by Ester yusufu | 24 July 2024 08:46 am07
Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! You’re warmly invited as we explore what the Bible teaches about being born again—a truth that lies at the heart of Christian salvation. As Psalm 119:105 (ESV) says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Let’s dive into this vital topic by looking at a conversation Jesus had with a religious leader named Nicodemus, found in the Gospel of John.
John 3:1–5
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus believed that miraculous signs were proof that someone had a relationship with God. But Jesus pointed to something deeper: a complete spiritual rebirth. This new birth isn’t symbolic or ritualistic—it is transformational and essential for salvation.
Jesus’ teaching in John 3 shows us that entering God’s Kingdom doesn’t come through religious achievement, status, or works—but by a supernatural act of God: being born again, or in Greek, γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν (gennēthē anōthen)—meaning “born from above.”
This aligns with the broader New Testament message:
2 Corinthians 5:17– “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Jesus says we must be born “of water and the Spirit.” This refers to two elements of Christian conversion:
Acts 2:38– “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Titus 3:5 – “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
To be born again means to be born of God—to be made into a new kind of person. Jesus said:
John 3:6– “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
This shows a clear difference between our natural, sinful nature and the new life that comes through the Spirit. Being “spiritual” isn’t defined by gifts like prophecy or miracles alone, but by a transformed life that overcomes sin and the world.
1 John 5:4 – “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
1 John 3:9 – “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him.”
Miracles can be signs that God is working through someone—but they are not the primary proof of salvation. Jesus warns that some will perform miracles yet still be rejected by Him:
Matthew 7:22–23 – “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name…?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
The true evidence that a person belongs to God is that they have been born again—they live a new, holy life in Christ through the Spirit.
Religious identity, good works, and spiritual gifts all have their place, but they cannot replace the need for a new birth. Without being born again, a person cannot truly know or enter the Kingdom of God.
Galatians 6:15– “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”
1 Peter 1:23– “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.”
Have you been born again—not just in outward actions, but through a genuine work of God in your heart? If not, turn to Jesus in faith. Repent of your sins, be baptized in His name, and ask for the Holy Spirit to renew your life. That is the true starting point of your walk with God.
May the Lord bless you and lead you into the fullness of life through Christ.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2024/07/24/understanding-what-it-means-to-be-born-again/
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