Why We Must Be Born Again
Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3 KJV
The Sin Nature.
You may be asking yourself, why do I have to be born again? Well, the answer dates back to Adam and Eve, the very first living Souls.
“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.” Genesis 2:7 KJV.
Adam and Eve sinned against God but this was more than just an act of disobedience. Their sin passed down a condition that every human thereafter has inherited, a sin nature. However, Jesus was conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. He was born of a virgin mother and therefore did not inherit the sin nature.
“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:22-23 KJV.
Sin leads to eternal separation from God. Jesus died for our sins so that we have the opportunity to receive eternal life and be reconciled into right relationship with God.
“All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 KJV.
This is why we must be spiritually born again. A new birth comes by faith in Jesus, repentance (turning away) from sin, and the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide us through life. In order for us to be Born Again, we must first acknowledge our sin nature and our need for a Savior to reconcile us to God.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
In Jesus, We Have New Life.
Imagine being born again as an adult, when you are fully aware that you are no longer who you used to be. You are a new creation, starting a new life in Christ. That means everything changes; you are learning how to walk, talk, and think all over again.
Everything you once knew must now be re-evaluated through the lens of Christ. Your values, your decisions, your relationships, your purpose, they all take on new meaning. This isn’t a minor adjustment; it’s a complete transformation.
So, to truly walk in this new life, we must first understand who Jesus is. That should make sense since He is the source of the new life we now have, and our actions in this new life are based on His teachings. Therefore, without knowing Him, it would be pretty hard to Follow Christ. But when we do know him, everything begins to make sense. To that end, here are some things that are foundational to understanding who Jesus Christ is.
The Foundation
To walk in faith and recognize that Jesus is the only way to God. As He Himself said in John 14:6 KJV, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
We must also believe that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV
It is also foundational that we believe that Jesus ascended into Heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God. “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.” Mark 16:19 KJV
And we know, as the scripture tells us, He will return one day to judge the world as we see in Acts 17:31 KJV. “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”
Confessing that Jesus is the Son of God is another step in being born again. According to 1 John 4:15 KJV, “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” Along with confession, we are called to repentance, to turn away from sin and be transformed, so that our sins may be blotted out and we may experience the presence of the Lord. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19 KJV
Finally, we must separate ourselves from the ways of this world and follow Jesus with all of our heart. Revelation 18:4 warns that we must “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”
Surrender the Old Life.
“For I know that in me {that is, in my flesh} dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”
Romans 7:18-20 KJV
Our old lives are diseased with the sin nature and unable to please God. That’s why we must be saved from that old life. Surrendering the old life begins with letting Jesus save us, cleanse us, and lead us into the life we were always meant to live. When we accept Him, He fills us with His Holy Spirit, which guides us into walking in the life that he called for us.
If you are ready to surrender, follow along with this prayer:
Father in Heaven, I come before you in the name of Jesus to surrender my life. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I humbly ask you to forgive me of all of my sins, known and unknown (Call out sins by name). Wash me thoroughly of all wickedness. Remove any sinful desire within me. Deliver me from every area of oppression that has enslaved me. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Teach me your ways. Help me to walk in your Spirit. Help me learn to Be Kingdom Minded. Thank you for saving my soul and thank you for giving me eternal life. Amen! Praise God!
If you prayed that prayer, then “Praise God” and welcome to His Kingdom! Know that there is a celebration in Heaven right now!
“Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10 KJV
“So what next?
Repent and be Baptized.
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:38 KJV
Repentance
First, understand that repentance can be a journey and is not always a walk in the park. It’s a transformation, which means facing hard things, letting go of old habits, and surrendering what no longer aligns with God’s will. But don’t be discouraged because every step leads you closer Him. Repentance (or turning away) from your past life is about progress not perfection. It’s making sure your heart is pointed toward God and trusting Him to lead you through the process.
Baptism
Being Baptized is more than just an act, it is an outward expression of your faith in Jesus Christ. It symbolizes the death of your old man {The old you, without Jesus}. When you go under water, it represents the old you being buried; meaning the old habits, sins, and your identity in this world that once separated you from God. And when you come up out of the water, it is symbolic of resurrection just as Christ rose from the dead, you now rise to walk in a new Spiritual life.
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. " Romans 6:3-9 NKJV
Where there’s Water and faith, Baptism can happen!
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”
Matthew 3:11 KJV
Keep in mind: You don’t have to be baptized in a church building. Baptism isn’t about the location in which it happens, it’s about your commitment to a life of Following Jesus Christ. That said, you can be baptized in a bathtub, a lake, the ocean, or the closest available body of water. We see a clear example of this in a story in the Bible.
Philip, one of the early evangelists, was led by an angel of the Lord to an encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch who was reading the book of Isaiah but didn’t quite understand it.
Philip explained that the passage was about Jesus, and shared the good news of salvation. After hearing the Gospel, the eunuch sees water and asks to be baptized which they did in the nearest body of water they found.
“And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. Acts 8:36-38 KJV
