YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN... JESUS SAID IT.. PETER REPEATED IT... WHAT DOES IT MEAN?... by James R. Aist Introduction Many in the Christian church today have, at best, a rudimentary understanding of what Jesus was talking about when he said You must be born again. False teachers are often quick to invent their own concept of born again apart from sound biblical information, so be careful to compare what they teach to the Word of God. A good grasp of the biblical teaching on this subject is important to the understanding of how God saves people and transforms their lives – the very essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ — so lets take a look at what the Bible has to say about born again. Our Original Condition Everyone is born into this world with a heart of stone (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26) and deaf ears (Deuteronomy 29:3-4). The only ones who can listen to the word of God and believe it are those to whom God has given a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26) and ears to hear (Isaiah 32:1-4). Only God can remedy this problem. (For a more complete treatment of Ears to Hear Gods Remedy: A New Human Spirit Those to whom God gives a heart of flesh and ears to hear will, at some point in their conversion process, become born again. To be born again is not an option for salvation; it is an absolute requirement (John 3:1-8). When one is born again, God, by the Holy Spirit, replaces their heart of stone with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26); that is, He removes the old human spirit they were born with, which is at enmity with God, and replaces it with a new human spirit (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26), which is from God (John 3:1-8) and in harmony with God. The born again person loves the word of God and eagerly receives and believes it (1 John 4:6). But to those who are not born again, it is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18 and 2:13). And we should not expect them to believe it, because in their present condition, they cannot (1 Corinthians 2:13 and 1 John 4:6). Are There Other Bible References to Born Again? Where else in the Bible can we find teachings about being born again? As it turns out, Peter used the same phrase that Jesus had coined in referring to Christian believers: For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:23). What does Peter mean by perishable and imperishable seed, and what is the significance, if any, for us? Well, we can understand this reference to the two kinds of seed if we consider what happens to unbelievers vs. believers in the judgment: To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.But the...unbelieving—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 20:14-15). The believers will not experience the second death because they are born again of imperishable seed (a new human spirit), whereas the unbelievers are still of their original, perishable seed (old human spirit) and will die a second death (i.e., perish). One can also recognize a reference to being born again in Pauls description of what happens when an unbeliever is converted into a believer: Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17, the Amplified Bible). Now, we know, of course, that the salvation experience does not immediately change everything about the old person (e.g., his body is still the same age and his ability to resist temptation is not yet perfect), so how, then, can Paul say that this experience makes one a new creature altogether? Its because Paul is referring here to just the spirit man (the mans human spirit) which is changed from the original, fallen spiritual condition in which he was born into this world, to a new, regenerated and undefiled spiritual condition when he is born again. In other words, his original human spirit (previous moral and spiritual condition) has been replaced with a new human spirit (thus, a new creature altogether). Am I born again? Since one must be born again in order to spend their eternity in heaven, it is natural to wonder, Am I born again?! Of course, I cannot answer that question for you, but I can show you some very important things that the Bible has to say about it, and that may help you answer it for yourself. First, the Bible says that we can know, here and now, that we possess eternal life (1 John 5:13). Therefore, it is possible for you to find the answer to this question as it pertains to your own spiritual condition. Second, a born-again person will testify that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10; 1 Timothy 6:12). Third, the genuineness of their verbal testimony will be confirmed by a changed life: they will repent and turn away from their sins (Galatians 5:24; 2 Timothy 2:19) and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22) — in ways and with a consistency that was not evident before. And fourth, a born-again person will begin to live their life more for Jesus and less for themselves (1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 2:19-20). This new outlook on life will create a whole new purpose and meaning for the life of the believer and will have a profound effect on their approach to life in general. Finally, here are some key Scripture verses that may help you answer this very important question for yourself (John 1:12; John 3:18-21; Romans 8:16-17; Ephesians 1:13; 1 John 4:12-15; and 1 John 5:6-12). If, after pondering the points and verses presented here, you are still unsure that you are born again, you may want to take a moment to pray and ask God to give you saving faith in Jesus Christ and an unshakable assurance that He has saved you. Then go back through this section of the study again and meditate intently on each point and verse, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Finally, one can understand and follow these steps to become born again, if you are being genuine and sincere: Repent (turn away from your sins): The Lord ... is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Believe and Trust in Jesus: 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. (John 3:16) Accept His Forgiveness: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) Receive the Peace of Christ: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) ipost.christianpost/news/what-does-born-again-mean-11186/
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 15:26:10 +0000
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