How to be Born Again

In John 3:3, Jesus said the following to Nicodemeus who was a Pharisee: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”

So what does it mean, to be born again? How can someone become a born again Christian?

WHAT does it mean, to be Born Again?
Becoming born again is what happens to a person when he/she becomes a true Christian. To be born again implies that a person has experienced a spiritual rebirth; it means that he/she has become a new person with new desires, a new heart, new value systems and new outlook on life.

So when a person becomes born again, that person has rejected his/her old nature in order to become a totally new person or new creation in Christ.

When we were initially born, our first birth was a natural birth, in the flesh or by natural means through our parents. However to be born again or born a second time, it must be a spiritual rebirth and not a natural one. Initially we were born through the flesh, but our rebirth is by the Spirit of God because we have accepted and believed in Jesus Christ as or Lord and Savior..

So in John 3:5-6, Jesus further states to Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  8  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.”

So when we become born again, it means that we become true Christians or followers of Christ. It means that we become true children of God who have received a new nature in Christ. It means that we have received God’s gift of salvation and have been forgiven of all our sins. Being born again means that we are now eternally reconciled with God and we have eternal life through Jesus Christ.

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

WHY should I become a Born Again Christian?
Initially we are born of the flesh. We need salvation because we are born sinners from birth. This means we were all born with a sin nature, or with the natural inclination to sin against God. We all inherited our sin nature from Adam who was the first human. When Adam sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, unfortunately all of humanity inherited their sin nature from Adam (Genesis 3:1-24).

The default nature of anyone who is not born again is the sin nature which is also known in the Bible as the flesh.
Our flesh is constantly in active rebellion against God and our sins separate us from experiencing a true relationship with God.

Romans 8:7-8 says: For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:13 says: For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

So people who reject Jesus Christ as Savior and refuse to be born again will ultimately suffer the consequence of experiencing eternal punishment in hell.
To choose to be ruled by the flesh or sin nature, instead of choosing to become a new creation in Christ is to choose death or eternal spiritual separation from God.

Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are all sinners who have sinned against God (Romans 3:23). We have all broken Gods commandments. Therefore we are in need of eternal forgiveness and salvation from sin and its eternal consequences.

Jesus Christ came to Earth, lived a sinless life and on our behalf paid the penalty for our sins on the cross by shedding His innocent blood. It is the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from all sin (Ephesians 1:7).

Then on the third day Jesus resurrected from the dead to prove His victory over sin and death.
So Christ became or Substitute by paying the sin debt that we could never pay with our personal merit and works.

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

In John 3:16-18 Jesus says: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.  18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

So we need to be born again because without Jesus Christ in our life, we will be doomed to eternal punishment and we forfeit having an eternal relationship with the one true living God.

HOW can I Become Born Again?
What shall we do to be saved? How can you become a born again Christian?
We become born again by believing or placing our faith in the Person of Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior because of the sacrifice and payment He made for our sins on the cross.

Romans 10:9 says: Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

John 1:12 says: But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God

John 3:36 says: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him

We must simply place our faith in the Person of Christ and trust Him to change us. Our salvation is a free gift from God. We do not need to work for our salvation and nor is our salvation based on our own personal merit or good works.
Instead our salvation is possible because of God’s love and God’s grace or unmerited kindness towards sinners (Romans 5:8).

Titus 2:11-12 says: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

So we become born again we must simply place our faith and belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior because of His life, death and resurrection for sins.

Without Christ we are eternally doomed to hell. Without Jesus Christ there is no salvation. Without Jesus we cannot have a personal relationship with God.

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