Understanding the New Birth

In John 3:1-7, Jesus explains to Nicodemus the concept of being “born again.” And if you are a Christian, you are born again. Adrian Rogers says, “By your first birth you have existence. By your second birth you have supernatural life.” Understanding the new birth is crucial to our faith.First, we must understand the three reasons why a person must be born again. By nature, we are plagued with undeniable sinfulness, unsatisfied longings, and our soul’s unending existence. For these reasons, there is an urgency to be born again.Spiritual rebirth, in many ways, parallels a physical birth. In a birth, conception takes place. A mother and father join together to conceive a child; in the same way, the Word of God and the Spirit of God unite to conceive a new birth. John 3:5 says, “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.” (Water symbolizes the Word of God in Scripture.) Much like parents transmit life into their children, God breathes new life into us.In our new birth, we receive the character of God. Some traits of someone twice-born are a love for Jesus Christ, a desire for holiness, the inner witness of the Spirit, and a desire to share Jesus with others.A birth is a once-for-all experience. In the natural realm, you are born one time. In the spiritual realm, rebirth is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After birth, the true growth begins. Birth simply is the starting place; when we are born again, glory to God, we have a brand new start. Adrian Rogers says, “When you get saved, all of your past, all your yesterdays, are buried in the grave of God’s forgetfulness.”A new birth is a daily certainty. There is proof, but it is not a thing of the past. Trusting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior is a present practice. It is a daily occurrence.Adrian Rogers says, “If you’re born twice, that which is born from above will go endless, dateless, timeless, measureless with the Lord.”Apply it to your lifeHave you been born again? Have you understood the reason for new birth? Experienced a change in character? Have you seen faith take its full effect in you?