Mysty PfefferBut to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:13
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Born Again?
The giant sign, “You Must Be Born Again” greets thousands of us as we exit the baseball park. The faithful servant of God stands silently waiting for someone to approach him and ask what it means. On the other hand, he may be hoping the Christians among the crowd will answer the few people grumbling the question out loud. I’m not sure, but I get the impression the concept is alien to the young baseball fans leaving the park. As a matter of fact, the comments I hear resemble the remarks of Nicodemus, who sought Christ under the cover of darkness .
Born again? What does that mean?
There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”
Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus. (John 3:1-9)
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Born of The Spirit
I like to think of it this way; we are three-part beings, just like the trinity. However, unlike God in three persons, we have a soul, spirit, and body. We are born to our parents in the flesh and it houses our soul and spirit. Although we are temporary children of our parents in flesh and blood, we are eternal children of God if we receive his son.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But not everyone is going to be born of the Spirit. They will remain in the flesh because they like the way they live. Lord of their own lives, not answering to anyone. Chained to a way of life that destroys the soul and the mind slowly.
Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God. John 3:18
The One Who is From God Listens to God’s Words
The Pharisee’s knew they were the chosen people descended from Abraham. So, they believed living by the law, freed them from sin’s curse. The news of being born of the Spirit confused them as much as a billboard of empty words confuses people today. Without explanation, the sign means nothing and without the empathy, hope and compassion of our witness, they will remain lost.
Jesus Offers an Explanation of Born Again
Jesus responded, “I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. I know you are descendants of Abraham, but you are trying to kill Me because My word is not welcome among you. I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father; therefore, you do what you have heard from your father.” “Our father is Abraham!” they replied. “If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did. But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.
Abraham did not do this! You’re doing what your father does.” “We weren’t born of sexual immorality,” they said. “We have one Father—God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on My own, but He sent Me. Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to My word.
You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of liars. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Who among you can convict Me of sin? If I tell the truth, why don’t you believe Me? The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.” (John 8:31-37—biblegateway.com)
biblegateway.com
Jesus offers this explanation to the Pharisees so they might believe and have eternal life. However, like many we will witness to today, they refuse to believe and live.
Action Steps to Help Others Understand
The action steps of bold faith today are to speak truth to the people within our influence. Moreover, we can live before them the life Christ calls us to live. A life of joy, peace, generosity, kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). Our children, friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors will see this and want it for themselves.
In fact, our lives will be born of the Spirit when we encounter Jesus on a personal level. The revelation and movement of our mind and soul toward pleasing Jesus is the first sign in our lives that we are committed and truly believe in Him. Therefore, we are born again. New creatures who die to our old self and arise anew in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The beauty of this rebirth is not only a changed heart and new life while still in this old body, but the promise of eternal life in a new body someday. I’d love to explore the concept of a new body further with you in the 15th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. However, today I’ll settle for understanding Jesus’ words of born again. Until we meet again, my friend.
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