You Must Be Born Again

Weekly Update – October 28th, 2021

George Whitfield was a famous traveling evangelist in the mid 1700s. In fact, it could be said that aside from the apostle Paul, the church has never seen an evangelist quite like George Whitfield. A key point that he proclaimed in almost every message was the necessity of being born again. In fact, one time, a friend approached him after he spoke and asked him, “Sir, why do you tell us over and over that we need to be born again.” To this Whitfield replied, “because you must to be born again!”  

This is the question that a man named Nicodemus originally deals with in John 3 as well.  When coming to Jesus by night, Nicodemus says in verse 2, “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”  Nicodemus recognized that normal men don’t give sight to the blind, heal the sick and cause the lame to walk again.  But in expecting a clear, straight forward answer from Jesus about who he is, Nicodemus instead gets this reply in verse 3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus, like the friend who approached George Whitefield, wondered what it meant to be born again.   

The apostle Peter gives us a bit more insight as to what it means to be born again. In 1 Peter 1:3 he says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  Here Peter tells us that God is the one who causes us to be born again. Peter is clear by the way he explains why we need to be born again, that it is an act of God that causes us to be spiritually alive instead of spiritually dead.  He is the one who gives us Spirit filled hearts that are attentive now to God instead of dead, lifeless hearts that are only attentive to self.  To be born again is to be given a new birth so that we are alive to God through the Spirit because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Why does this matter?  Well, here we must remember two things.  First, we must recognize that there is no spiritual life in us apart from being born again.  Second, being born again is not something that we do to ourselves, but it is an act brought on by the power of God.  These are two key points that the Jesus makes with Nicodemus and the apostle Peter makes in the first chapter of his first epistle.  And the reason why these points are so emphasized is because it is necessary that we as Christians not merely recognize these truths, but that we mediate on them and become mesmerized by them, so that we might have a living hope that gives praise to God in all circumstances.  When we realize that God is the one who has caused us to become spiritually alive by his power alone, we face every situation this life has with hope knowing that not only are we saved by the power of God, but that we are kept by the power of God as well.   

So what does it mean to be born again?  It means we have been given new spiritual life by the grace of God.  It does not come through the basis of a prayer or through an action of our own, but it is simply given to us by the mercy of a sovereign God.  Being born again entitles us to an eternal inheritance greater than this world could ever offer.  But then remembering that the source and the cause of our rebirth is God, keeps us filled with joy as we wait for the fullness of our inheritance at the end of this life.  Have you been born again?  If you have give praise to God and sing with Peter as he proclaims, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Serving Him with You, 
Pastor Michael Nelson