Are you born again?

1st August, 2010.

Written By Rev Law Hui Seng

Posted By Teresa Han 

Main Idea: Born again through Jesus Christ

Objectives: a. To teach the need for people to be born again. B. To explain the meaning of born again. C. To change people to be born again.

A. Introduction

- Christianity is very relevant to our everyday life because it meets the need of the world which is full of sin. We need to find the answers to our problem of sin.

- Different religions and beliefs and world philosophy have all try to give answers.

- And today, we see one answer or the best answer Christianity is giving the world, to solve the problem of sin.

- It has to do with the question of: Are you born again?

B. Born Again

- This question arises out of the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a member of the powerful Jewish ruling council. He must be one of those Jews who was attracted to Jesus’ teaching and miracles and believed Jesus was sent by God. At the same time, he feared persecution by fellow Jews if he identified with Jesus in any way.

- So, he came secretly at night to ask Jesus about kingdom of God. Jesus recognized the visitor’s heart as He is God who is all knowing. He recognized the spiritual hunger for the kingdom of God. This was where Jesus took the opportunity to teach him that no one can see the kingdom of God unless he was born again.

- New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) translated it as “You must be born from above.” Both the meanings of born again and born from above refer to how Jesus saves individuals from sins and forgiveness of his/ her sins.

- Naturally, Nicodemus misunderstood the meaning of Jesus and he thought one could not go back to his mother’s womb in order to be born again. So, Nicodemus asked, “How can one be born again?” This is where Jesus, being the word became flesh, grasped the opportunity to teach him and the world today and anybody who read this book of John will know answer in verse 5, “born of water of Spirit.”

- The water here refers to at least 2 meanings. One who is born of water means being baptized by water and life being transformed by the living word of God. Water here also refers to living word of God because Jesus Himself is living water. He offers the Samaritan woman living water that will not cause her to thirst. It is the living word of God.

- Jesus wanted to lead him into a personal relationship with Him. And for this to happen, it takes both the word and God’s Spirit, the wind, the pneuma. The action of the wind of God.

- It takes both the word of God and the Spirit of God together to transform a person’s life, to help him to repent to become a new person.

- Jesus went on to liken himself to bronze snake that Moses lifted up upon the instruction of God in the Old Testament for Israelites who received snake bites and the moment they look at the bronze snake, they would be saved and healed.

- Jesus is hinting that people who come into a personal faith in Him who would be crucified and lifted up high on the cross one and anyone who come to accept him and repent in Him shall have eternal life.

- He makes Himself very clear in verse 13 that he is the Son of Man coming from heaven. Then in this context, he says in verse 16, he says He is the only Son of God sent by God, to love the world, every human being. Not to condemn the world but to save the world and gives anyone who come to Jesus eternal life and salvation.

- He also equates Himself to the light of the world, in a world of darkness. He challenges people to come to this light and live by the light, do not do evil for the evil deeds cannot stand the test of the light. A person who is saved will live in the light.

C. Applications

- In view of the water (word of God), what should be our attitude towards the word of God? Do you believe and accept Jesus as the living water, word of God? If so, then, our attitude towards the bible must be that we are under the authority of the bible. we must obey all the teaching in it; not part of it. And this takes a life time.

- If born again is so crucial in deciding whether you enter the Kingdom of God or heaven, then, you have to be sure you are born again.

D. Conclusion

- The best life policy is to live a life in obedience to God’s word.