YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling

council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’” -John 3:1-3 (NIV)

Darkness to Light

I’m sure when Jesus spoke these words, it came as a bit of a surprise to Nicodemus. Modern-day Christians have normalized the phrase “born again,” but for Nicodemus it would have been anything but normal. Being “born” brings about very specific images; and although Jesus’ wording may have seemed unusual at the time, it was no mistake. Childbirth is quite an incredible process. There is certainly discomfort and pain for the child passing from womb to world, but there is also the matter of entering into an entirely new environment. To be born requires a change in location and a change in circumstance.

John 5:24 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (John 5:24 NKJV)

The second part of John 3:18 says, “whoever does not believe [in Jesus] stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:18b NIV)

These verses very clearly tell us what condition -what circumstance- each one of us was in before knowing the Lord. Because of sin - because of the fallen state of the world- we were dead, we were condemned, we were unclean, we were separated from God. This is true of each and every one of us from the moment of our physical births. Much like a child inside their mother’s womb, there is nothing that we can do in our own strength to move from our state of sin and separation into a new state or condition. Additionally, just as a child doesn’t fully experience what it means to be alive until they are born, so we cannot experience life in the Spirit, and ultimately eternal life, until we are born of the Spirit… until we are born again.

Being born of the Spirit will bring about a change of circumstance and a change in living

condition that is no less evident in the spiritual realm than the change that occurs in the natural after the physical birth of a child. Even as a newborn child moves from the darkened state of the womb to the bright and stimulating world at the time of their birth, so a person who is born of the Spirit moves from death to life and darkness to light when they pass from sin and separation from God to forgiveness and eternal life.

Why “Born Again”?

Many parents speak to their children while they are in utero. They read to them. They sing to them. They play music for them. All of these efforts, though beautiful and maybe even beneficial, don’t change the fact that until a child is born, they cannot fully enter into a reciprocal and functional relationship with their parents. A baby may even recognize their mother’s or father’s voices, but they don’t REALLY come to know their parents until after the moment of their birth.

Just like being born in the flesh allows a child to enter into a relationship with their parents, being born of the Spirit allows a person to enter into a relationship with the God who created the mind, body, and spirit of man. Many people know about God. They may believe in Jesus and the death and resurrection. They may go to church. They may know Bible stories and try their best to be good; but unless they have been born again, they cannot truly know the God of the universe – the one who created them and loves them. Even those who have not been born again hold the affection and love of Father God, much like the love that parents begin to feel for their unborn child long before they actually meet them in person; but even though God’s love for humankind is greater than any of us here on earth could imagine, His love alone will not save us. We must be born of the Spirit, or as Jesus said "born again," in order to become part of the kingdom of heaven.

How Can I Be Born of the Spirit?

After Jesus told Nicodemus that anyone wanting to enter the kingdom of heaven must be born again, Nicodemus had a question for Him. John 3:4 says,

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” (John 3:4 NIV)

You might find yourself wondering the same thing as Nicodemus today. “How can I be born again?”

The Bible gives us the straightforward answer to this question. “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved… for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Romans 10:9,10,13 NIV)

When we believe that Jesus is who He says He is, call upon Him, and declare Him Lord of our lives; we are choosing to walk through the door of Christ into new life… new birth. Even so, just as an unborn child cannot really bring about their own birth or their own entrance into life, so we cannot bring about our own spiritual birth. The WORK of being born is done by the one who gives us life. In the case of physical birth, this work is done by the mother. In the case of spiritual birth, this work has been done by Christ.

Even though the work that leads us to eternal life has been done by another, that doesn’t mean we won’t be changed. In fact, it is impossible to go through the process of being born without being changed. An unborn child cannot breathe, eat, or see the world while they are in the womb. They take their first breath, begin to eat, and see the world with their own eyes only after they are born. The way they live, survive, and thrive changes from the womb to the world. Likewise, it is impossible to go from being lost in sin to being found in Christ without being changed. When we pass from a life of sin to new life in Christ, we cannot remain the same. This decision to go from sinner to saved is often difficult, and it can be painful for those being born of the Spirit, just as it is for a child born in the physical.

Luke 14:28-30,33 says,

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

“In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my

disciples.” (Luke 14:28-30,33 NIV)

When Christ calls us to follow Him, He asks us to consider what that really means. He doesn’t just want lip service. He wants our entire lives. He calls us to obedience, and obedience will always bring about change.

The process of change through obedience can be very painful. The process of submitting to Christ can be uncomfortable, but when we willfully pledge ourselves to Christ and to a life of submission and obedience, we can rest assured that not only will He give us the strength to obey and submit as we walk in new life, but that new life will be more than worth it! When Christ died on the cross and was raised back to life, He did the complete work required for us to be born again. All we need to do is accept that work and allow it be applied to our lives. When we accept it and submit to Christ’s work on the cross, the painful process of transformation will naturally occur and we will be empowered by Christ to walk through it.

Why Can’t I Just Stay the Way I Am?

An unborn child cannot distinguish the world with his or her eyes because even though they HAVE eyes and the ability to open them and look around, they themselves are inside of the womb. They can only see the world that they are currently a part of. Even if some measure of light makes its way through the abdominal wall and the lining of the uterus to the baby’s eyes, they can still only see within the confines of the space they occupy. They cannot see nor fathom the world that awaits them after birth. They can’t breathe air. They can’t eat food; instead, they are supplied oxygen and nutrients through the umbilical cord which is a literal lifeline from the mother to the unborn child. Certainly, any baby would be content to remain in the only world they know even though that world is meant to be just a temporary holding place for them. However, life as it was intended to be cannot begin until a person is born. The truth is, if a child were to stay in the womb - if somehow the woman did not go into labor and the child was not forced into the world - that child would eventually die. To NOT be born would be an ultimate

death sentence to the unborn child.

This same thing is true in our spiritual lives. If, in the spirit, we stay in the condition that we

were born into - sin, condemnation, and separation from God - then we will ultimately die. This spiritual death is much worse than the physical death that a baby trapped in the womb would experience. It is an eternal death. It is a death that we will never be able to escape from once life on this earth is over. Just like a baby in the womb, those who have not been born again - born of the spirit - may be very content to stay in the condition that they are in. They may think that they are experiencing a full life, but the Word of God tells us that there is only one way to experience a full life. Just as an unborn baby will never experience true life until they exit they womb, we will never experience true life in the Spirit until we are born again.

John 10:10 tells us what kind of life waits for us depending on who we align ourselves with in this world. There is no room for being wishy washy. We are either for Christ or we are for Satan. Jesus tells us what Satan, the thief, has in store for us. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;” (John 10:10a NIV) Jesus also tells us what He, himself, has in store for us when we commit ourselves to Him. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10b NIV)

Here is the same verse with a little more context. "So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:7-11 ESV).

We can only be born again and enter eternal life through Christ: not a knowledge of Christ or an understanding or appreciation of Him, not even a shallow love that is based on the way that we feel about Him. Having vast knowledge or a strong appreciation for Christ and what He has done for us will not give us eternal life. There is only one way to enter eternal life. There is only one way to be born again. We must choose to make Jesus the Lord of our lives and put our faith and trust in Him. The Oxford Languages online dictionary defines Lord as, “someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler.” When we make Jesus Christ Lord over us, we give Him the authority and influence in our lives. We give Him rule above every other power in this world including our own fleshly wants and desires. 2 Corinthians 5:15 tells us that Jesus “died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV) Jesus gave everything for us. When we make Him Lord of our lives, we are giving ourselves back to Him. This is the only way to eternal life. This is how we pass from death to life, and this is what it means to be born again.

What Does the Bible Say About Being Born Again?

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” – Romans 3:23 (NKJV)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. -

Romans 6:23 (NKJV)

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” -Romans 5:8 (NKJV)

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” – Romans 5:1 (NIV)

“For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’” – Romans 10:13 (NKJV)

If you are ready to make Jesus the Lord of your life, pray this prayer right now; and then tell someone that you did!

“Lord, I give myself to You. I want to serve You. I want to know You. Thank You for Your sacrifice for my sins. Thank You for dying in my place and rising again. I love You, and I put my faith in You today. I make You the Lord of my life right now. Come in and make all things new. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”