What Does It Mean To Be Born Again?

Among the most common Christian platitudes that are thrown around in the church today, none are more common and more misunderstood than the call to be "born again." Usually connected to an overly emotional altar call, pastor's all across this nation command their congregants to come before their church family and be reborn!

The only problem with this is that all too often church-goers are stepping into something that they do not entirely understand. So what does it really mean to be born again? How does it work? When does it happen? These are all important questions to ask ourselves as we explore this subject in greater detail.

1. Jesus & Nicodemus

The term born again is not a modern creation, but rather a command given to us by our Lord, Jesus Christ. In a conversation between Jesus and a Sanhedrin Pharisee named Nicodemus, Jesus said this. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” -- John 3:3. In these words, we can discover some clues regarding the meaning of the term, "born again."

1. Truly, truly... 25 times in the gospel of John Jesus uses this phrase. In each of these 25 instances, Jesus is about to present some of his most important teachings. What do we learn from this? That what Jesus is about to say demands our attention!

2. Unless...he cannot... Jesus is not offering one of many ways to see the Kingdom of God. He is presenting the way to see the Kingdom of God. This is a statement of certainty. Simply put, if you desire to see the Kingdom of God, the only way to get that chance is to be born again.

What do we learn from this conversation? That being born again is not just important, its essential.

2. Paul's Words to the Ephesians

In Paul' words to the church of Ephesus, Paul wrote, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins -- Ephesians 2:1. Shortly after Paul continues by writing, But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved -- Ephesians 2:4-5.

Paul in this passage contrast the spiritually dead state that the Ephesian Christians had been in to the spiritually alive state they had been reborn into through Christ Jesus! Paul is actively describing what it means to be born again.

Born again means to allow Christ Jesus to regenerate your heart from the spiritually dead state it was in to the spiritually alive state it can be through Christ.

It is important to remember that this spiritual rebirth is done not by you, but by Christ in you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, -- 1 Peter 1:3.

To be born again, you must come to Christ empty-handed, knowing that it is not your deeds to regenerate your heart, but Christ's ultimate sacrifice on the cross that transforms you. Just as your mother did all the work in birthing you, Jesus does all the work in rebirthing you, spiritually.

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Want to learn more about this subject? Check out this related teaching from our Saturday evening worship service!