What does being born again really mean? OR what is the difference between being born physically and being born again?
Furthermore, what results would you expect to see in the life of a person who has been born again through the Holy Spirit? Read Galatians 5:22, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, plus gentleness and self- control.
Jesus and Nicodemus were talking about how someone can enter the Kingdom of God. See John 3:3–7, In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. How can a man be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born! Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying. You must be born again.
What Jesus means by being born again is to have a completely new start. In explaining the meaning of being born again to Nicodemus, Jesus used symbols, just as John the Baptist did to the Jewish. "Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" See John 3:8, The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. Also read Acts of Apostles 2:38, Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus explained to Nicodemus, what being born again meant, it is, in the sense of a completely new start, that is, from God, the Holy Spirit. Does this means, we receive it from God.
Clearly, the new birth is from God, and has nothing to do with our own effort or good works, (example the first birth) and Jesus’ way of entering into the Kingdom is exactly the opposite of Nicodemus’ way. Note according to the (Pharisee) Nicodemus it must be by keeping the law of Moses and according to Jesus is by being born again. See John 3:3–8, In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. How can a man be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born! Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying. You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. And see Ezekiel 36:26–27, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
We must always remember that Jesus used the symbol of water to teach the importance of repentance, i.e, to turn away from sin, in being born again. See these passages. (1) Matthew 3:1–2, In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. (2) Matthew 4:17, From that time on Jesus began to preach, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. (3) Acts of Apostles 2:38, Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (4) Acts of Apostles 17:22 and 30, Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. Also see John 3:15–16, That everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Answers to my questions at the start: Read 2nd Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come! 1st Peter 1:23, For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God Titus 3:5, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
May you be blessed in Jesus name
Furthermore, what results would you expect to see in the life of a person who has been born again through the Holy Spirit? Read Galatians 5:22, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, plus gentleness and self- control.
Jesus and Nicodemus were talking about how someone can enter the Kingdom of God. See John 3:3–7, In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. How can a man be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born! Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying. You must be born again.
What Jesus means by being born again is to have a completely new start. In explaining the meaning of being born again to Nicodemus, Jesus used symbols, just as John the Baptist did to the Jewish. "Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" See John 3:8, The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. Also read Acts of Apostles 2:38, Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus explained to Nicodemus, what being born again meant, it is, in the sense of a completely new start, that is, from God, the Holy Spirit. Does this means, we receive it from God.
Clearly, the new birth is from God, and has nothing to do with our own effort or good works, (example the first birth) and Jesus’ way of entering into the Kingdom is exactly the opposite of Nicodemus’ way. Note according to the (Pharisee) Nicodemus it must be by keeping the law of Moses and according to Jesus is by being born again. See John 3:3–8, In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. How can a man be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born! Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying. You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. And see Ezekiel 36:26–27, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
We must always remember that Jesus used the symbol of water to teach the importance of repentance, i.e, to turn away from sin, in being born again. See these passages. (1) Matthew 3:1–2, In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. (2) Matthew 4:17, From that time on Jesus began to preach, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. (3) Acts of Apostles 2:38, Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (4) Acts of Apostles 17:22 and 30, Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. Also see John 3:15–16, That everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Answers to my questions at the start: Read 2nd Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come! 1st Peter 1:23, For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God Titus 3:5, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
May you be blessed in Jesus name