When the Pharisee, Nicodemus, asked Jesus about the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus told him that “ye must be born again.” Without getting into a bunch of religious jargon and theological sermonizing, suffice it to say; “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” We, in the evangelical community, have preached this to the world since the Church began. Born again! Born into a new way of life. Born again, young babes craving new spiritual milk, following the Good Shepherd, and enjoying life to the fullest, while hoping in the eternal life to come. People who are born again sing a new song and praise God even through heartache. Those who are born again live every moment in the “abundant” life promised us by our Savior. (It really takes the Spirit to know that last one.) And finally, those born again into the kingdom of heaven know of the peace of Christ, the joy of the Lord and assurance of God’s love.
Now, all of the above is true and many a Christian has lived the blessed life of faith in God. But if we stop short in the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus, we too will fall short in knowing the reality of the whole meaning of being “born again.” Their conversation is found in the third chapter of John’s gospel. In the fourteenth verse Jesus reveals that He must die in order for us to be born again. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Do you remember the W.W.J.D. bracelets that everyone was wearing? They were supposed to remind us to ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” Well, He died! He died to sin, He died to temptation, He died to the world (and for the world.) He died to insults, He died to rejection, He died to unbelief. He died for saints and sinners. He died for His enemies. He died for the will of His Father –He died to Self! You see, dying is a very big part in being born again. In fact, if you do not die (in the spiritual sense) then your “born again” life is just an allusion. Paul clearly understood this aspect of being born again and he clearly taught it to us: “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life that I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Gal.2:19-21