SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1253

“Born Again”

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. … That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” – John 3:1-8

Nicodemus recognized that there was something different about Jesus. He saw that God was indeed with Him and wanted to understand more. Jesus’ reply challenged traditional religious thinking.

1. You are not guaranteed salvation by virtue of being born into and raised in a religious tradition.

For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. – Galatians 6:15

For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9

• Being born again is a spiritual birthing from above. We can see its effects as Nicodemus saw in Jesus’ life but, like the wind, we do not fully comprehend its origins and destination.

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. – Ezekiel 36:26-27

We are physically born a citizen of some region on earth. We are physically born into the faith of our parents. When we are born again by the Holy Spirit, our faith is based upon our personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior. When we are born again, we become children of God through Jesus, and our citizenship is in heaven.

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; But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ – John 1:12-13; Philippians 3:20

The evidence of being a born-again Christian is significant. If we profess to be Christian, our lifestyle must be congruent with that profession of faith. We cannot live like a caterpillar during the week and act like a butterfly on Sunday.

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

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. – 1 John 3:9

Being born again and being baptized in the Holy Spirit are not the same thing. The Holy Spirit is involved in both events, but they are two different works of the Spirit. There are too many Christians that remain uncertain that they are born again and saved by grace because of the emphasis placed on the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as the only evidence of their standing in Christ.

The fruit of the Spirit is evident in the life of a born-again believer in Jesus.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

Godly Love is a fruit of the Spirit evident in the born again Christian, speaking in tongues is not.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. – 1 John 4:7; 1 Corinthians 13:1

Being born again is a trigger event that initiates the process of sanctification – our growth in Christlikeness. The Holy Spirit speaks to our heart and checks us in spirit to convict and correct and guide our spiritual growth. We become increasingly sensitive to and able to hear and obey the voice of God by His Holy Spirit.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. – 1 John 4:13

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. …  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.  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. – 2 Corinthians 13:5 ; Colossians 3:5-10

Born again – It is not something we say we are – it is how we live.