Sons of Galilee​

"You must be born again"

 

"Jesus answered and said to him, 

“Most assuredly, I say to you,

unless one is born again,

he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

-John 3:3

 

What is meant by this Scripture? This is taken from the most enlightening sermon ever given, which was a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. We would need to continue to read to gain the full insight:

 

“Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

 

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

 

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.

 

So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

-John 3:4-8

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is the sphere of salvation. And one cannot enter here unless they are born again. If we are to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must be born again. So what does this mean exactly?

 

Nicodemus should have known this if he was indeed a scholar of the Old Testament. Because the ideas Jesus alludes to are not appearing for the first time but can be found in great detail in the Old Testament. So in order to understand exactly what is being said here let’s visit the texts that lead to this conclusion.

 

The first we will visit is found in Deuteronomy.  Here we find the New Birth is likened to the act of circumcision, but not of the body but rather in the heart:

 

“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

-Deuteronomy 30:6

 

Another related Scripture is found in Jeremiah:

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised— Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”

-Jeremiah 9:25-26

 

This has a parallel in Philippians 3 and it describes the function and result of this act of God:

 

“for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh”

-Phil 3:3

 

So the natural conclusion is that circumcision was a sign that circumcision of the heart was needed. And without circumcision of the heart the human is unable to obey the will of God. Why? Because the very first of God’s commandments and the most important is this: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:4-6.

 

So then circumcision of the heart is a pre-requisite of loving God! As it is written: “the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”. This enlightenment was given by God to highlight the need for inward change precipitating outward repentance.

 

How else do we know this?

 

From Jeremiah and Ezekiel, where we find a direct correlation between Jesus’ born again statement and the Scriptures that Jesus’ statement was illuminating. Let’s visit again the words of Jesus:

 

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

 

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

 

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

 

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

 

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?”

-John 3:1-10

 

Consider a few things before we dive in. One is that Nicodemus was expected to know this, therefore we can expect to find this concept specifically addressed in the Scriptures, hence “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?”. Secondly let’s take note that Jesus uses 2 different terms to illuminate one concept.

 

“unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

 

And: “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”

 

So being born again is something we can see that God Himself does from Deuteronomy 30:6 “the Lord your God will circumcise your heart”. But its likened here to a new birth. A new person with new desires and new motives, not just a religious experience. Being born again is not just a religious experience but rather is a new creation. If the religious experience does not result in the things that God describes of the new birth it is only a religious experience. Being ‘born again’ is a divine miracle in which God creates someone new.

 

But also the Scripture is not silent on the illustration about “born of water and the Spirit”. This helps illumine exactly what Jesus refers to in the first statement. This is a reference that can be found in Ezekiel 36:

 

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

 

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.

 

And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

 

And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules.

 

You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

 

And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses.” …“Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations.”

-Ezekiel 36:25-29

 

So a fundamental change of the person is required. A new heart, a new spirit, and the Holy Spirit comes to live inside.

 

There are some things to consider about this change. Because many have had a religious experience they believe that they have been born again. If so, great! But what does the Scripture say about those who are born again? What is the purpose for this?

 

If a person is reborn by God, or “born again”, God will “cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” -Ezekiel 36:27.

 

And again: “the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” Deut. 30:6. So we find God saying this twice that a person who is born again, or has their heart circumcised, has a new goal: 1 the goal of rebirth is to love the Lord God with all their heart and soul, 2 God will cause them to walk in His statutes and be careful to obey God’s rules, from the heart and not from mindless duty.

 

Now let’s go again to another Old Testament Scripture that elucidates this fact:

 

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.

 

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.

 

And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

 

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord.

 

For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

-Jeremiah 31:31-34.

 

Let’s visit the text in some detail:

 

“I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” 31:33. So this declares that the idea that a person has been born again will mean that God will place His law on the inside of that person. Same idea as before with Deuteronomy and Ezekiel. When God causes a person to be born again all things become new.

 

The New Testament has plenty to say on this, and Peter in particular when addressing the saints says this:

 

“chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood:

 

May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” 

-1 Peter 1:1-3

 

Here again we find the idea that the chosen are marked by their new life and obedience to God in Christ Jesus.

 

Paul says something similar:

 

‘Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

-2 Corinthians 5:17

 

So what is happening? From what we can ascertain from Scripture is this:

 

1. A person’s relationship with Christ is one of fellowship: “I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest” Jeremiah 31

 

“Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:6

 

2. A person’s life is marked by a desire for obedience to Christ and God: “I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules.” Ezekiel 36

 

“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

 

The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.

 

By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

-1 John 2:3-6

 

3. A person’s life will be marked by a love for God “so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” Deut. 30

 

“If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.” – 1 Cor. 16:22

 

4. A person is led by the Holy Spirit “I will put My Spirit within you” Ezekiel 36

 

“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

 

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

-Romans 8:12-14

 

5. A person is marked by a changed attitude “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you” Ezekiel 36

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” -Galatians 5:22-24

 

6. God will remove the rebellion to His character that had previously been prevalent “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh”

 

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” -John 10:27-29

 

7. God will deliver us from our impurities of mind and flesh: “I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses”

 

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” -Galatians 5:19-21

 

8. God will eradicate our idols: “and from all your idols I will cleanse you” Ezekiel 36

 

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

 

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” -Ephesians 2:1-10

 

9. We will loathe ourselves for our sin, according to Godly repentance: you “will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations” Ezekiel 36.

 

“For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” -2 Corinthians 7:10

 

10. A person’s life will bear the fruit that comes from this rebirth. “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8. You could also say that Jesus is saying that we will know the effect (hear its sound) though we can’t see it happen.

 

“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” -John 15:8

 

John is most descriptive of this new birth and how to know it has taken place, since the wind sometimes comes as a gentle breeze or as a hurricane. We may have an experience to look back on, we may not. But one thing is certain, being born again is marked by what God says it is not by what we say it is.

 

 “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.’” -John 14:23