treating infertility. Many people today have been blessed with the gift of a child by undergoing a process known as ‘in-vitro fertilization’(IVF). Basically, the sperm of the father is injected into the extracted egg of a mother and this takes place in a petri dish or test tube, as in outside the body. The result produces an embryo which is then at some point in time, implanted back into the mother where it attaches, and a fetus is formed in the womb. Nine months later, out comes a new baby. Pretty amazing stuff for sure.

To the best of my knowledge though, no embryo has ever been fully brought to development outside a human womb where a full-term human child is produced. There are laws that prohibit this kind of ‘experimentation’ ...but I would not be surprised if this kind of work is not being done somewhere ‘behind closed doors’; with animals at least. And yet, I would submit to you that many ‘churches’ today are attempting to do this very thing when it comes to people being ‘born again’. (I’ll explain later)

I’m not going to wade in to the debate as to when does ‘life begin’, but simply will tell you that in ‘medical’ terms, an embryo is termed a fetus beginning in the 11th week of pregnancy, which is the 9th week of development after fertilization of the egg.

I feel pretty confident in saying that once an embryo has been formed outside of the body, that it has ZERO chance of becoming a fetus where gestation takes place till full term where a baby is born alive ...unless it is implanted and then REMAINS in the mother’s womb.  

(Did you know that is what 'abide' means...to 'remain'?)

I would say the same thing when it comes to the spiritual birth, or ‘rebirth’ of any of us as well. And I am doing my best here to avoid over-simplifying or over-complicating something that God has set in place for humanity when it comes to being ‘born again’. But our understanding of the natural process might help us better understand the spiritual process as well. I’ll leave that up to the Holy Spirit to confirm.

As I shared yesterday, we are not born into this world as ‘children of God’. But... as John 1:12 states: “as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the capacity to ‘BECOME... children of God”.

That is the goal here...you do realize...that ‘Christ be formed in us’ (Gal. 4:19). I’m sure you also are aware that before Christ was ‘formed’ in Mary, she first had to ‘receive the Word’ ...which she did in Luke 1:38. And nine months later, “she brought forth her firstborn Son...”. (Luke 2:7). And yet, it would be 30 years later before we hear the Father ‘announce’: “This is My beloved Son...”. (Luke 3:22)

So imagine a new young husband where he and his wife have gone through the costly process of IVF, and right after the embryo is produced...he holds up the petri dish and proudly announces: “I’m a father...and this is my child”. A bit presumptuous...perhaps? Yet, how often does this happen in our churches today because someone ‘walked an aisle’ and repeated a prayer? Just saying...