Ye Must Be Born Again

TEXT: (John 3:1-8 KJV) There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: {2} The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. {3} 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. {4} Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? {5} Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. {6} That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. {7} Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. {8} The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

WHAT IS THE NEW BIRTH?

The New birth is what marks the beginning of spiritual life with God. People who are lost are PHYSICALLY alive, but SPIRITUALLY dead! When a person is born again, he (or she) is given a clean slate, as it were. He is made spiritually alive; his spirit is quickened, regenerated, and he is born into the family of God.

THE APOSTLE PAUL EXPLAINS IT: (Eph 2:1-6 KJV) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: {2} Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: {3} Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. {4} But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, {5} Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) {6} And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

SOME OBSERVATIONS:

Jesus did not say you "should" be born again, or it would be a good idea to be born again. He said if we want to go to heaven, we "must" be born again.

People thirsting for life are not being told how to be born again!

On Radio and TV, preachers preach grand sermons about Jesus and the importance of being Christians. They tell their listeners "ye must be born again," but fail to tell them how.

Many say that being born of water is one thing (the natural birth), and being born of the Spirit is another thing (the spiritual birth). This is usually an effort to disassociate baptism from salvation. (But: Mk.16:15,16)

I do not believe this to be the case. I believe that being born of "water and of the Spirit" is the same operation. I also believe that baptism is involved.

Here are some reasons:

• JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT A MAN BEING BORN (AGAIN) WHEN HE IS OLD IN RESPONSE TO NICODEMUS' QUESTION.
• WHEN JESUS DOES TALK ABOUT THE FIRST BIRTH (NATURAL BIRTH) HE SPEAKS OF "THAT WHICH IS BORN OF FLESH" (NOT "WATER")!
• OTHER PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE CLEARLY LINK BAPTISM WITH THE REGENERATION PROCESS WHICH IS THE SAME THING AS JESUS TERMS "NEW BIRTH."
• WHEN DID JESUS RECEIVE THE SPIRIT? --WHEN HE WAS BAPTIZED. (Mat 3:16 KJV) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.
• WHEN DO WE RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST? --WHEN WE ARE BAPTIZED. (Acts 2:38-39 KJV) 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. {39} For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Saul had been fasting and praying for three days, and he was told... (Acts 22:16 KJV) And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

OTHER PASAGES WHERE THE TERM IS USED:
(1 Pet 1:22-23 KJV) Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: {23} Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. When is one born again of the incorruptible seed of God's word? --When he obeys the truth! (1 John 2:29 KJV) If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

OTHER TERMS THAT MEAN THE SAME:
Regeneration with the Holy Ghost is the same as being born again of the Spirit:
(Titus 3:5 KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

QUICKEN:
"Quicken" means to make alive. That's what happens when we are born again.
(John 5:21 KJV) For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

(John 6:63 KJV) It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

(Rom 8:11 KJV) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

(1 Cor 15:36 KJV) Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die.
---(John 12:24 KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. WHEN DO WE "DIE" TO SIN SO THAT WE MAY BE QUICKENED?
--WHEN WE ARE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST!
(Rom 6:3-8 KJV) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? {4} Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. {5} For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: {6} Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. {7} For he that is dead is freed from sin. {8} Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.

(Eph 2:1-6 KJV) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: {2} Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: {3} Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. {4} But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, {5} Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) {6} And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

HOW DO WE GET INTO CHRIST? --THROUGH FAITH AND BAPTISM!
(Gal 3:26-27 KJV) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. {27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

(Col 2:10-13 KJV) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: {11} In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: What are you talking about, Paul? {12} Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. {13} And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

BE SAVED:
BEING SAVED IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE REGENERATED BY THE NEW BIRTH.
(Mark 16:16 KJV) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

(Acts 2:21 KJV) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
AND CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD INVOLVES MORE THAN PRAYER! --WE CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD FOR SALVATION WHEN WE ARE BAPTIZED:
---(Acts 22:16 KJV) And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

(Acts 2:37-38 KJV) Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? {38} 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. And thus they were born again by water and the Spirit!

OF THE PHILIPPIAN JAILOR: (Acts 16:29-34 KJV) Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, {30} And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? {31} And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. {32} And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. {33} And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. {34} And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

Why did they rejoice? Because having been born again, they were new creatures in Christ!
(2 Cor 5:17 KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

(Gal 6:15 KJV) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

HAVE YOU BEEN BORN AGAIN?

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