In James’ epistle he relates that God caused us to be born again according to his own will by the word of God. He includes in that revelation the purpose of the new birth, i.e. that those born-again ones “should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures” (James 1:18). What does James mean by this statement? In the creation account we read “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so” (Genesis 1:11; emphasis added). Simply stated, an apple tree bears apples and only apples – and the seed to make more apple trees and apples is in itself.
God, wanting to restore the divine image in man marred by sin, needed to create a new nature in his creation – a nature that would bear fruit that glorified God. This fruit is the very life of God Himself manifest in the believer. Paul speaks of such qualities as “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” and calls them the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23). We see then that it is the Spirit of God acting in the child of God that produces this fruit in him – a fruit that is “after his kind”.
As our parents gave birth to each of us and we resemble them, in like fashion God through His Spirit causes us to be born again and we take on His image. James goes on to explain how the heavenly Father accomplishes this. He exhorts “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). In the context, the admonition is to give heed to the word of God and resist the natural leading of the old life, which cannot please God. It is through the word of God, i.e. listening to it and obeying it that we take on that “family” resemblance.
James then urges his readers to “lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). The word of God properly rooted in our lives through actively yielding to it makes our lives profitable unto the glory of God. It is in this sense that James speaks of the word as being “able to save your souls”. Having been born again we are called upon to depart from wickedness and, as Paul calls it, “be followers (imitators) of God, as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1; emphasis added).
Summarizing, those who have been born into the family of God through the new birth are being conformed into the image of His dear Son by the ministry of His Spirit through the work of His word. When we reflect on this, we must declare with John, the Apostle, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (I John 3:1).
From the Chaplain 