How to Be Born Again
“Some of you come to church thinking that you will turn over a new leaf. And Jesus is saying, ‘You don’t need a new leaf, you need a whole new tree.’ You need to be born again.” – Tony Walliser
Read John 3:3-18
How to Be Born Again
The word “Christian” can mean many different things to different people. For some, being a Christian means you’re not a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or atheist. For others, a Christian is someone who doesn’t lie, cheat, or steal – at least not much. To some, the word signifies someone who’s a bigot, intolerant, and judgmental.
Years ago, while he was still governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter declared in a magazine interview that he was a “born-again Christian.” Suddenly ‘born again’ became a mainstream term, for good or for ill. But that basically muddied the waters. Did he mean that not all Christians are born-again?
It’s interesting that in the Bible, the word ‘Christian’ in the original languages appears only three times, and two of those are used by people trying to figure out what to call zealous followers of Christ. The term “born again” is used more frequently, asserting that a true disciple of Jesus Christ is someone who has experienced a spiritual rebirth.
Jesus introduced this idea during an encounter with Nicodemus, a prominent leader of the Pharisees. “Nick” was trying to figure out who He was, but Jesus’ reply was, “unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). We can imagine Nicodemus thinking, ‘Say what?!’
Then the Lord elaborated: “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” (John 3:6-7).
Why is this important? Can’t a person simply read the Bible and do his best to obey what it says? The answer is simple: No! As the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-5, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world…. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts…. But God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when were dead in transgressions….”
We were alive physically, but were spiritually dead, unable and unwilling to seek the Lord, to love, worship, or serve Him. To live the so-called Christian life in the flesh – in our own power – isn’t difficult…it’s impossible. We can do this successfully only through the life and power of Jesus Christ at work in us through His Spirit.
This is why the Scriptures give us verses like 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” And Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Do you see it? This is why being “born again” isn’t an option for a genuine follower of Jesus. The only way we can be saved, forgiven, and redeemed – and to successfully live the life God has called us to – is to experience spiritual rebirth. New life in Christ and His life in us.
To say “I’m a born-again Christian” is redundant. It’s like saying you have a canine dog, a feline cat, or an equine horse. If you’re a Christian, as Jesus said, you must be born again. And if you’re born again, you’re truly a Christian.
If we’re not born again, we may be religious. We may be faithful churchgoers. We may even be folks with a certain amount of knowledge of the Bible. But we’re not members of God’s eternal family. Because as John 1:12 asserts, “Yet to all who have received Him [Jesus Christ], to those who have believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
To believe in His name means to trust, to commit oneself to Jesus through faith. And to receive Him means to experience spiritual rebirth. We who once were spiritually dead, dominated by sin, are made new so we can be and become everything God desires for us.