Born Again...Huh?

Use of Christian words/terminology/lingo

What is the opposite of being born? Answer being unborn, which is impossible physically... not death. Death is at the other end of life it is the cessation of life. Life and death are oppositions… you are either alive or your dead. You cannot live or die until you have been born. The first birth is physical the second is spiritual. The first life is physically living the second is eternal and supernatural. The first death is physical and all will experience it. The second is spiritual and not all will experience it… only those who have not believed, repented, and accepted Jesus as Lord of all and God and Creator of all.

(NKJV)

Christ Witnesses to Nicodemus

3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?

5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

We use words like: Born Again, redemption, rapture, Holy Ghost,salvation, saved ,Trinity, worship and more just to name a few.

Sometimes these words need additional explanation

Nicodemus needed additional instruction on the matter

He (like we should do) went straight to the source for his answer…Jesus

Two terms today to discuss…( water, Born again)

What is meant by water in this text

water = referred to as cleansing in this text

Jesus used this word because he knew that Nicodemus could relate to it

A. ” (NKJV)

25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

B. Or maybe he was using water to signify life: Christ Reveals the “Living Water” (NKJV

37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

C. Maybe washing of regeneration: (NKJV)

4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Born Again… what does it mean

What it doesn’t mean is to be born in the fleshly birth

So that a man “could enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born,” he would be no nearer this “new birth” than before[1] be born again—or, as it were, begin life anew in relation to God; his manner of thinking, feeling, and acting, with reference to spiritual things, undergoing a fundamental and permanent revolution.[2]

[1] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 131). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

2. This is what the world is trying to do today...

By one own fleshly earthly power become something new that it has not the power to do on it’s own

Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 3

be born again—or, as it were, begin life anew in relation to God; his manner of thinking, feeling, and acting, with reference to spiritual things, undergoing a fundamental and permanent revolution.

Born the first time in the physical flesh the second is spiritual

All that comes with the physical birth is affected

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 3

6. That which is born, &c.—A great universal proposition; “That which is begotten carries within itself the nature of that which begat it” [OLSHAUSEN].

flesh—Not the mere material body, but all that comes into the world by birth, the entire man; yet not humanity simply, but in its corrupted, depraved condition, in complete subjection to the law of the fall (Ro 8:1–9). So that though a man “could enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born,” he would be no nearer this “new birth” than before (Job 14:4; Ps 51:5).

(NKJV)

14 “Man who is born of woman

Is of few days and full of trouble.

2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away;

He flees like a shadow and does not continue.

3 And do You open Your eyes on such a one,

And bring me to judgment with Yourself?

4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

No one!

Psalm 51:1–5 NKJV

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Conclusion:

Do we understand the terminology?

Do we understand that without being born again we will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven?

Do we understand that the Holy Spirit is the one who regenerates us?

Do we understand that there must be a change in us that happens; and is really a supernatural change?

Do we understand we don’t earn it and we don’t buy it and that it is supernaturally given freely to us via God’s grace via what His Son Jesus did on the cross?

Do we understand that it is not enough to just believe in God

(NKJV)

(NKJV)

19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Do we understand for a true Born Again Salvation Experience that we must not only believe but repent and accept Jesus free pardon of Grace and Forgiveness by calling on His name

Romans 10:1 NKJV

1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

(NKJV)

Israel Needs the Gospel

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”