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Be Born Again!
Have you ever wished you could start over? That is a very common desire, isn’t it? But, do you know that God has actually made that possible, for everybody, for anybody, and for you?
About 2000 years ago, a very religious Jewish man named Nicodemus visited Jesus one night. He began by complimenting Jesus (as many people still do); but Jesus surprised him by replying, “Ye must be born again.” Why? Let us consider the original story together:
John 3:1-18
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. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: That whosoever be-lieveth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
New Birth is Possible and Real
You may imagine how surprised Nicodemus must have been by Jesus’ remarkable response to Nicodemus’ complimentary speech. But Nicodemus responded by asking how such a thing as a new birth could be possible. Nicode-mus was a Jew by birth. Nicodemus knew that life comes by birth, and he no doubt believed that his Jewish birth gave him special favor with God. Jesus began to explain the new (spiritual) birth and said, “…Marvel not that I said unto thee, ‘Ye must be born again.’”
Jesus said “Ye must be born again” twice, for three reasons. 1. New birth is a real thing (the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said so). 2. New birth is a divine requirement (God requires it). 3. New Birth is a universal need. Every man, every woman, and every child has the need to be born again.
New Birth Is Needed and Required.
Romans 3:23 tells us “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” That means that we are all guilty sinners who are not fit for and “shall not see the kingdom of God.” An educated and very religious man, Nicodemus already knew he was a sinner, like you and me; but he just didn’t understand how to accomplish what God requires.
New Birth Is God’s Work.
It is not up to you or me to accomplish it. Just as natural birth is a work of God (did you birth yourself?), so also is spiritual birth. To help Nico-demus to understand this new birth, Jesus reminded him of a famous event in Jewish history (which you may read about in Numbers 21:4-9). Centuries before Jesus’ birth, Israel had been plagued by poisonous snakes, and God had instructed their leader, Moses, to put a “brazen” (copper) snake high on a pole where bitten Israelites could see it. To be healed—to be given fresh life—all they had to do was to simply look at that snake and be healed. Jesus, foretelling His own death on the cross, comparing Himself to that serpent on the pole, and referring to Himself as “the Son of Man,” declared that a simple look of faith to Him would mean eternal life for anyone who truly trustingly looked to Him for salvation from eternal spiritual death.
New Birth is Just the Beginning.
This new life from God, by God, and with God involves becoming a new person with new security, a new destiny, a new identity, and a new and permanent relationship with God Himself. “There-fore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: Old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. Doesn’t that sound good, and great, and wonderful?
God’s New Birth Is Possible Now
Now, friend, are you dead and doomed, or are you truly alive to God forever—are you born again? There is no new birth and no new life without faith in the Son of God who died for you. No faith—no life! Look and live