John 3:3 – Born Again

“Jesus replied ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3

Praise God, He has come to save us and give us a new life, but eternity in Heaven is something that only comes through spiritual rebirth. Jesus says, “no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit,” (John 3:5-6). We are physically born from our mother’s womb, but there comes a time in each Christian’s life when we acknowledge our need and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This acceptance is done physically when a person “declare[s] with [their] mouth,” but is a spiritual act when they “believe in [their] heart,” (Rom. 10:10-11). “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved,” (Rom. 10:11).

As I write this my physical existence consists of my body fueled by the water I am drinking and the food I ate last night. I feel the chair under me and I see my computer screen and the sun peaking up over the horizon. All these physical details of life, and so many more, and yet my physical existence does not feel like the majority of my life experience. My spiritual existence consumes my life experience so much so that the physical quickly becomes an afterthought. Love, joy, happiness, affection, peace, contentment, and all their negative counterparts are all things that we experience spiritually. It does not take long when we contemplate our spiritual life for us to understand how we can be born physically, and we too can be born again spiritually.

Spiritual rebirth is being washed clean and renewed, “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” (Tit. 3:5). Life after spiritual rebirth is eternal and does not perish and fade like life after physical birth, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, (1 Pet. 1:23). Because our spiritual rebirth is of eternal significance, we are called to live differently than before, “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good,” (1 Pet. 2:1-3). To spiritually “grow up,” we are told to rid ourselves of some things and to consume other, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things,” (Phil. 4:8). Our spiritual rebirth and new life are what identify us as Christians, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin…This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister,” (1 John 3:9-10). Continuing to sin and to struggle against our sin are quite different. The Christian is called to actively battle against their sin in the power given them from the Spirit and this battle is a spiritual one, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but… against the spiritual forces of evil,” (Eph. 6:12). Our spiritual rebirth, or being “born again,” is our acknowledgement and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and it is the beginning of our new life in Him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us new life. Help us to say yes to you when you reveal yourself to us and to live for you once we have been reborn.