What is being born again all about?

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."--John 3:3.  This statement is a familiar one to most Christians.  This statement was made to Nicodemus whom the text describes was a Pharisee, and a ruler of the Jews. It is also within this same chapter that we find one of the most quoted verses of the Bible, John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." but verse 3 says we must be born again.  Nicodemus asked what this meant.  At first glance, Nicodemus' question has an obvious answer for the Christian reading today.  But it really wasn't so obvious because Nicodemus didn't have the advantage of having the New Testament and being able to know what this meant from Scripture.  His question is perfectly legitimate.  It's perfectly legitimate because when talking with Christians and non-Christians alike this idea is still explored, the idea of being born again.  This occasion is no different, if you will go with me, I just want to explore this idea of being born again and what it means to the Christian and he/she who is not a Christian and what it means to both parties.

"...unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  First, looking, at the scripture when Nicodemus' asks what being born again meant Jesus answered: "...unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Hmm...water and Spirit.  Some have taken this to mean that we have our physical birth than somehow by accepting Christ, we have our "spiritual birth."  This cannot be correct because Jesus is speaking of spiritual things while Nicodemus is still thinking on the physical level. So, we must be born of water and Spirit.  This statement is obviously connected to salvation. When thinking of water and Spirit, in the context of salvation, my mind goes to baptism and how according to Acts 2:38-39, with baptism, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  John 3:16 says that if we believe in Jesus, we will have eternal life.  Then Mark 16:15 tells us "He who has believed AND been baptized shall be saved." I am not one for cherry picking verses like this to make my argument as these verses must also be looked at in context but these verses make perfect sense even within their context. Born of water and Spirit=Baptism.  Clearly belief in Christ is also a necessary part of the equation and according to Acts 2:38, Repentance is also necessary.  But where our re-birth happens is in the water.  If Jesus said, I must go to the water so I can see the kingdom of God, you can bet I am going to do it. So what does this mean to the parties I mentioned?

To he who has not made Jesus their Lord the response must be to do as Jesus said.  But what if we have already done this?  What does being born again mean to the Christian?  Well, this can create a whole theological discussion in itself.  But allow me to use the illustration of a baby who is physically born.  After all, this was Nicodemus' thinking in his conversation with Jesus. Being born again is like just that, being born.  A baby is starting life.  He/she is a pure soul because there is no sin in that baby's life. As Christians, through having come into contact with the blood of Christ through baptism, we have been purified.  We can start our life over because our sins have been forgiven. We may stumble along the way like a baby does when he/she is learning to walk. And like babies, we must grow into mature adults in Christ.  However, we must always have the attitude of a child.  What I mean is that your average child is always curious and asking questions in order to learn.  This needs to be our attitude.  We must always be willing to learn.

So what is being born again all about? Being born again is about first of all renewing our souls beginning with a belief in Christ followed by baptism into Christ. Being born again is about renewing our minds.  Being born again is about being transformed into the image of Christ.  Being born again is about Christ's blood continually cleansing us of sin from the point of baptism forward.  Being born again is about changing the way we live our lives on a daily basis and with God's help making a conscious effort to not sin again but knowing His blood covers us when we do.  The list can go on forever.  This morning, let's try to think more about how Jesus would have us do things rather than how we would do things.  "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."--Jesus Christ.  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS!