Sunday Sermonettes | You Must Be Born Again

Born Again.

Two words well known. Popular. Maybe fashionable.

But does it make sense?

The Midnight Conversation

Jesus had a long conversation with a well-respected religious leader named Nicodemus, who came to see him at night. It is during this conversation that Jesus brings up the term “born again.”

What it Means

It means three things:

One, all of us stand in need of being born again. For Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

Two, it is not a natural birth. It is a divine act. Specifically, Jesus spoke about the Spirit of God moving like the wind, bringing new life.

Three, Jesus referred to his coming death on the cross where he would be lifted up. Through the work of God’s Spirit, those who look to Jesus in faith are born again.

God’s Gift Through Jesus Christ

It is here that Jesus said that he came not to condemn the world but to save people. He declared, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

These words say that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ may receive eternal life. Such faith involves a change of heart that the Bible calls repentance. No one can force this change. It is God’s work in the heart, bringing us to repentance and faith.

A Misunderstood Phrase

But sadly today, the phrase “born again” is often reduced to a fashionable label or a one-time saying yes to Jesus. Those who use the term sometimes forget that we are also called to live as those who have been born again.

A Fatal Blow to Pride

The final reminder is that Jesus, by saying that you and I must be born again, dealt a fatal blow to our pride, our self-sufficiency, our trust in religious traditions, and our self-righteousness that makes us trust in our own goodness.

Our goodness and our good works are not enough. They fall short of God’s holy standards.

So let these words of Jesus stay with you today. They are not merely a command to obey, but an invitation to receive the new life that only God can give. “You must be born again.”