You Must Be Born Again

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The Gospel of John is written so “that you may believe Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is the Son of God, and that by believing you may have eternal life in Him" (John 20:31).

What is eternal life in Jesus? John 3:1-2 says, "Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.'" Nicodemus was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin council. He was powerful, very successful, and a scholar. But, he was also humble; he was willing to learn from Jesus and spoke highly of him, calling Him Rabbi.

Nicodemus wanted to go to heaven, so he asked Jesus how. Jesus answered, "Truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

Jesus knows the hearts of men. John 2:24-25 says, "…He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man." So, He knew there was hunger in the heart of Nicodemus, who asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he" (John 3:4)? Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

What is "born of water and Spirit?" John 3:7 says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Jesus is saying you must be born physically first and born again, spiritually. John 3:7-8 says, "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Do you think Nicodemus understood this?

Notice the prayer of the criminal on the cross when he was about to die: “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). The kingdom of God is sometimes called Paradise. That kingdom is both here and now. You will see the kingdom of God when God is King of your life; the kingdom is in your heart. But the Bible says that someday, you and I will experience the real kingdom of God, a place where there’s no more pain, death, crying, or sorrow, where Jesus is King (Revelation 21).

What is born again? Ephesians 5:26 says, "So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word." “Her” refers to the church. “Water” refers to the Word of God. So, the Word of God will sanctify you. Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit."

Nicodemus thought he was saved. He trusted in his own efforts and good works, in going to church and being sincere. He did not understand the meaning of faith in Jesus and did not experience the Spirit of God in his life. He asked Jesus, "How can these things be" (John 3:9)? The answer is in 1 Peter 1:23; "For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring Word of God."

What is preventing people from being born again? John 3 tells us it’s their moral life. Coming to Jesus is a moral decision with willingness to change. And when you receive the Spirit of God, your life is transformed. Did Nicodemus change? Yes; he understood. Later, he defended Jesus against those who wanted to kill him (John 7:50-51). When Jesus died, Nicodemus helped give him a decent burial (John 19:39-40).

How do you know there are such things as the Spirit of God and being born again? John 3:8 says, "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." You don’t see the wind, but you know that it is there. How do you know that the Spirit of God is real? How will people see the reality of Jesus? Look at your lives and see the transformation. To be born again is not a religion or a denomination, but something that God will do in your life. When you surrender your life to Jesus, you have a relationship with Him. To be born again means that you receive the Spirit of God, the life of Christ, in your heart, and you are no longer the same. It is something you cannot do yourself; you allow Christ to do it for you.

How can you be born again of the Spirit? Look at Jesus. All of us are dying. The poison of sin is in our blood. We need a cure. The Bible says that the payment for sin is death. Jesus took your place and paid for your sin by dying on the cross. The most famous verse of the Bible, John 3:16, was addressed to Nicodemus, who studied the law given by God in the Old Testament. But the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are one and the same. It was God who took the initiative to send Jesus to die for us. This shocked Nicodemus who believed that God loved only good people. Jesus said, “God so loved the world.”

What must you do? "Whoever believes in Him will not perish" (John 3:16). God knows your need. He cares for you. He wants you to be born again. Jesus is life. If you want to experience being born again, accept God's solution. The choice is yours. God will never turn you down.