not being born of God. However wise and powerful you might be,
if even the noblest, most beautiful, fruit human nature can produce,
you could not see the kingdom of God unless you became a wholly
different person, unless you were born anew, according to Christ's
words in John 3, 3. And this is something impossible to your natural
powers. You certainly cannot make yourself of other parentage than you
are. God must begin the work in you, communicating his seed--his
Word--by virtue of which the Holy Spirit operates in you, enabling
you, by faith, to cling to the promise, as said before.

7. Now, he who is thus born of God, John declares, overcomes the
world. Verily, this is a significant and forcible assertion the Holy
Spirit makes; it represents a tremendous power, a great work. The
child of God must, indeed, attempt and accomplish great things. The
birth effected through the Word and faith makes men true sovereigns,
above all earthly rulers; it gives them power even to overcome the
world, something impossible to any Roman or Turkish potentate. They
effect not their victory by physical force or temporal power, but by
the spiritual birth, through faith. As John says immediately after the
clause we are discussing, "This is the victory that hath overcome the
world, even our faith." Here is his own explanation of what he means
by being born of God.

THE TWO KINGDOMS.

8. Now, in order to understand the nature of the spiritual victory and
how it is effected, we must know just what John means by the term
"world." The reference is not to dominion over territory, to property
or money. He implies the existence of two kingdoms. In one, the
kingdom of God, the heavenly kingdom of Christ, is included, first,
the angels in heaven, who are the chief lords, the inner circle of
counselors; second, the entire Christian Church on earth, under one
head, Christ the Lord and King. In the other kingdom, the hellish
kingdom, the devil is prince, and his mighty counselors and servants
are the angels who with him fell from heaven; it also includes the
world, those on earth who teach, believe and live contrary to Christ,
who represent the heathen, the Jews, the Turks and false Christians.

By the heavenly kingdom of God we must understand, not only spiritual
life and godly people, but the lord and regent of that kingdom--Christ
with his angels, and his saints both living and dead. Thus, too, the
kingdom of the world represents not only the e