RECORDING THE NEW BIRTH

“The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.”” -- Psalm 87:6

Living and working in a military town, one of the more common questions asked as people begin to get to know each other is “Where are you from?  Where were you born?” The place of our birth and upbringing sheds valuable information on who we are and how we are raised.  Those who were born and raised in a large city have rather different life experiences than those who were born and raised in rural areas or in small towns, and these life experiences have helped shape who we are today.  

However, these same experiences can make it hard for others to relate.  For instance, someone from a rural area may have a hard time appreciating the beauty and the opportunities that come from large urban centers, and may not understand why people raised in those areas do not appreciate the solitude and silence of nature as much as they do.  Hence, the answers to the questions above help people learn to relate to each other and understand their particular interests and idiosyncrasies.

When our adoptive daughter first came to live with us, she had a different name and a registered birth certificate from her biological parents.  But, at the adoption, things changed. Her name was changed to ours and a new birth certificate was given with her new adoptive name, listing us as her parents, and her birth city changed to reflect her new home.  She experienced a new birth, as it were, there in the courtroom and the answer to the questions, “Where are you from?” changed as we took her into our home and she learned a new way of life as a member of our family.

This is what happens when a person comes to believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior.  As Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, a person must be born again to come into the Kingdom of Heaven.  And as Paul pointed out in Ephesians 1:5, we have been adopted as God’s sons through Jesus Christ.  The new birth is one of adoption made possible through the atoning death and the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Because of this, we are now one family and one people and heirs to the Kingdom, with God as our Father.  And, not only is this the case, but our official birth records are changed to reflect our new state of being.  Our new city of birth is now recorded as Zion (Psalm 87:6), the home of the King and our home forever.

So when others ask you the question, “Where are you from?  Where were you born?,” the answer should be Zion.  I am born into the Kingdom of God.  Zion is my home.  The LORD is my Father, and Christ is my Redemption.