What it means to be born again?

On 3 July 2015 Last update 13 April 2023 689 0

God's Word states that the whole world lies in sin. Those who consider themselves or are thought to be better than others also belong to the large group of sinners, in fact the Sacred Scripture affirms that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), but to those who have accepted Jesus in their hearts as their Savior “He gave the right to become children of God; to those, that is, who believe in His name” (Thurs.. 1:12).

When it came “the fullness of time, God sent His Son” (Gal. 4:4) to implement His divine plan conceived from eternity for the salvation of sinful man. Jesus, the Son of God, took on our sins, giving His life on the cross (Is. 53:46). By His sacrifice He saved us, and that doesn't come from us, but it is the gift of God (If. 2:8), a gift for which a high price has been paid: that of the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Pi. 1:18).

The Gospel reports that Nicodemus, illustrious and esteemed man of the time, highly regarded by the people, member of the Sanhedrin, he presented himself to Jesus at night to have a personal conversation with him (Thurs.. 3:1-18). He turned to the Master saying to Him: “We know who you are...”, as if to say: “I am not alone in recognizing that there is something special in you…”. Jesus, instead of answering him, makes a statement that puzzles him: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… You have to be born again“.

How to say: If you want to enter the Kingdom of God you have to die and be born again, you must be regenerated, you have to become a new creature. You can't put “a piece of new cloth over an old dress; otherwise the new patch takes away the old one, and the tear gets worse…” O “of new wine in old wineskins; otherwise the wine makes the wineskins burst; but the new wine must be put in new wineskins”; you must accept the work of Christ which is new: “So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away: here, have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

“You are a child of God?”

“you are saved?”

If we ask these two questions to people, many of them will answer the first one in the affirmative, but to the second they will only be able to give an uncertain answer. Like Nicodemus, they don't know what the new birth is, they have not achieved salvation, they have not experienced it. The new birth is not human knowledge, cultural preparation or intellectual knowledge of the Scriptures, it is not a moral or religious reform or improvement, it is not water baptism, it is not belonging to a church, but it is a work that comes from God.

“If one is not born again, cannot see the kingdom of God“, because if you want to enter the kingdom of God you have to become a child of God. How to do? Accept Jesus in your heart! Indeed:

“To all who have received Him He has given the right to be called children of God: to those who believe in His name; who are not born of blood, nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but they were born of God” (Thurs.. 1:12-13). Only children will be able to dwell in the Father's house!

One who “he will convince the world of sin, to justice, and to judgment” (Thurs.. 16:8), the Holy Spirit, convinces man that he needs Jesus and that he must be born again. This is the expression of God's will that “he wanted to generate us according to His will through the Word of truth” (Giac. 1:18).

We can be born again by accepting the work done on the cross once and for all by our Savior Jesus Christ, who by His grace has placed salvation within everyone's reach since: “God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him does not perish, but have everlasting life” (Thurs.. 3:16).
The new birth, regeneration, it is the life-giving and effective work of the Word of God: “You have been regenerated not from corruptible seed, my incorruttibile, through the living and permanent word of God” (1 Pie. 1:23). Don't think you are “right with God” attending a church, know that to enter the kingdom of God you need to be born again.

These are the steps to take:

recognize that you are sinners;
sincerely repent of their sins;
confess your sins to God, because “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all iniquity” (1 Thurs.. 1:9) with the knowledge that “the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin”.
repent, have an attitude change, of position, mentality regarding God and Jesus as one's Savior and Lord;
accept the grace and forgiveness we can only receive by trusting in Christ Jesus.
The miracle of the new birth is humanly inexplicable, but it is the wonderful work of God in the life of man who will thus be able to affirm: “One thing I know, that I was blind and now I see” (Thurs.. 9:25)

“Because God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him does not perish, but have everlasting life” (Giovanni 3:16).

“Who will accuse God's elect? God is the one who justifies them. Who will be the one who condemns them? Christ Jesus is what died; and more than this he is raised; and it is on the right hand of God, and also intercedes for us” (Romans 8:33-34).