Topic: Salvation

You've probably heard the expression "born-again Christian"Since Jimmy Carter was president, this phrase has been in the news. The media frequently uses it in interviews and stories. But it's obvious that a lot of people have little idea what it means. Does the Bible provide any understanding of what a "born-again" Christian is?

What Does God Say?

A man named Nicodemus went to talk with Jesus one night, and Jesus explained to him the concept of "being born again."

"Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.
"'What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?' (John 3:3-4, NLT).

1. What is required to see the Kingdom of God?

2. How did Nicodemus understand the phrase "born again?"

3. Why did Jesus use the phrase "born again?"

"Jesus replied, 'I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life."

"'So don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit (John 3:5-8, NLT).

1. Jesus says a person must be "born of water and the Spirit." How are these two "births" defined in the preceding verses?

2. Who is the source of spiritual birth?

3. In what ways is the Spirit like the wind?

My Thoughts

So, you might be wondering about the experience of coming to Christ. That experience is so transforming, so life-changing, so eternity-altering that it can only be expressed as being "born again" (1 Peter 1:23), "born . . . of God" (John 1:13) or as the apostle Paul says, "a new person with new life" (2 Corinthians 5:17). It means that you are a new person; your old life if gone; all your sins are forgiven; you have a home someday in heaven and a new purpose--to live for Christ--in this life.

John 3:16-17 tells us, "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him " (John 3:16-17, NLT).

When people believe in Christ as their Savior, it means they believe that He died on the cross to pay for their sins. They accept Him as Lord. From that point on, the Bible says that God sends His Spirit into their lives to give new life in Christ and to empower them to live their lives to please Jesus.

My Part

The question you might be asking now is...

How can I be born again? Click on "Meet Jesus" and learn how you can come to Christ.

What's your future look like once you've met Christ? Jesus told us, like He told Nicodemus:

"There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son (John 3:18, NLT)

That makes being born again serious business.