Born Again? I Don't Get It
'Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."' John 3:3
Aside from the Name Jesus, one other bible reference that is polarizing, and mostly misunderstood, maligned or misused is the term "born-again".
Although it is not unusual as even in the first time it was mentioned by Jesus Himself (in the psssage above), the person Jesus was speaking with totally didn't get what He meant (if you'd stick around we will get to read the whole narrative shortly below).
A Rebirth?
If you are totally against (or just do not understand) this term, then you have this in common with all other unbelievers who were struggling themselves, just like you are, and all believers before they experienced their own rebirth.
A-ha Moment
Like them, anyone can have their own a-ha moment. This is when one finally realizes that everything they have heard, seen and read about Jesus (from the gospels and the Book of Acts) becomes alive and real as if the proverbial light bulb turns on over their head.
Relationship
Then eureka, suddenly everything starts to make sense. And they accept that Jesus was a real person*, that He is who He said He is and (in the spirit) they start to have a personal relationship with the God who created them -- Our Heavenly (Abba) Father, through His Spirit, His grace and His Word (literally like the proverbial prodigal son having returned to his patiently waiting father).
Not A Religion
And it is not a new religion. Jesus didn't come down to start one. Instead He made connections. He made close friends. He developed disciples, teachers, leaders. He cultivated friendships, fostered relationships and right thinking and right believing and right living. And He turned the world upside down (or right side up).
You Don't Get It?
If you still aren't close to getting it, you're not alone. No one could until they've had that eureka moment. And just like Nicodemus, they would not understand. Let us follow his story in John 3.
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.
12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”
(if you could read only 21 verses out of over 31,000 verses in the entire bible, then let these be those 21 verses)
In Due Time
Now many will still not get it. Or sadly, they do not want to for they want to stay where they are at right now.
But get this, at the right time, any unbeliever can become a believer.
Scripture tells us that "now is God’s acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!"
Right Now
Today might very well be your time. If in your heart, you have been hearing God's small voice. Open it up, even slightly. Do not allow it to remain completely shut to the opportunity to finally start to get the answers to the questions that have been in your mind since you became curious with the world and everything around you.
And it is not a new religion. Jesus didn't come down to start one. Instead He made connections. He made close friends. He developed disciples, teachers, leaders. He cultivated friendships, fostered relationships and right thinking and right believing and right living. And He turned the world upside down (or right side up).
You Don't Get It?
If you still aren't close to getting it, you're not alone. No one could until they've had that eureka moment. And just like Nicodemus, they would not understand. Let us follow his story in John 3.
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.
12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”
(if you could read only 21 verses out of over 31,000 verses in the entire bible, then let these be those 21 verses)
In Due Time
Now many will still not get it. Or sadly, they do not want to for they want to stay where they are at right now.
But get this, at the right time, any unbeliever can become a believer.
Scripture tells us that "now is God’s acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!"
Right Now
Today might very well be your time. If in your heart, you have been hearing God's small voice. Open it up, even slightly. Do not allow it to remain completely shut to the opportunity to finally start to get the answers to the questions that have been in your mind since you became curious with the world and everything around you.
If the Lord is speaking to your heart for some time, and you want to investigate it further and take the next step, you can proceed to the second part of this message.
Ready to take the plunge? Let's go.
*Roman historians in the first century wrote about Jesus and His pesky followers (among them Senator Tacitus, Governor Pliny the Younger, and Suetonius).
Ready to take the plunge? Let's go.
*Roman historians in the first century wrote about Jesus and His pesky followers (among them Senator Tacitus, Governor Pliny the Younger, and Suetonius).
Image Credit: 3 Nails + 1 Cross = forgiven, slideshare.net
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