Among the Christian world, many church believers are struggling with the term Born-Again. To them the theory of Born-Again is a strange hypothesis according to their church’s beliefs and teachings!
In fact, the phrase “Born-Again” is purely Biblical and not an invention of any particular church. Jesus uses this phrase in John Chapter 3 to explain the internal process of Salvation that takes place within human by the power of the Spirit, which is like the wind that blows where it wishes and one know not where it comes from or where it goes to, though they hear its sound (Verse 8).
The term Born-Again is read in many of todays version Bibles, such as KJV, NKJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, etc. etc..
John 3:3 “Truly, Truly I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God”.
Jesus repeats this term in Verse 7, “Marvel not that I said unto you that you must be born again”.
Peter uses this term 1 Peter 1.23 “being born again, not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring Word of God”.
In some versions of the Bible, this term is read as “born anew”, “born from above”, “begotten again”, “new birth” etc.
According to Acts 15:11 and Ephesians 2:8, one receives this Born Again or Salvation status purely by His Grace.
Let us study in detail how this born again process takes place within us and how the salvation is attained.
Jesus explains to Nicodemus in John 3:3 “Truly, Truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God”.
Though a Jewish ruler and religious teacher Nicodemus did not understand that term, but he humbled himself and asked Jesus how it can be possible to enter again into mother’s womb and to be born again.
Jesus explained further to him in Verse 5 that, “Unless one is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God”.
The term “born of water” does not mean taking water baptism (by which no salvation is attained) and the term “born of spirit” does not either mean baptism of the Holy Spirit (by which gifts of the Spirit is imparted upon the believer).
In fact, both water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit, are accompaniments to those who have already attained the Born-Again status!
Then what does it mean by Born of water and Born of Spirit in order to be a born-again?
Born of Water:
This does not imply taking water baptism, but being born of the Word of God. By taking water baptism - whether immersed or sprinkling - salvation is not conferred, but one must be born again in order to be saved.
Isaiah 55:1 “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy, and eat”. Here the prophet says to all those thirst to come, buy and eat. This thirst is not for drinking water but for the Word of God (note the word used here is eat when someone is thirst).
The above prophesy is confirmed in John 7:37, when Jesus says: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink”. It further explained that Jesus spoke about the flowing of Holy Spirit to those who believed in Him (and the Word of God).
2) In Old Testament time, Water was used for religious purification. In the Jewish temple, water was kept in a laver or basin of brass between the Tabernacle and Alter for the priests to wash themselves before they approach the Alter to minister. (Exodus 30:17-24, 40:12, 30-31)
However, when it comes to New Testament, it is not the water used for sanctification but the Word of God (1 Timothy 4.5 “sanctified by means of the Word of God”). The other mediums for sanctification are Blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7) and the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6.11).
3) Jesus rebukes Nicodemus in John 3:10; “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things”.
Nicodemus was supposed to know the facts that God had promised in the Old Testament a time was coming in which He would: “sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances”. (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
4) St. Peter in 1 Peter 1:23 explains that we are born again not by the seed that is perishable, but by the imperishable, living and enduring Word of God.
So by saying to be born of Water is the Old Testament way of sanctification, which is in the New Testament sanctification by the Word of God and by the Sprit.
Born of Spirit:
This term does not imply Holy Spirit baptism, but being born into a new creation in Christ by the Holy Spirit.
How does it happen?
According to the Bible, man is of a triune nature, i.e. with body, soul and spirit. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul” (Gen 2.7).
Here we see that the BODY is made out of dust; God breathed the breath of Life i.e. SPIRIT into the body and then it became a living SOUL. The Soul consists of the “life” and the animated living being with power to think; will to do actions and emotions to express. (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
When Adam was made God breathed the Spirit into him. However, Eve and their offspring were created with a built-in Spirit (Zachariah 12.1).
Because of the sin of Adam, his spirit lost the credibility and holiness required to be in relation with Holy God and therefore, his offspring are born with an inactive or non-responsive spirit within. This built-in spirit is not dead and useless but in dormant state and can only be revived by an external help, i.e. the Holy Spirit.
God created man and loved man to the extent of giving away His only begotten son to redeem man from sin. (John 3.16). God do not wish anyone to perish, even about wicked God wishes they repent (Ezekiel 33.11).
As God is Spirit (John 4:24), His Spirit interacts with the spirit of man. This is called His Grace. (Romans 2.4, 8:26/27). At times, God’s Spirit tries to revive the inactive spirit of every man and convicts of his sins (John 16.8). God has done His part upon the cross to save mankind and the other half has to be done by man himself and it is solely depends upon his free will.
Once the Spirit of God interacts and tries to revive the in-active Spirit of man, his brain (Soul) analyse that thought (1 Corinthians 2:12). After analysing the idea, his brain would either accept or reject that thought and instructs the body to act according to his will.
At this stage, if the Will (Soul) of the person allows the Spirit of God to revive his inactive Spirit by accepting that free gift of Grace and allows taking control of his life; then he will become born-again. Here the Soul will be submissive to the Spirit and he becomes a spiritual man (Galatians 5:16).
The theory of born-again is as simple as that. This is based purely on man’s free will to accept His Grace, as Spirit of God does not force anyone to accept His revival attempt of the inactive spirit in man.
However, in a soul- dominated man (carnal man), the Soul (will) suppresses the Spirit and does not allow the inactive spirit to get revived; instead soul acts in its place (Romans 8:7/8). His intellect(an element of soul) does not allow the Spirit of God from taking over his life. Until or unless his soul allows his spirit to be revived by the Spirit of God, his built-in spirit continues to be in inactive state, or in other words man continue to be in unsaved state.
Comparison of Physical birth and Spiritual re-birth
In Ecclesiastes 11:5 we read, “Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant women, so you do not know the activity of God who make all things”.
The first part of this verse is explained by Jesus while talking to Nicodemus in John 3 verse 8 that the process of spiritual re-birth takes place within us just like the blowing wind around us; though we hear the sound, we do not know where it comes from and where it goes to.
The second part of above verse is also has similar meaning of the act of the Spirit of God in human to make him/her a new creature in Christ, just as one do now know how the bones formed in the womb of the pregnant women.
Let us study the similarities of spiritual re-birth and human physical birth.
1) In human physical birth, man’s sperm and women’s egg need to be merged together to give birth to a new life.
Similarly, the Spirit of God needs to be merged with spirit of man in order to give a new spiritual life. Once the merging of the Holy Spirit with man’s spirit takes place, he becomes a new creature. (11 Corinthians 5:17 “Wherefore if any man is in Christ, [he is] a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new”).
As the Spirit gives life to man (Job 33:4), the Holy Spirit in conjunction with the built-in spirit of man, make him a new creature in Christ.
2) If the female egg fails to accept a male sperm within the time limit, the egg will be dead and rejected from her body.
Similarly, if man’s spirit fails to accept God’s spirit, the spirit of such person continues to be in dead state and will be rejected at final judgement.
3) Once the egg is merged with the sperm, it needs to move into her womb for the embryo to grow into a full human foetus.
Similarly, once a person is born again, he/she needs to move into a spiritual church or atmosphere for the newborn spiritual inner-man to grow.
4) Just as a newborn baby needs nourishments to grow physically strong, the new born-again person need to nourish himself in the Word of God and Holy Spirit to be spiritually strong.
When should one be born again?
In Genesis 6.3, we read Jehovah saying “My spirit shall not strive with man for ever, for that he also is flesh”.
God has set a time limit for everyone to get saved; thereafter man will be left for his own fate to live in sinful way. That’s the reason God had reduced his life span to 120 in Genesis 6.3 because God do not wish man to live long in sinful way as he is flesh! The sinful nature of man has since become so enormous that the life span has further reduced to 70 or 80 years (Psalms 90)
What is the acceptable time limit set by God for man to be saved?
Man does not know!
Therefore, it is for man to make use of the first available opportunity.
Because tomorrow or even next moment does not belongs to man!!
“Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” 2 Corinthians 6.2
P.C.Xaviour