BORN AGAIN IN THE BIBLE

born again meaning

The term BORN AGAIN is used by Jesus in the Bible and is a very clear condition for entering the Kingdom of God. So this phrase is often used in churches and teachings. However, when it comes to explaining the term, there are many different theories. So let’s try to answer the questions comprehensively with the Bible: what is a new birth in practice and how to be born again.

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
[John 3:3 ESV]

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
[John 1:12-13 ESV]

The born again is the process of moving from an old sinful life to a new life. From the old man to the new.
Born again is the spiritual death of a man enslaved by sin and the birth of God.
Born again is therefore crucifixion with Jesus, burial with Him in baptism and rising to New life in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Old Man	New Man
has a heart of stone dead in the Spirit clothed with sin sinner guilty godless distant from God slave of sin dry branch	has a heart of flesh alive in the Spirit clothed in the Lord Jesus saint justified devout member of God's Body free from sin shoot

how to be born again?

To be born again, one must believe in the Gospel and respond to it properly!

1. Crucifixion of the old life
2. Burial of the old life
3. Resurrection to a new life
4. Sealing with the Holy Spirit

The biblical born again in practice takes place through water baptism into the Lord Jesus (preceded by faith in the Gospel and repentance), as well as sealing with the Holy Spirit (baptism with the Holy Spirit).

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
[2 Cor. 5:17 ESV]

For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
[Gal 6:15 ESV]

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.
[1 Pet 2:2 ESV]

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
[1 Pet 1:3 ESV]

what precedes born again?

1. INTEREST IN GOD

OTHERWISE: FIRST STEPS, NO OBLIGATIONS RELATIONSHIP

Searching for God, asking questions, first prayers, going to church. A bit like falling in love and first dates, no strings attached.

However, this is a non-covenant stage. We are not here yet in covenant with the Lord God. This is not yet biblical Christianity (discipleship).

Such a relationship is sometimes mistakenly identified with faith in the Lord God, but it is not yet faith that saves. [learn more – what is salvation]. It is not yet a conversion, much less a born again.

Attention! Just as the relationship with the girl should strive for marriage, so the relationship with the Lord God should lead to rebirth. Everyone starts at this stage, but don’t stay too long! You have to decide left or right – we follow the world or follow God!

2. REPENTANCE

IDENTIFIED WITH THE TERMS: CONVERSION / REPENTANCE / PENITENCE

Giving up everything we have: “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33 ESV)
Jesus and His Will in 1st place: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39 ESV)
Denying oneself and accepting the hardships of following the Lord Jesus: “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34 ESV)
Abandonment of willful sin: “And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.” (Matthew 18:8-9)

If someone really repent / converts – will experience the so-called. metanoia, that is a radical change of thinking, attitude. A man with a contrite heart is completely different from before. Since the only door to the Kingdom of God is Jesus Christ, we must then put on Him and make a personal Covenant with Him (immerse in His death and resurrection).

When a man understands that he wants to follow the Lord Jesus 100% and give him his life. When a person believes the words of Jesus Christ, he will understand the distance from the Lord God because of his sin and when he acknowledges his guilt before God.

BORN AGAIN

1. WATER BAPTISM: DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION TO A NEW LIFE

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
[Romans 6:3-8 ESV]

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.
[Colossians 2:11-13 ESV]

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit
[Titus 3:5 ESV]

for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
[Galatians 3:26-27 ESV]

Our old man, our corrupt human nature must be crucified with the Lord Jesus. Our “I” must die. For there to be a new man, the old must die. (but not literally 🙂 )

So baptism is the basic step of the born again process. Water baptism includes the crucifixion and burial of our sin nature, the old life, and the resurrection to the New Life.

Only after water baptism can one speak of a new creation in the Lord Jesus! Biblical water baptism into the Lord Jesus is the centerpiece of the new birth.

When a man understands that he wants to follow the Lord Jesus 100% and give him his life. When a person believes the words of Jesus Christ, they will come to their senses and understand that I no longer want to be a slave to sin.

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
[Col 3:9-11 ESV]

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
[Gal 2:20 ESV]

to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
[Eph 4:22-24 ESV]

The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
[2 Tim 2:11 ESV]

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
[Col 3:3 ESV]

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
[Eph 2:5-6 ESV]

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
[Eph 2:1 ESV]

2. BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

The fullness of the Born Again is not only believing in God, repentance and water baptism. The Christian needs God to dwell in Him, needs life and the baptism with the Holy Spirit to walk in His power, to hear His voice, to have the courage to act. Just like the disciples, after the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, they needed to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. This should not be considered as a “bonus” to faith.

After being born again, a person becomes a spiritual infant and needs to grow spiritually.

When a person asks God to be baptized (filled) with the Holy Spirit / or is filled with it by God.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
[John 3:5-6 ESV]

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
[Romans 8:8-9 ESV]

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
[Ephesians 1:13 ESV]

But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
[Galatians 4:29 ESV]