Great post Rfrost! Interestingly, last night I was compelled to write this with the impression I would be responding to a posting on this site. Coincidence? Perhaps.... In any case - the following is an excerpt of what I wrote.
For myself, "Rebirth" is my epiphany of my worldly experience. While my faith in the universe, the creator, divine source aka God is that of a christian heretic (one who is at odds with mainstream Christianity). I do believe the true message of Jesus is to learn who you are, where you came from and escape the body to return to your true and natural genesis.
Didymos Judas Thomas directly recorded Jesus in Logion 3 when He said, "If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty."
The depth of this early proto-gnostic teaching is manifest and covertly personified by the poet Theodotus. "Fate is real, but after it the astrologists are no longer right. But it is not only the washing that is liberating, but the knowledge of who we were, and what we have become, where we were or where we were placed, whither we hasten, from what we are redeemed, what birth is and what rebirth."
- Who were you? Divine being
- What have you become? Mud, imprisoned in a body, trapped in materiality
- Where were You? Heaven, with the divine father, with God, one with the universe
- Where have you been placed? Into the earth, into the world, into materiality
- Wither We Hasten: Where are you going in such a hurry? Back to heaven, the divine/living father, to God, return to singularity with the universe
- What are you redeemed from? You are redeemed from being embodied, released from the material world
- What is birth? Damnation, death... When you are born your spark is entrapped in your body.
- What is rebirth: Death, learning your true self, learning the true self won't die at all.
Within the duality of my physical body and conscious mind, understanding this faith is simple a matter of recognizing that sprite is alive and well, and continues to manifest despite the obstacles of secular obfuscation placed before it. If the meaning and message of Jesus is settled business (Nicene doctrine) -- this implies we are dealing with a closed book from the summer of 325 instead of the immediate reality we are all faced with. It is in this context I have learned this message is about my own personal encounter and transformation that brings about understanding and eternal change for the conscious and eternal mind. The universal truth "Seek and you will find" really works. If you have that purity of motivation, hunger for the truth and keep going in the face of doubt and despite the many obstacles placed before you. You will find what it is you are seeking because you will be guided even if you do not recognize it.
-- Peace