Born Again
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 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. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 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. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:1-7)
We see here a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, whose name was Nicodemus. He said he knew Jesus was from God. He came to Jesus in secret, to ask Him about His power. Jesus answers his question before it is asked saying: you must be born again to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, taking the statement literally, declares it to be impossible. Jesus explains saying:
We have here a very basic teaching of Scripture. God tells us that there are two realms, the natural, visible to all and the spiritual, visible only to some. Entry into the kingdom of God isn’t just a matter of signing up. Jesus tells Nicodemus that one must be born again to even see the kingdom of God. Until this extreme transformation is undergone, one is not able to see the spiritual side of reality.
The new birth is spiritual, not physical. It is the introduction of The Holy Spirit within the individual. The person is born once again and now has two spirits within. The old spirit governs life as before and the new Spirit guides. It is God, not the individual, that decides to initiate this process. He gave the gift of faith to all those He choose before He made the worlds (Ephesians 2:8).
The newly born-again adult person is usually very aware of the change within and seeks to understand what it means. At this point he is now very aware of God’s presence and desires to obey Him. He asks questions and studies God’s Word to learn as much as he can about this greater reality. As he does so, his goals and purposes change and come into closer agreement with God’s Word. Some things change rapidly and others more slowly as God’s Word is assimilated and practiced. The days and weeks immediately following the new birth are critical to the progress the individual makes in adjusting to the new norm. The support of fellow believers can be a great asset at this point.
Dear reader, does this describe you? Have you been born again and are the highly blessed recipient of this huge gift? If so, how have you responded? Do you communicate the Gospel message to all you can whenever you can? Does it give you great joy to do so?
If your answer to all these questions is unquestionably yes, you probably are a true child of God and will be with Him for all eternity. If there are any doubts, examine them carefully. True faith changes a person and leaves a distinct mark, one that is remembered for life.
If there are any doubts, don’t lose heart. God is ready and willing to accept any truly sincere plea. If you offer one, He will respond favorably. Your perseverance will show that He wrote your name in His book before He made the world.