What Does It Mean To Be Born Again

 

What Does It Mean To Be Born Again?

 

John 3:7 “Do not marvel that I say to you, ‘You must be born again!’” In John 3:1-21 JESUS tells us that we have to be “born again” to enter into The Kingdom of GOD, and that being born again is being born of water and SPIRIT. He is saying that being a human does not qualify you to enter into GOD’s Kingdom, you must be born of water (baptism) and SPIRIT (HOLY SPIRIT). In verse seven JESUS makes a mystical statement, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the SPIRIT.” This is His first teaching that when we are born again we should no longer be led by our flesh but buy His SPIRIT; Paul clarifies this in Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with CHRIST; it is no longer I who lives, but CHRIST lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by Faith in The Son of GOD, Who Loved me and gave Himself for me.” Study 1 Corinthians 3:11-17.

 

When Nicodemus asks, “How can these things be?” JESUS chastises him as a religious leader for not understanding. Then JESUS states His eternal omnipresence in verse thirteen, “No one has ascended to Heaven except He Who has come down from Heaven, that is, The Son of Man Who is in Heaven.” So JESUS is saying that He is in Heaven, that He came down from Heaven and that He has gone up to Heaven, all in the present tense!

 

Then comes the passage about GOD’s Love for His creation and that Salvation is for all who except and believe, verses 14-21. Paul clarifies this in Romans 10, “For CHRIST is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes…’Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascent into Heaven?”’ (that is, to bring CHRIST down from above) or, ‘”Who will descent into the abyss?”’ (that is, to bring CHRIST up from the dead). But what does it say? ‘The Word in near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the Word of Faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth The LORD JESUS and believe in your heart that GOD raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto Righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation…For ‘whoever calls on The Name of The LORD shall be Saved.’” Study Romans 10:4-13.

 

Now that we are born again, what do we do? Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is GOD Who works in you both to will and to do for His Good Pleasure.” So how do we work out our salvation, is salvation not a free gift from GOD? Yes it is! “For by Grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is The Gift of GOD, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

 

So we are not saved by works but we must work out our salvation daily, How? Mark 8:34, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.’” Like Paul told the Galatians, we no longer live for ourself, but for JESUS! Study Colossians.

 

Being born again means that we are conformed to the image of CHRIST, Philippians 3:7-12, “But what things were gain for me, these I have counted but loss for CHRIST. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of CHRIST JESUS my LORD, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain CHRIST and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the Law, but that which is through Faith in CHRIST, the Righteousness which is from GOD by Faith; that I may know Him in the Power of His resurrection and the Fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which CHRIST JESUS has also laid hold of me.” We are not called to be CHRIST like, we are called to be ambassadors of CHRIST (2 Corinthians 5:18-21), an ambassador is a representation of the one he stands in for, his opinion and behavior is only that of the one he serves (like JESUS was for The Father, John 5:30).

 

2 Corinthians 5:14, 21 “Now the Love of CHRIST compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died. For He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the Righteousness of GOD in Him.”  Being born again by the Love of GOD compels us to obey CHRIST’s command to lay down our life and take up our cross; not to become righteous before GOD but because CHRIST has made us the Righteous of GOD in Himself.

 

Now that we are born again we can, “Stand fast therefore in the Liberty by which CHRIST has made us free, and do not be not entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1. JESUS said, “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) All through the Epistles we are told to stop sinning and to live our life to GOD. James 1:12-16, “Blessed in the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the Crown of Life which The LORD has promised to those who Love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by GOD’; for GOD cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death (LSD – lust, sin, death). Do not be deceived my beloved brethren.”

 

One of the ways we overcome sin is “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with Good.” Romans 12:21 This can be difficult, JESUS told us to Love our neighbors as we love ourself, but He also told us to Love our enemies and to pray for those who spitefully use us. This just a few minutes after He told us, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is The Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when that revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12, 43-48.

 

When we are doing all of the above we can, “But (Give) thanks be to GOD, Who gives us the Victory through our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in The Work of The LORD, knowing that your labor is not in vain in The LORD.” 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

 

Seek GOD First!