“The two methods given, the first two, are insufficient in themselves to bring into manifestation the sons of God, made in his Likeness. They are merely preparatory to the third and final method of creating man in the “Likeness of God.”
The Third Method, that of being born from above is yet to take form in the mind of man – its greatness, its grandeur, its absolute reality has never entered into the mind of man. Jesus said, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”; and he added, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew, from above.” He here impresses the fact that flesh cannot generate spirit, and that spirit cannot generate flesh, but that every kind produces its own kind, that like itself.
Many times, throughout the Scriptures men are called sons of God, and John says, “Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2). John here says that we shall be like the Christ, who was born from above; he was conceived and born from the Spirit. Therefore, we can be like him only when we have been born from above, as he was born from above.
Christ emphatically said that that which is born of the flesh is the fleshly man. We know how the fleshly man is brought into existence, but how we are to be born of the Spirit is a mystery, that until recently, has been hidden from humanity; and even now it can only be put into words which perhaps many will doubt but few will believe. Notwithstanding, we have faith that those who are of God will hear God’s words, that they who have the spirit of truth within, will believe the truth when expressed.
This truth of being born from above may be briefly stated as follows: We know as men and women what generation means. How came generation to have existence? Was it not a part of the creative word? And he that spoke the word could put nothing therein that was not in himself. Therefore there must be in God, the Creator, something answering to generation on earth. As the old philosopher so well said, “as below, so above”. And everything that has an existence in the experiences of human life, has something answering to it in the Cause whence man originated.”
Hiram Butler
The Mark Of God: Understanding Your "I AM Presence" 