Born Again (Part 1 of 2)
The phrase “born again” is often associated with overly zealous Christians, but the sources reveal that Jesus teaches this concept is essential and indispensable for entering God’s kingdom. The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a prominent Jewish leader, in John chapter 3, clarifies that being born again is not optional, but a supernatural reality necessary for every person.
What Does “Born Again” Mean? The Mandate for New Life
Jesus sets the fundamental requirement for salvation: “Truly truly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”. This new birth is not an esoteric option for a certain type of person; it is a solemn declaration of importance that Jesus emphasizes with the phrase “truly truly”.
Nicodemus’s Confusion: Earthly vs. Spiritual Birth
Nicodemus, a Pharisee and “ruler of the Jews”, was also identified as the “teacher of Israel”. He came to Jesus under the cover of darkness, acknowledging that Jesus must be a teacher sent from God due to the signs He performed.
However, Nicodemus struggled to grasp the nature of this essential new birth, responding literally to Jesus’ statement: “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”. Nicodemus, like others in John’s Gospel, responded to figurative language literally, misunderstanding the spiritual reality Jesus presented.
Jesus clarified the contrast between two forms of existence:
- That which is born of the flesh is flesh (human birth produces earthly people).
- That which is born of the Spirit is spirit (spiritual birth gives rise to spiritual people).
The Old Testament Context: Cleansing and Transformation
Jesus pointed to the Old Testament background for this concept, familiar to a teacher like Nicodemus. While not entering a debate about its specifics, Jesus’ statement—“unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God”—is understood to be a recapitulation of the need to be born again.
This spiritual cleansing is foreshadowed in passages like Ezekiel 36, which speaks of a radical transformation brought about by God, including a new heart. Nicodemus should not have been surprised by this requirement.
Why the New Birth is Supernatural: God’s Miracle of Regeneration
The core reality of being born again is that it is supernatural. It is a work that the individual cannot achieve through their own efforts.
1. The Cause of the Change is God
Becoming a Christian is described as always and in every case a miracle because God is the cause of the change. It is the work of almighty God bringing about a radical change in an individual’s nature.
2. Regeneration is Cosmic Renewal in Miniature
The term used for regeneration in the New Testament is palengenesia. The New Testament uses this term to refer to the cosmic renewal of the world—the time when the Son of Man sits on His throne, bringing about a new heaven and a new earth.
The regeneration of an individual is essentially the bringing of that cosmic reality into their present experience. The same power God will use to recreate the entire universe is the power brought to bear when He recreates an individual as a child of God. Being born again is our participation in the inauguration of that great final cosmic renewal.
3. What Regeneration is Not
Jesus makes it clear that this spiritual change is internal and not achieved through external means:
- It is not external renovation.
- It is not cleaning your act up.
- It is not illumination (being merely attracted or intrigued).
- It is certainly not baptismal regeneration, a position described as dangerous for security, suggesting an inferior being’s activities could make one right before God.