02/12/21 WHAT’S NEW? #19 — James 1:18 (HCSB) By His own choice, He gave us a NEW BIRTH by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.

1 Peter 1:3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a NEW BIRTH into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

“By His own choice”: This phrase translates a Gr. word that makes the point that regeneration is not just a wish, but an active expression of God's will, which He always has the power to accomplish. This phrase occurs at the beginning of the Gr. sentence, which means James intends to emphasize that the sovereign will of God is the source of this new life.

“He gave us a NEW BIRTH”: The divine act of regeneration, or the new birth (see Jn 3:3-8; 1Pe 1:23; cf. Eze 36:25-27; Jn 1:12, 13; Eph 2:5, 6; 5:26).

“the message of truth”: Cf. Jn 17:17. Scripture, or the Word of God. He regenerates sinners through the power of that Word (cf. 2Co 6:7; Col 1:5; 1Th 2:13; Titus 3:5; 1Pe 1:23-25).

“firstfruits”: Originally an OT expression referring to the first and best harvest crops, which God expected as an offering (cf. Ex 23:19; Lv 23:9-14; Dt 26:1-19). Giving God that initial crop was an act of faith that He would fulfill His promise of a full harvest to come (Pr 3:9, 10). In the same way, Christians are the first evidence of God's new creation that is to come (cf. 2Pe 3:10-13) and enjoy presently in their new life a foretaste of future glory (see Ro 8:19-23). (adapted from The MacArthur Study Bible)