“Jesus responded and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”
John 3:3
We all come into this world the same way… as helpless, crying infants dressed in our finest birthday suits.
Rich or poor, we all come the same way.
With that in mind, let me ask you some questions.
When were you born?
Before or after 1980?
In the morning, the afternoon, or late at night?
Now, where were you born?
What state?
Or maybe a different country altogether?
Were you born in a hospital?
In a home?
These questions help us learn about a person. While they might be important, they are only about your physical birth.
So let me ask you one more question—and this one is the most important of all:
Have you ever been born again?
In other words, have you ever been born spiritually?
Understandably, this question can be confusing.
It was confusing to a man named Nicodemus in the Bible. He was a religious ruler, and we see in John 3 that he approached Jesus at night. (This was likely due to his desire to remain anonymous because Jesus was considered controversial by many of the religious leaders.) Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).” Nicodemus didn’t understand how someone could be born twice. Jesus responded, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).”
Keep in mind that Nicodemus was a very moral and religious man. You see, we can be nice, polite, well-mannered people who go to church on Sundays and still miss the kingdom of God. That’s because religion and morals don’t make us born-again.
We’re born again when we come to the end of ourselves, turn from our sins, and surrender our lives to Jesus. When we trust in Jesus’ death on the cross, we become brand-new people, true children of God.
Has there been a point in your life when you realized your need for a second birth? When we become followers of Jesus, the old you dies, and you are given new life through Jesus. Your new life – an eternal one – begins when you place your trust in Jesus. But then you are also promised eternal life in heaven with Jesus.
Your physical birth is important, but it is nothing compared to your second birth, your spiritual birth.
If you already know Jesus, take a moment and praise God for your spiritual birth in Christ.
Or if you don’t, maybe today will be the day you place your faith in Jesus and experience your own second birth!
Taken from a sermon by Bryant Wright, Founder, RFTH
DIG DEEPER
Read “Saved From Spiritual Death” also by Bryant Wright
