To Be Born Again
By Larry A. Smail
What does the Biblical words of being Born Again mean? These words of Christ are often misinterpreted sometimes bringing about debate and division. Some argue this a “must” for a water baptism. Let’s look at the entire scriptural words on this subject, of Christ found in John 3: 1-21, for context, and to break the words down. Additional study notes have been included.
John 3: 1-3: Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him,“Rabbi, we know that Youhave come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unlessGod is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say unto you unless one is BORN AGAIN he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Some of the important truths to understand with these verses are as follows: Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews and a Pharisee. The Pharisees were religious Jews who believed in keeping all the laws of the Torah. (Mosaic Law) This man came by night to not be observed by any fellow Pharisees. The man didn’t want to be seen associating with Jesus. However, he told Jesus, they (The Pharisees) knew he was of God but only as a teacher. They, as did most Jews, would not recognize Jesus as the Son of God. They could have and should have known! He did believe in the signs he witnessed of Christ and he knew God was with him somehow, but as I mentioned he didn’t believe Jesus was anything else from God such as the Promised One despite the Old Testament prophecies of a kingdom and the future King of Israel. Jesus told Nicodemus unless one is BORN AGAIN he cannot see the Kingdom of God. NOTE: More on the Kingdom of God below.
NOTE: The Jewish people had a belief that because they were born from the seed of Abraham and given the law, they were guaranteed a place in heaven, a form of racial identity. This fact alone would have shocked Nicodemus upon hearing Jesus’ words of being Born Again. Now Jesus was telling the man his physical birth does not account for anything but only the new birth of being Born Again, as in a Spiritual rebirth applies to the kingdom.
John 3: 4: Nicodemus said to Him,“How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?
The man asked Jesus questions that may seem a little silly, but I believe the questions were sincere but by a confused individual. Nicodemus was thinking only from a physical and natural realm at this time, and it would be impossible for a man to enter his mother’s womb to be born again.
John 3: 5: Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the SPIRIT (Note the Capitol “S”) he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
Jesus’ answer was direct to Nicodemus as he said he had to be born of water which is a metaphor for the natural or physical birth of a person, however he spoke of the most important step of being Born Again and that was the need to be born of the Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God. Christ’s words, now, differentiated between the two births.
The Dispensation of Christ on Earth (Additional Dispensation Notes to Follow.)
Before we enter deeper into the Born Again subject one needs to understand this time of Christ being on earth and what Jesus meant by the kingdom. The Old Testament prophecies as far back as Abraham (See Genesis 12: 1-3.) often centered around a future earthly kingdom on earth for God’s Chosen people, the Jews. The prophecies added of a King of that kingdom. Jesus came to the Jews as of Romans 15:8 where Paul wrote, “For I say that Christ has become a servant (Or minister in some translations.) to the circumcision (Jews)on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers… The promises were the prophecies of the Old Testament Jewish prophets promising them a future earthly kingdom and a King. (Messiah)
The Kingdoms
The Kingdom of God that Christ was alluding was the possible physical kingdom as promised by God to the Jewish people as the natural or physical.(The Promised Land.) More so, and most importantly, Jesus, with the Born Again phrase, referred to the future Spiritual Kingdom of God. Nicodemus would have understood the promised physical kingdom. He would have had difficulty understanding the spiritual kingdom. Christ was in place to offer the physical kingdom only if the Jews believed. Remember when John the Baptist claimed to the Jews in Matthew 3: 2 to repent (Turnaround) for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. John was telling the people their Promised One is on hand and by believing on the Christ the kingdom could be reality. John said in Matthew 2: 11, where the Messiah (Christ) would baptize or cleanse the Jews with the Holy Spirit. The analogy Christ was alluding to was the natural birth of water to the physical kingdom
2.
and the being born of the Spirit for the heavenly future Kingdom. This time of Christ
on earth is what I call the first dispensation. Paul used the word a few times while writing of the dispensation of his time. More on dispensations later in our study.
Back to Chapter 3 of John
John 3:6-7: Jesus continued, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, You must be BornAgain.”Jesus was further defining the two types of births with verses six and seven.
Once the natural birth of water has happened one would be required to take the next step in having a Spiritual Rebirth, a Spiritual saving or being Born Again.
John 3: 8: Jesus added, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone born of the Spirit.”
The Greek work “pneuma” is the same as wind or spirit. Jesus was using a metaphor of the power, sovereignty and the mystery of the Spirit.
John 3: 9-10: “Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to Him, “Are you a teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?”
Nicodemus was confused but Christ asked him of his credentials for being a Pharisee. Jesus asked the man, how could Nicodemus not understand despite being a teacher of the Jews of Israel. The man had been in spiritual blindness as were most if not all of the Pharisees. Individuals with spiritual blindness can never truly understand the words of the Bible.
John 3: 11-12: Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”
The Pharisees and Nicodemus didn’t believe, and couldn’t believe due to their spiritual blindness of what they should have known from the prophesies, signs and wonders of Christ. We know, however, after the cross and resurrection there were some Pharisees who would become believers. Such believing Pharisees were present at the Jerusalem
3.
Council of Acts 15 and Galatians 2. (50 A.D.?) We do not know how many attended.
John 3: 13: Jesus continued talking with Nicodemus saying, No one ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven; the Son of Man.
Jesus was now getting into important words stating he, the Son of Man, came from heaven so that anyone who believes in him will have eternal life. Did Nicodemus grasp who Jesus was and what he should do to gain eternal life? We need to clarify his words; of no one ascending into heaven. Jesus would spend three days and nights on the Paradise side of Sheol after his death. He would take these righteous individuals to glory after that time or ascended to heaven. Jesus alluded of such an experience of Paradise in Luke 16: 19-31. The story was of a rich man and the poor beggar.
The story in brief talked of a rich man dying and going to the wicked side of Sheol. The beggar died and went to the Paradise side. The rich man in torment wanted his alive brothers to be warned but Abraham told the man the brothers have Moses and the Prophets and let the brothers heed their words. Let’s study the entire story for it reminded of Nicodemus’ not realizing the words of the Fathers and prophets.
John 3: 14: As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
The story of Moses lifting up the brass serpent is found in Numbers 21. Briefly, poisonous snake bites upon the unbelieving Hebrews would be cured if the victim gazed upon this brazen serpent being held up by Moses. A gaze upon Christ with faith can remove sins and cause the person to be Born Again in a sense through their belief.
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever BELIEVES in HIM shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Jesus during his earthly time attempted to have Israel and the Jews believe he was their Promised One. This was the first dispensation as mentioned above. This is important to understand. Although Christ’s words of John 3: 16 are accurate, it is important to understand during the time of Jesus on earth the Jews were to believe who Jesus was or on his name. In our dispensation as per the Apostle Paul, we today need to believe in Christ’s death on the cross, the burial and resurrection through a hundred percent faith and trust as Paul would learn this from the Risen Christ. See 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4 under Dispensation # 3 below. This is GRACE!
4.
John 3: 17: Jesus added, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
What great news for mankind! God chose to NOT condemn a sinful and rejecting world but to allow another chance for redemption through believing on Christ.
John 3: 18: “He who BELIEVES in Him (Christ) is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Notice scripture stated the person saved through their belief would not stand condemned before the Lord. Also, notice of no need for works. However, an unbeliever, a person who rejects Christ through unbelief would be judged. The greatest sin in the eyes of God has been, and is, rejection through unbelief.
John 3: 19: “This the judgment, that the Light (Capitol “L”) has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”
The Light of the world mentioned in verse nineteen is of course Jesus! However, any person believing in the Light received the Holy Spirit baptism and be BORN AGAIN. John 1: 1-13 has words calling Christ, the Word and the Light, too. John 1: 12-13 spoke of being Born Again. John wrote, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believed in His name, who born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but OF GOD.” John was referring to being Born Again here but he didn’t use the phrase.
John 3: 20: “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”
In God’s eye, rejection of the truth is considered evil, unrighteous or wicked even if a person lives a good life otherwise.
John 3: 21: “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Individuals going to the Light through their belief through faith is Born Again!
5.
An interesting fact is that scripture stops on this subject at verse twenty-one with no words about what Nicodemus said or did upon hearing Christ’s words. Did he begin to understand or did he walk away still in spiritual blindness? The answer is found in John 19: 39 after the cross, “Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.”
The Dispensations
So to further review and break down this phrase of Born Again, within the three dispensations, we need to repeat. Understanding these dispensations greatly aids in learning.
DISPENSATION # 1: During Christ’s time on earth the Jewish people and Israel were to simply believe on the name of Jesus. This means they were to believe Jesus was the Promised One as their Messiah. The prophets spoke of this Messiah. A simple grace message but impossible for the Jews to believe. Jesus would be rejected because of their unbelief and nailed to the cross to die.
DISPENSATION # 2: After the cross and resurrection All the House of Israel were to amend from their sins of unbelief and rejection of Christ leading to Jesus’ death on the cross for forgiveness of their sins. (Study Acts two and three for details from Peter’s sermons to the Jews.) They were to follow that turnaround from unbelief by being cleansed or purified of their sins according to the Mosaic Law of purification. (See Leviticus for the various purification laws.) Later this was called baptism. If the Jews and Israel would do these requirements for salvation Christ would return and usher in that promised kingdom with Jesus being their King. The Jews would then do their task of going to the Gentile nations bringing to them God’s words! Exodus 19: 5-6 states the following concerning the Jews potential. “…if you (The Jews.) will indeed obey and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” The Jews failed!
DISPENSATION # 3: (The dispensation of today, as well.) With Israel’s final rejection of Christ at the murder of Stephen, Christ would go to the Jewish zealot and Pharisee named Saul. Later Saul would be called the Apostle Paul for the Gentiles. One of my favorite areas to clarify what is needed for salvation is found in 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4 where Paul states the following… “Now I make known to you, brethren, the GOSPEL
6.
which I preached to you, which you also RECEIVED, in which also you stand, by which you are SAVED if you hold fast the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to Scriptures.” This is the Gospel of GRACE!
A Few Born Again Related Verses
Paul, in Ephesians 1: 13-14, wrote very important salvation words related to being Born Again. “In Him (Christ) you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation (Mentioned above) -having BELIEVED, you were SEALED in Him the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge (Guarantee or promise) of our inheritance with a view to the REDEMPTION of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” WOW!
How about this verse from Paul. “Therefore, if anyone is IN CHRIST, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” The old things are passed away because you have been Born Again though the Holy Spirit.
The Disciple, Peter in 1 Peter 1: 22-23 wrote the following about being Born Again. “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been Born Again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” The Holy Spirit is imperishable!
Acts 1: 5 states the following: “for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…” these are the words from the Risen Christ.
In Acts 19: 2-6, the words of Paul state the following: He (Paul) said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they replied to him, “No, we have NOT even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized? And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is Jesus.” Verse six states,”and when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them…” These Gentiles were witnessing being Born Again.
7.
Ephesians 4: 30, Paul wrote, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were SEALED for the day of redemption.” How does one get SEALED? Through grace by being Born Again.
One more” In 2 Corinthians 1: 21-22, Paul wrote the following. “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also SEALED us and GAVE us the SPIRIT in our heart as a pledge.” Once an individual receives the Holy Spirit through being Born Again that person is sealed! This is a pledge or promise.
The most difficult truth for myself with such a study is the decision to as to how much information to include to get the point across. One could add many more verses from the Bible with Born Again references.
Summary
So what does Born Again mean? The action of being Born Again is to become spiritually renewed through the actions of the Holy Spirit, a form of rebirth because of the indwelt Holy Spirit. We may call these actions Grace, God’s mercy, new life in Christ through our humility and relying on faith due to believing, salvation…
Being Born Again
The words “Born Again” may be described with a host of terms such as;
THE GIFT OF GRACE; MERCY;
UNMERITED FAVOR;
A RENEWED BIRTH THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT;
SALVATION;
SPIRITUAL PURIFICATION;
BEING SAVED; REDEMPTION;
BORN FROM ABOVE;
NEW CREATION;
BORN ANEW…
8.
Larry A. Smail's Blog 