By Elder Tim White
In John 3:3 Jesus was having a discussion with Nicodemus, and said to him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. Nicodemus didn’t really understand what Jesus meant by being “born again”. Let’s examine what it means to be “born again”.
I feel the first thing we need to understand about being born again, is that it is absolutely necessary. Jesus said in verse 3 that you “cannot see the kingdom of God” without being born again. He repeats this imperative in verse 5, “… cannot enter into the kingdom of God”, and again in verse 7, “Ye must be born again”. Peter preached the same message to the High Priest and others at Jerusalem. Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. We need to understand that being “born again” (to regenerate anew – from above), and being saved are interchangeable.
The second thing we need to understand is that this new birth is spiritual. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. In 1 Peter 1:23 Peter says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever”. The things that God has for us must be understood in the Spirit. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”.
In order for you to be born again Jesus had to die, and you must believe that He died and rose again. Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 15:2-4, “By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” Romans 10:9 and 13 teaches us, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”.
I believe sometimes the beauty of salvation is lost in the simplicity of it. Just call upon the Lord today!
