You Must Be Born Again!

SomeThing Old, Something New

John 3:1–7 KJV 1900

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Jesus Begins this discourse with a Pharasee Called Nicodemus by speaking about something which is very familier: Birth - Birth is a universal experience. But Jesus now refers to being born again -

The Word “Again” is the greek - Ano-then and it literally means “From Above”.

All Humans enter into earth through Birth from Below, But if we want to enter into Heaven we enter through Birth from Above.

To put it simply: If you are born once (water) you die twice (Body and Hell).

But if you are born twice (water and Spirit) then you only die once (body).

Are you Born again is the mot important question to ask someone who is a professing Christian. You cannot manufacture Christians any more than you can manufacture babies - they must be born, and christians must be born again.

Happy Birthday!

Just as there are 2 parents for physical birth, there are 2 parents for Spiritual birth: The Spirit of God and the Word of God.

John 3:5 KJV 1900

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

James 1:18 KJV 1900

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

How: The Spirit of God takes the Word of God and, when the sinner believes, imparts the life of God.

Just as natural birth involves travel and labour pains so to does the Spiritual birth.

John 16:21 KJV 1900

A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

Jesus suffered and travelled for us to be born again.

Isaiah 53:11 KJV 1900

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; For he shall bear their iniquities.

He Has His Fathers Eyes!

When a child is born it is not born in total isolation, It carries the genetics of both its parents and will inherit the nature of the parents.

When a christian is born agin, that christian inherits the Nature of their Heavily father as well.

2 Peter 1:4 KJV 1900

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

God has not only given us all that we need for life and godliness, but He has also given us His Word to enable us to develop this life and godliness.

When the sinner believes on Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to impart the life and nature of God within.

A baby shares the nature of its parents, and a person born of God shares the divine nature of God.

The lost sinner is dead, but the Christian is alive because he shares the divine nature.

The lost sinner is decaying because of his corrupt nature, but the Christian can experience a dynamic life of godliness because he has God’s divine nature within.

Mankind is under the bondage of corruption (Rom. 8:21), but the believer shares the freedom and growth that is a part of possessing the divine nature.

Nature determines appetite.

The pig wants slop and the dog will even eat its own vomit (2 Peter 2:22), but the sheep desires green pastures.

Sinners love to partake of the delights of the flesh - Christians love the Word of God.

Nature also determines behavior.

An eagle flies because it has an eagle’s nature and a dolphin swims because that is the nature of the dolphin.

Sinners like to act like Satan, they lie, steal, cheat, fornicate and blaspheme.

Christians like to act like Jesus, Who is holy and patient and kind.

Nature determines environment:

squirrels climb trees, moles burrow underground, and trout swim in the water.

Sinners like to gather and hang out at places on sin, where drugs, drink and debachery are present.

Christins like to gather in prayer, praise and preaching places, where the presents of God are present.

Nature also determines association:

lions travel in prides, sheep in flocks, and fish in schools.

Sinners prefer the company of like minded fools who support and their sinful life and choices.

Christians prefer the company of the godly and holy who encourage holiness and rebuke hypocrisy.

You are what you eat and you Eat what you are.

If we feed the new nature the nourishment of the Word, then we will have little interest in the garbage of the world.

But if we “make provision for the flesh” (Rom. 13:14), our sinful nature will lust after the “old sins” (2 Peter 1:9) and we will disobey God.

Godly living is the result of cultivating the new nature within.

There is a Heart Beat!

Of course, birth involves life; and spiritual birth from above involves God’s life.

The opposite of life is death, and the person who has not believed on Jesus Christ does not have God’s life, eternal life, abundant life.

Birth involves a future, and we are “born again to a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3, nasb).

A newborn baby cannot be arrested because he or she has no past!

*Note on abortion.

Thousands are babies are given the death sentence because of the irresponsibility and sins of their parents who dont know that babies come from having sex.

When you are born again into God’s family, your sins are forgiven and forgotten, and your future is bright with a living hope.