YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

PROCLAMATION

“Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but The Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at My saying, ‘You must be born again.’ ” John 3:5-7 (NIV)

 

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 and 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)  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 which includes the most frequently quoted verse in The Bible, John 3:16.

 

APPLICATION

Being “a good person” or being “religious” is not enough to enter the kingdom of God.  We 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 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.  One must believe in their heart that Jesus, The Christ, is The Son of God and He was raised from the dead in order to be saved. (Romans 10:9)  Do you remember your spiritual birthday?

"YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN"

Proclamation:

“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ‘… No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and The Spirit’ … ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:3-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as He responded to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council, who had come to Him under the cover of night. (John 3:1-2)  Nicodemus took Jesus literally and wondered how one could re-enter their mother’s womb to be born again.  Jesus made it clear that He was referring to a spiritual birth. (John 3:5-6)

Application:

We must have a spiritual transformation or regeneration produced by The Holy Spirit.  This new birth is an act of God based upon a person's belief in and acceptance of Jesus Christ.  It also implies becoming a new born child of God.  Therefore all believers have two birthdays.  The first is their physical birthday and the second is their spiritual birthday.  We must all undergo a spiritual transformation.  Without this second birth, we will remain a lost soul for eternity.

WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN

Proclamation:

"In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again ... unless he is born of water and The Spirit.'" John 3:1-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus, The Christ, as He spoke to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, who had come to Him secretly by night. (John 3:1-2) 

Application:

All Christians have two birthdays, the date of their physical birth and the date of their spiritual birth.  With our physical birth, we were born into sin when we entered this world.  With our spiritual birth, we are released from the penalty of sin when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  When we are born again, we undergo a spiritual transformation.  We are a "changed" group of people who act, talk, and think differently because of the effect of The Holy Spirit upon our lives.  We are not perfect, we still make mistakes, and we still sin, but we are not as bad as we used to be.  Hopefully, we are getting better, more Christ-like, each day because we have been born again.

Spiritually Born Again

"Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and The Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but The Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at My saying, 'You must be born again.' " John 3:1-7 (NIV)

The Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, recorded the reply that Jesus declared to Nicodemus, the Pharisee and member of the ruling religious council (John 3:1), "You must be born again." (John 3:7)  Jesus said that "no man can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3)

To be born again does not refer to a physical re-birth, it refers to a spiritual awakening, a spiritual birth.  We must undergo a change, a transformation, a regeneration if we are to enter the kingdom of heaven.  We must live a new life, become a new creature. (2 Corinthian 5:17)  We must obtain a new nature with new principles and new beliefs. (Ezekiel 11:19 and Ezekiel 36:26)  God must give us His divine nature if we are to enter heaven.  This change will not occur until we confess and accept The Lord Jesus as our personal savior and The Spirit of God indwells us. (Psalms 51:10 and  Ezekiel 36:27)  We must invite Jesus into our life and into our heart. (Revelation 3:20)