Speak with a University Counselor today.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
We're here to help.
“Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary”
The third line in the Apostles' Creed reveals the miraculous events surrounding the conception and birth of Jesus Christ. God sent an angelic messenger to Mary with an amazing proposition: To be the mother of Jesus. Mary had never been with a man and was engaged to Joseph so the promise from the angel seemed like an impossibility.
The angel assured her:
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called Holy - the Son of God” — Luke 1:35, ESV
This statement unveiled the uniqueness of Jesus’ conception and God's plan to bring His Son into the world.
Further, David said of his own birth:
"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me” — Psalm 51: 5, ESV
This statement exposed David's, and all of humanity’s, natural birth process and propensity to sin. This is not the case for those who are born of the Spirit, belong to the family of God, and have the benefit of His presence.
In Romans 8:29, Scripture states that Jesus is the “firstborn among many brothers (and sisters)." This signifies that God’s plan is to have more children. New birth in the Spirit adopts us into the family of God. In Christ, we belong to God and are a part of His family. There are no orphans or outcasts to God. All are invited home.
There are many benefits to belonging. One significant gift is presence. Jesus said:
“I will never leave you or forsake you” — Hebrews 13:5
In this world, a relationship that lasts is rare and people are often forgotten and forsaken. This is a sad reality of life, but not of new life. When we are born again in the Spirit, all the promises of God are given to us. The benefit of His presence and belonging to His family are ours, forever. As we read the Apostles' Creed, we can understand who Jesus is and how we fit into his family as believers.
God invites every person to new birth in the Spirit and an offer to be a carrier of Christ, not in the womb like Mary, but in our hearts as our Savior. Through this new life, we belong to God’s family and benefit from the Father’s amazing love.
Want more? Check out all the articles from Theology Thursday and return each week for a new post. Learn more about the College of Theology and GCU's degree programs by checking out our website or requesting more information with the button on this page.
No other person has been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin like Jesus, which qualifies Him alone to take on the sins of mankind. But all are invited to be born again in the Spirit.
In the third chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus shares how to become a member of the kingdom of God:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again… of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” — John 3:5-6, ESV
