YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

PROCLAMATION

“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.’  Nicodemus saith unto Him, ‘How can a man be born again when he is old …?’  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.’ ”  John 3:3-5 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter, John records the conversation between Jesus, The Christ, and a Pharisee who was Jewish leader named Nicodemus. (John 3:1-2)  He questioned Jesus because he wanted to know how a man can be born again when he is old? (John 3:3-4)  Jesus answered him by saying that a man must be born twice, first be born of water, physical birth, and then born spiritually by The Holy Spirit of God. (John 3:5-8)  Nicodemus still did not understand what Jesus told him. (John 3:9)  The Apostle John then records the lengthy explanation that Jesus gave to Nicodemus (John 3:10-21) which includes the most frequently quoted verse in The Bible, John 3:16.  Afterwards, Jesus and His disciples went into the land of Judea.  They were near the area where John was baptizing, and an argument developed between the disciples of John and the disciples of Jesus regarding ceremonial washing. (John 3:22-25)  Then some of John’s disciples came to him and said that more people were going to Jesus to be baptized than were coming to him.  John told them again, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of Him.’ He said, ‘The bride belongs to the bridegroom’ and he was just a friend of the bridegroom. (John 3:26-36)

 

APPLICATION

Being “a good person” or being “religious” is not enough to enter the kingdom of God.  One must be a born again believer.  We must be “spiritually born” of The Holy Spirit of God.  When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, we immediately receive the indwelling of The Holy Spirit. (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:27)  At that moment we immediately become a new creature, a new person, (2 Corinthians 5:17) we are born again.  To convert someone from their unbelief, The Word of God, delivered by a man of God, is used by The Holy Spirit of God to change their heart. (Ezekiel 36:26)  Baptism by water does not save anyone.  It is just an outward demonstration of an inner transformation.  We must believe in our heart that Jesus, The Christ, is The Son of God, and that He was raised from the dead, in order for us to be saved. (Romans 10:9)  Do you remember your spiritual birthday?