| Who is "Born Again", and What Does "Born Again" Mean? "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.'" -John 3:1-8. Jesus was saying that being born again would require an inner transformation, that would naturally be accompanied by a new, godly outward likeness or personality. This would require being transformed from our own flesh into His Spirit. No one can enter into the kingdom of God, except by this new birth, or what is called being born again of the Spirit. How can this be accomplished? Matthew 10:32 says: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." What do we confess? The answer is at 1 John 4:15: "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." (Mark 10:15.) Entering as a child requires meekness and humility and realizing that we have so much to learn in order to become refined and be found acceptable when Jesus returns. We learn step by step as He teaches and leads us, and as we progress we grow from childhood to adulthood, all the wiser in Christ. Jesus said His yoke was light, so the requirements of getting into the Kingdom are simple. It is Satan's influence that we face daily, combined with our own weaknesses that make it difficult. Belief in Jesus as the Son of God, repenting of past sins and turning from them is all that God requires of us. If we ask sincerely for His Holy Spirit to fill us, He will not reject our plea. By doing these things we are acknowledging His Kingdom's sovereignty and dominion over our lives. This means that we live our lives as if the Kingdom of God was already ruling the earth, and we do so out of love and respect for our Creator. That means keeping the commandments of God as best we can, in spirit and truth. If this results in persecution and hardship, even death, we will have "conquered"! The Greek word for "born" in Strong's Concordance is G1080: γεννάω gennaō ghen-nah'-o From a variation of G1085; to procreate (properly of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively to regenerate: - bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring. We see that "born" can also mean "generated". In Matthew 11:11, Jesus equates it to being born of women. When answering Nicodemus, however, Jesus made it clear that gennao takes on a spiritual meaning: He was obviously using a metaphor, where the "water" would indicate baptism, and the spirit would be from a heavenly source. Therefore, being born again would require both water and spirit. James 1:18 is an example of this metaphor: “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” So it is the WORD of truth that is involved in this re-generation or birth, so that all Christians can become born again by allowing the Word of God to generate good fruits in them. Is Being "Born Again" the Same as Being "Anointed"? At Jesus baptism, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit as the prospective King of his Father's Kingdom. This anointing was unlike the anointing of King David with oil, as he was anointed three times: First as prospective King of Judah, second as King of Judah, and third as King over all Israel. (2 Samuel 5:3.) Acts 10:38 says: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Has Ehyeh anointed others with the Holy Spirit as He did Jesus? 2 Corinthians 1:21,22 says: "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” On the Day of Pentecost, 33 AD, 120 people were anointed, a miraculous outpouring of spirit that resulted in the speaking of tongues. Not the gibberish spoken by occultists, but actual languages that would prepare them to preach the good news to the nations. Acts 11:15-17 shows that this baptism with Holy Spirit would also apply to Gentiles: "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptised with[a] water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us (at Pentecost) who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" How true John’s words were! Matthew 3:11 tells us: “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Being "anointed" with Holy Spirit means being "called" by God to do His will, but not everyone "called" is "chosen" to rule with Christ. Being "born again" surely means being transformed from spiritually dead in God's eyes to being made alive. We read at Ephesians 2:1-5, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins....But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved.)" So Jesus equated being "born again" with avoiding the second death. That means we must be born twice in order to only die once. If we are born only once, we die twice! Baptism With Holy Spirit This baptism with spirit in the first century would last for their lifetime, it would die with them. At 1 Corinthians 13:8 we read: "The love doth never fail; and whether [there be] prophecies, they shall become useless; whether tongues, they shall cease; whether knowledge, it shall become useless." (YLT) That is not the end of the issue, as verses 9 and 10 go on to say: "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." This indicates that the gifts that stop in the first century would be revived. We read in Joel 2:28,29 that Ehyeh would pour out His Holy Spirit on all flesh in the last days: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." Our Father Ehyeh has offered all Christians the opportunity to rule from heaven, but as Jesus said in two separate parables in the 20th and 22nd chapters of Matthew, "many are called, but few chosen". Today there are no religious institutions that truly represent the Lord Jesus Christ. The only key to open the kingdom of the heavens is Jesus Himself. "Doubting" Thomas asked Jesus: "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:5,6.) The "heavenly" reward would be better understood if we interpret it as a spiritual reward. Chosen Christians will be the first fruits of humankind to be born again as spirit beings, in the same manner as Jesus was on Nisan 16, a spirit being with material capabilities. All of mankind will eventually reach this perfection. Until then, Christians will guide them in a priestly manner. The domain of the Kingdom will be the Earth and the entire universe, including the heavenly realm. When we receive the Spirit now, it is a token of things to come, as long as we remain faithful to our adoption as sons of the Father by demonstrating our faith in Jesus. The only way to do that is to observe the commandments of His Father! The Kingdom of Heaven is presently invisible to the human eye, but that will not always be the case. Revelation 21:2 says: "Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having been prepared like a bride having been adorned for her husband." Who is the "Bride of Christ"? "And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; because You were slain, and You redeemed us to God by Your blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation; and have made them kings and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth." -Revelation 5:9,10. Of course, "reigning on the earth" means that there would have to be subjects for this Kingdom from Heaven. That's a huge problem for the "everybody goes to heaven" crowd, so they usually dodge the question. The answer, of course, lies in the fact that Ehyeh's purpose for mankind was clearly stated to Adam and Eve: Fill the earth with offspring and subdue it, having the animal kingdom in subjection. In the case of Man, 'our kind' is that which is made of flesh and blood and whose home is the Earth. Adam and Eve failed to fulfill their commission, because they failed to live by Spirit. There is no contradiction between being made of flesh and blood and being a spiritual person. Adam failed in this regard, but Jesus did not. All who hope to live in God's Kingdom, whether it be ruling or being ruled, must be born again of Spirit, dying to this life and living anew in Jesus. There is only one hope, eternal life in God's Kingdom. Whether that life be with the special assignment of ruling with Jesus for a thousand years, or whether it be here on the earth , the hope is one. Didn't Jesus tell us so? "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." -John 14:2. Just remember that there is no preacher, or pastor, or king, or president who can give you the keys to your mansion: The "Way", the "Truth" and the "Life" said: "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice. I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." -John 10:1-11. More Than Lip Service At Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus uttered words that will be terrifying for those to whom they are spoken, saying: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Jesus doesn't say that a few misguided souls have a false hope of heaven, He says MANY! He is talking to people who think they are Christians, following "The Way". These are the ones who perceive they will make it into glory based on their lip service. When they stand before the King and Judge, however, they will be rejected. When Jesus says "depart", there won't be any appeal for a second chance. Who would be included in this group? Anyone who chooses to "worship" God according to their own beliefs instead of by the Word of God. This includes followers of every denomination who put their trust in their religion, i.e. church attendance. To be a Christian, you must repent of your sins and believe in Jesus. To repent means to forsake living according to our own desires and submitting to the commandments of God. To believe means knowing that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose on the third day, and accepting His sacrifice for us. James the Just says the devils believe and tremble! So to believe means more than acknowledging that the claims of Christ are true. Being saved does not mean reciting the "Sinner's Prayer". There is nothing mystical that happens from reciting words, that only works for occultists trying to reach Satan. Prayer is a confession of belief in Jesus and His Father. Romans 10:9 says: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Jesus said: "Repent ye and believe the gospel." Throughout the whole Bible, we see God telling people, in essence: "Turn from your wicked ways unto me and live." (e.g., Ezekiel 33:11) This is repentance: forsaking the sinful lifestyle and saying "Yes, I'll submit to God's ways". Doing some good deeds does not define repentance. Isaiah 64:6 says that even our righteousnesses outside of God is as filthy rags. The Bible says, "By the works of the flesh shall no man be justified," so the act of speaking doesn't cut it. If you are a true believer, the way you live your life and conduct yourself will demonstrate your faith. The Bible says so repeatedly! It is a question of life and death and telling people the truth! Saving faith will manifest itself in good works. "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:17.) "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you.....and things that accompany salvation." -Hebrews 6:9. Ten Evidences of Following Christ Jesus The book of 1 John outlines ten evidences of a true follower of Jesus: 1) Submissive Respect: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8) We must have a deep respect for God, and our opinions or feelings cannot take precedence over His. God's pronouncements should be authoritative in our lives. 2) Obedience: "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him" (1 John 2:5) We must read God's Word frequently, preferably daily, and we need to do so with the intent of obeying what we learn. We must not be in rebellion against God's Word, and if we love Him we will observe His commandments and have a deep love for the knowledge of God. 3) Rejection by Society: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15) If we love the things of the world, i.e. money and material things, if they mean more to us than the approval of Jesus and His Father, we are in trouble. We need to be willing to give it all up for Jesus if required to do so. 4) Steadfast Faithfulness: "They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:19) If possible, we should be taking part in regular fellowship with our brothers and sisters in a local congregation or church. If not, the Internet is a great alternative place for fellowship. We should be longing to associate with fellow believers. Jesus said: "For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst." -Matthew 18:20. 5) Anticipation of Jesus' return: "When he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3:2-3) We should be living in daily awareness that Jesus is returning to claim those who are His. We need to be "on the watch" for the signs of His coming and eagerly anticipating it, and be ready and waiting when He does. 6) Sensitivity to sin: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9) We should suffer guilt when we sin, and desire to sin less. We should not be enjoying sin or sinning with reckless abandon, expecting to be able to "confess" and be forgiven, whether it be to some priest or to God Himself. We need to be aware that God sees everything and nothing escapes His detection. We should live our lives as if Ehyeh is watching, because He is! 7) Love of siblings: "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." (1 John 3:14) We should have a deep love for fellow believers in Christ, end enjoy being in their company. If we would rather hang with the sinners, there's a problem! 8) Prayers answered: "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." (1 John 3:22) We need to pray often, and we should be able to recognize specific times that our prayers are answered. We should be speaking to God as a trusted friend and Father. 9) Sharp discernment: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1) Do you find it easy to sort out the claims of various religions? Do you see all religions as the same? Do you understand the doctrine of Christ? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God? 10) Spiritual awareness: "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13) Do you have a conscious awareness that the Holy Spirit of God lives in you? Does He teach you things from the Scriptures on a regular basis? Does the Holy Spirit convict you when you sin, or can you sin with abandon? _________________________________________________________________________________ Back to top Home |