You Must Be Born Again

When Nicodemus secretly visited Jesus at night, John 3:3 says our Lord told the Pharisee: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (ESV) When the Scriptures talk of rebirth, being born again, born from above, or born of the Spirit, they are talking about regeneration. Regeneration is when God makes spiritually alive one who is spiritually dead. Ephesians 2:4-5 in the Amplified version puts it this way: "But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace--His undeserved favor and mercy--you have been saved from God’s judgment)." (AMP) It is for this reason we've been blessed with the charge to share such Good News. New birth does not occur due of the cleverness of a preacher's words or by an emotional appeal, or a tactic of fear, or as a result of grandiose promises. The miracle takes place when one hears the Good News about Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God opens our hearts to respond. Just as Jesus called Lazarus back to life from physical death, Jesus is the One who calls us to Life forevermore in Himself, thus causing us to be born again.