James 1:18 — “Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

We must be born from above to have the higher spiritual faculties to perceive the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. We need Jesus, and through Him who is the door, this is possible. Call on His name daily, and pray for our fellow Saints, who live in Biblical obedience, doing His Kingdom works and will on earth, like it’s done in heaven. Pray the Lord’s prayer with understanding. Activate your higher spiritual armor. You have a whole armory awaiting as handed down in the “the faith once delivered to the Saints”. If you’re new to the faith, convert and be saved.

Begotten by His Will: Firstfruits, Spiritual Birth, and the Calling of God

The Scriptures reveal something profound and often overlooked: our ability to perceive, receive, and walk in the things of God does not come from human effort, training, or intellect — it comes by divine birth. God Himself initiates this awakening. He calls. He draws. He regenerates. Those who respond are described as firstfruits — brought forth by His own will, granted spiritual faculties to discern heavenly realities, and empowered to walk by faith long before the rest of humanity comes to full understanding.

This is not about superiority — it is about timing, calling, and grace.

Below is a brief constellation of Scriptures that together form a unified witness to this spiritual reality:

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James 1:18 — Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. [Spiritual birth originates in God’s will; firstfruits are called early]

Matthew 16:17 — Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. [Revelation comes from God, not human reasoning]

John 3:3 — Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. [Spiritual sight requires new birth]

John 1:12–13 — Which were born… not of the will of man, but of God. [Adoption comes by divine begetting]

1 Corinthians 2:14 — The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God… they are spiritually discerned. [Spiritual truth requires spiritual faculties]

Romans 8:7 — The carnal mind… is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. [Carnal nature is incapable of submission]

Romans 8:6 — To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [Two operating modes]

Romans 1:20 — The invisible things of him… are clearly seen… [Creation testifies, but perception differs]

John 6:44 — No man can come to me, except the Father… draw him. [Divine drawing is necessary]

John 6:37 — All that the Father giveth me shall come to me… [Those given will come]

Luke 8:10 — Unto you it is given to know the mysteries… but to others in parables… [Mysteries are granted, not earned]

Ephesians 1:4–5 — Chosen… predestinated… according to the good pleasure of his will. [Election flows from God’s pleasure]

Romans 8:29–30 — Whom he did predestinate, them he also called… justified… glorified. [Unbroken chain of redemption]

2 Corinthians 3:6 — The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. [Text alone is insufficient]

Romans 10:17 — Faith cometh by hearing… [Living transmission of truth]

Revelation 14:4 — These were redeemed… being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. [Firstfruits walk ahead]

1 Corinthians 15:23 — Every man in his own order… afterward they that are Christ’s… [Different calling times]

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Begotten, Not Trained

James opens this truth plainly: “Of His own will begat He us.” Spiritual life is not something we manufacture. It is something God births.

We are not merely educated into the Kingdom — we are regenerated into it.

Jesus did not tell Nicodemus that one must study harder to see the Kingdom. He said one must be born from above. Spiritual understanding is not learned first and believed second; belief is granted first, and understanding follows.

This is why Scripture repeatedly emphasizes inability: the natural man cannot receive… the carnal mind cannot submit… no man can come unless drawn. These are not motivational statements — they are declarations of spiritual reality.

Only divine initiative opens the heart.

The Gift of Spiritual Perception

The world is filled with God’s testimony. Paul tells us His invisible attributes are clearly seen in creation. Yet not everyone sees.

Why?

Because perception itself is spiritual.

The faculties required to recognize God, His ways, His law, and His Kingdom are not present in the fallen nature. They arrive with the new birth.

This is why Jesus told His disciples, “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom.” Knowing is given. Seeing is given. Hearing is given.

And when it is given, the soul awakens.

Drawn, Called, Adopted

Christ was explicit: no one comes unless the Father draws them. Yet He was equally clear: all whom the Father gives Him will come.

This is not coercion — it is resurrection.

The same voice that called Lazarus from the tomb calls souls from spiritual death. When God elects, calls, and adopts, resistance ultimately dissolves — not because free will disappears, but because new life arrives.

Paul describes this as predestination unto adoption, flowing from the good pleasure of God’s will. The calling precedes the believing. The believing follows the calling.

And once called, Christ loses none.

Firstfruits and Divine Timing

James and Revelation both speak of firstfruits — those awakened early, brought forth now, tasked with walking by faith before the full harvest arrives.

Not everyone is called in the same season.

Paul explains that resurrection itself unfolds in order. There is Christ the firstfruits, then those who are His. Scripture consistently shows that many will come later — in God’s time.

The firstfruits walk now through trial, misunderstanding, endurance, and refinement. They believe without seeing fully. They persevere through spiritual labor. They learn obedience through experience.

They are not better — they are earlier.

Living Faith, Not Mere Text

The letter alone cannot impart life. The Spirit does.

Truth is transmitted through living witness, embodied teaching, communal worship, sacramental participation, and shared spiritual life. Faith comes by hearing — not merely reading.

This is why the Church is a living body, not a library.

The covenant is renewed weekly. Communion affirms union. Baptism seals identity. Teaching passes from voice to heart. The Spirit moves among gathered believers.

Christianity is not head knowledge. It is participation in Christ.

Walking in the Higher Nature

Those who are born from above receive access to a higher operating mode — the spiritual mind, which brings life and peace. This new nature enables believers to process divine things, to walk by faith when outcomes are unseen, and to endure trials with hope.

This is the work God performs in His firstfruits.

We do not force conversions.
We do not argue souls into life.
We live faithfully.
We testify.
We teach.
We love.

And God gathers His own.

He is mighty to complete His Church.
He is faithful to finish His work.
He will bring His body into unity.
And every soul will ultimately see His justice and mercy clearly.

Until then, we walk by faith — begotten by His will, sustained by His Spirit, and anchored in Christ.