Being Born Again
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Friday, December 31, 2010“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”-John 3:3
Being born again is essential to our salvation. Without this experience, Christ made it clear that a person cannot so much as enter the Kingdom of God. It stands to reason, then, that each of us should have a solid understanding of what it means to undergo this spiritual rebirth and transformation in order that we might partake of it.
For many today, the very notion of being born again sounds as strange as did it to Nicodemus when the Lord first spoke these words 2,000 years ago. In shock, Nicodemus asked the question that seems to be on the heart of countless Americans today: “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?” (see John 3:4). Imagine how he must have felt when, having already come to believe he was well on his way to heaven, he is suddenly told that the only way to get there is through a means that seems utterly impossible! The Lord proceeds to explain, however, that being born again is not as impossible as it may seem:
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”-John 3:5-7
As Paul reminds us in Romans 8:8, “…they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” It is for this very reason that Christ made clear to us the importance of being “born of the Spirit.” When we are born of the Spirit, it is no longer impossible for God to be pleased with us and therefore no longer impossible to enter His Kingdom.
It’s important to remember, though, that a person cannot be in two places at once. That is, you cannot be in the flesh and the Spirit simultaneously (Matthew 6:24). If you are living in the flesh, you are dead in the Spirit; whereas if you are living in the Spirit, you must “crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Galatians 5:24) It is this truth that Paul was referencing when He told the Galatians, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live…” (Galatians 2:20) He understood that the true meaning of life is not having a happy time here on earth; rather, it is a personal relationship with Jesus (John 17:3).
To put it in only a few words, being born again is when God takes a carnally-minded sinner and transforms him into a forgiven and spiritually minded saint through His power and grace. It is only then that we can walk in newness of life, free from the curse and bondage of sin (Romans 6:4).
5 comments:
Thank you for this post.
I'm so glad to hear the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thank you and God bless you!
In our Lord Jesus,
Sarah
"To put it in only a few words, being born again is when God takes a carnally-minded sinner and transforms him into a forgiven and spiritually minded saint through His power and grace."
So true. Why then do you totally contradict this truth by your article "How to Be saved," which is nothing other than a list of how to transform, and thus save, yourself?
Hi Jim,
I'm interested in a more detailed description of what you see wrong with the gospel I presented, not just a one-sentence attack that seems to be unfounded.
In big, bold letters I pointed out that "Heaven is a Free Gift", "It Is Not Earned or Deserved", and "Man Cannot Save Himself." Certainly I pointed out the Biblically-emphasized need for prayer and repentance in the salvation process and the need for godly and fruitful living subsequent to this event. These things do not save us, but are mere evidences of a true and saving faith. Isn't this what you believe.
I look forward to hearing from you.
In Christ,
Dakota
Hi Dakota, I appreciate your response.
To elaborate further, you stated that it is GOD who transforms the carnally-minded sinner, but the implications of "How to be saved" are that it is MAN who must change himself (believe, repent, etc.).
If prayer, repentance, and godly and fruitful living are EVIDENCE of the transformation (SUBSEQUENT to God's transformation of us), as you so rightly claim, then even the title "HOW to be saved" is contradictory as it implies that the transformation is OUR choice and not GOD'S.
I was not "attacking" you, but simply asking you to clarify: Is it God who saves us (transforms the sinner), or do we save ourselves?
Concerning salvation as a "gift" that must be "received," why do you equate it to a birthday present that must be opened to have any value? And if it is such a great "gift" why do believe that most of mankind will refuse it? Do you believe that most people will prefer hell over heaven? If so, I can only assume that you must have a very low opinion of heaven.
Peace to you, Jim
Hi Jim,
Yes, I titled my page explaining the Gospel “How to be Saved” and I see nothing wrong with this. Notice that I didn’t title it, “How to be Saved by Good Works.” Rather, it is intended to show how to be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Concerning the gift of salvation, while you seem to be offended with the “birthday present” illustration, it seems to me that the apostle Paul was not. Doesn’t the Scripture say “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”? (Romans 6:23) II Timothy 1:6 urged Timothy, Paul’s son in the faith, to “stir up the gift of God” that was in him – indicating that it is indeed our responsibility to take advantage of all heavenly gifts, including salvation. Thinking the need for faith and repentance is an insult to God’s grace is like believing the Nintendo Wii I got for Christmas wasn’t really a gift at all because I had to put forth the effort to take the wrapping paper off. Here are a few passages from the New Testament on the subject:
• Mark 6:12 (repentance preached)
• Acts 16:30, 31 (belief in Christ necessary)
• Matthew 4:17 (Jesus preaches repentance)
• II Peter 3:9 (God desires all to repent and be saved)
• II Timothy 2:25 (God grants repentance)
• Romans 10:13 (we must call on God’s name to be saved)
• Romans 2:4 (God leads us to repentance)
• Acts 3:19 (“repent and be converted”)
• Luke 13:3 (salvation impossible without repentance)
As much as I wish salvation was accepted by the majority, the sad fact of the matter is that it’s simply not. Even the most hopeful of statistics claim only 1/3 of the world’s population professes Christianity, which would still mean that the majority of people don’t. Isaiah 5:14 tells us “hell hath enlarged herself and opened her mouth without measure” because, as Jesus said, “broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13, 14) In other words, many people will spend eternity in the lake of fire while just few will have the joy of spending it in heaven. This is because most people I’ve met don’t view eternity as a heaven versus hell choice. They are certainly interested in heaven but, since their deeds are evil, hate the light, neither come to the light lest their deeds should be reproved (John 3:20). It is only by coming to Jesus, the light of the world, that we have hope of eternal life in heaven (John 8:12; 14:6).
It’s not that I have a low estimation of heaven. I simply have I high estimation of the words of Christ which tell me most people, unfortunately, won’t go there.
In Christ,
Dakota
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