Have You Been Born Again?

New Birth Is A "Must"

If you really want to go to heaven, you must be born again. Jesus Himself told Nicodemus, a religious ruler and teacher of the Jews, "I assured you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdome of God" {John 3:3}. Regardless of what he was, he needed new birth to inherit the God's Kingdom.

Puzzled, Nicodemus asked, "how can a man be born when he is old?" the Lord's answer challenged his religion, leaving him a helpless sinner outside the Kingdom of God: "Jesus replied, The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again" {John 3:5-7}.

Just as you recieved natural life,when you were born into this world, so too you will only recieve spiritual life when you are born again.



New Birth Is Spiritual

We are born with a sinful nature - "Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins." {Eph. 2:1}. In this condition, we can never enter the Kingdom of God.
A change must take place, and the Son of God emphatically tells us: "You must be born again."
New birth by the Spirit of God is essential for spiritual life that leads to heaven. Man cannot accomplished it by performing religious works or by following religious leaders.
Jesus further told Nicodemus: "And as moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believe in me will have eternal life" {John 3:14-15}. Jesus was crucified for our sins, so that all who recieve Him as savior will have everlasting life.



New Birth Is From God

When the Word of God, by the power of the Spirit, convicts us of our sinful condition and we believe in Christ as Saviour, we are born again.
God make's us "partakers of His divine nature" {2Peter 1:4}, and become new in Christ: "Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" {2Cor.5:17}. This is what being "born of the water and the spirit" means.

Some think that being "born of water and of the Spirit" refers to water baptism. But the Bible is clear: only the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit regenerates. {Eph.5:26} gives the symbolic meaning of water: "washed by baptism and God's Word." And {1Peter 1:23} says we are "born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living Word of God".
We are not born again by water baptism. New birth comes only when the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit leads us to Faith in Christ.



New Birth Can Be Yours!

Have you been born again? Do you really know Christ as Saviour or do you only say you do? If you are religious but not born again, you are dead in your sins and without spiritual life.
Without new birth, religion accomplished nothing: "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.".
Don't be careless about new birth. If you have never been born again, eternal separation from God in the lake of Fire awaits you. If you are born again, then being with the Lord in heaven forever is your destiny. Which do you choose?