The Cross Foundation Ministries

Obeying God's Commandments, and the Greatest of These is Love.

What Does it Mean to be Born Again?

The term "Born Again" is one of the most used phrases among present day religious people. Yet, if asked what the term "Born Again" means, ninety percent of the world's church members could not give a clear explanation. The vital importance of this study is shown in that Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Here Jesus is saying that TO BE BORN AGAIN IS TO BE SAVED. Being born again is the plan of salvation that Jesus authored at Calvary. It is imperative that we understand what is required for us to be born again!

All agree that when Jesus went to the cross, he brought in the means of salvation for everyone who will accept it. But what really happened at Calvary? What can it do for me? How do I accept what was done there in my own personal life?!

Let us first consider what really happened at Calvary. There were three steps to the work of Christ to see that these three steps make up the act of being born again spoken of by Jesus. To die, to be buried, and to rise again, that's to be born again. So we see that Jesus through his death, burial, and resurrection bought for us the plan of being born again spoken of in John 3:3, whereby we receive salvation.

The fact that Jesus purchased a plan of salvation for us is the greatest news the world has ever received. The thing we must understand is that not only was it necessary for Jesus to do something, but also it is absolutely essential for us to act upon what he did. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Ye MUST be born again" (John 3:7).

Now the astonishing thing is that Nicodemus was a religious leader of his day; yet, he had no conception of what it meant to be born again! We find that the very same thing is true in the day in which we live. Many men who fill positions of spiritual leadership in our world have no real understanding of the "Born Again" experience. Nicodemus inquired of Jesus in John 3:4, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" 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." Nicodemus, you can't be born again of a woman. The second birth is a spiritual birth.

Notice that Jesus said without being born again we cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. In other words, we cannot be saved. On the day of Pentecost when Peter preached the first message after Calvary, the men cried out, "What must we do?" "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). Here Peter was giving to them the plan of salvation, repentance, baptism, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. If being born again is to be saved, Peter was evidently talking to them about being born again.

Remember, there were three steps to Calvary; death, burial, and resurrection. The way to accept Calvary in our individual life is to accept the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We don't have to literally die, literally be buried, and literally rise again. Jesus was our substitute and did this for us. All we must do is accept what he did by spiritually dying, symbolically being buried, and spiritually rising again.

We take on his death by repentance which is spiritual death. When a person truly repents, he dies out to his own will, renounces it forever, and vows to live from that time on according to the will of Jesus Christ.

We take on his burial by baptism in water, by immersion into His name. Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism". Baptism MUST be done by immersion; for something cannot be buried by sprinkling a little dirt on the top of it. That burial after a few days would certainly prove to be insufficient! Furthermore, EVERY baptism of which we have Biblical record was administered by immersion. That alone should determine our course of action on this matter.

Finally, we partake of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the infilling of the Holy Ghost. This is the new life that enables us to live as a Christian should.

We see then that being born again means to spiritually die; repent, symbolically be buried; baptism, and spiritually rise again; receive the Holy Ghost. Thus, in plain language an individual must repent of his sins, be baptized into the name of Jesus Christ by immersion, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 1John 5:8 tells us, "And there are three that bear witness in the earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." What is the one thing in which the spirit, water, and blood agree? Is it not the new birth? Blood covers our sins at repentance; the waters of baptism wash them away, thus making us clean for the spirit to come into our lives to dwell. When the Roman soldiers thrust the spear into Jesus' side after he died, the scripture tells us that there came forth blood and water (John 19:34). This was for cleansing of the nations. It takes blood and water to eradicate sin. Blood is the cleansing agent, and water is the flushing agent. When a jar is washed for canning, soap AND water are necessary to cleanse that jar so that it might be filled with good fruit. Likewise, blood and water are necessary to cleanse the human soul so that it may receive the spirit of Christ which is the Holy Ghost. This teaching was verified by Peter when he said, "Repent and be baptized FOR the REMISSION of SINS" (Acts 2:38). Repentance and baptism are both absolutely essential for the remission of sins!

Paul taught that the three steps of Calvary was the gospel that we should preach. In I Corinthians 15:1-4 he tells us, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the GOSPEL which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unless ye have BELIEVED IN VAIN. 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:". Paul went on the say in II Thessalonians 1:7-8, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul told us that the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. How can we OBEY the death, burial, and resurrection?; by repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost as we have previously explained. Notice that the Lord Jesus is to appear "in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel." It is absolutely necessary for every human being to obey the gospel by being BORN AGAIN. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Ye MUST be BORN AGAIN" (John 3:7).

Let us consider another Biblical lesson given to us concerning this subject. The Bible teaches us that the things of the Old Testament were types and shadows of the things to come. When the priests of the law ministered by offering sacrifices, there were three major steps to their duties.

First they slew the animal to be offered on the brazen altar. The blood here was shed and caught in a container for use in the Holy Place. The flesh of the animal was to be consumed by fire. This teaches us of the first step of salvation sacrifice, and our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus.

After the shedding of blood, the priests were ordered to wash at the laver and to cleanse themselves with water in preparation for entering the Holy Place. The laver, a round fountain-like structure, was overlaid in the bottom with a looking glass. When the priests bent over to wash, he was able to see himself so that he could be sure that he was clean. When an individual is baptized, he should examine himself to be sure that he is leaving the world behind once and for all. We see then that the second step of the tabernacle ministration plainly teaches us of water baptism. Blood and water cleansed them to prepare them for entry into the Holy Place, even as blood and water cleanses us in preparation of receiving the Holy One into our lives! After cleansing, the priest would then take the fire from off of the brazen altar and would enter through the veil into the Holy Place. The Holy Place had no doors or windows through which light could come. The only light to be provided here was to come from the golden candlesticks. These candlesticks consisted of seven wicks fed by oil from seven bowls. The wicks had to be lit with the fire brought by the priest from the brazen altar. The uniting at the candlesticks of the oil and fire to produce light is a perfect type of the Holy Ghost and fire promised to New Testament believers (Matthew 3:11). Without the light of the Holy Ghost, we could not see to live in the Holy Place which is where every Christian should live. God spoke of His great plan of redemption in the Old Testament in types and shadows; and then in the New Testament He spoke plainly to us so that we would have no doubt of His will! Once again we recall the words of 1 John 5:8, "There are three that bear witness in the earth, the SPIRIT, the WATER, and the BLOOD; and these three agree in one". This Old Testament lesson beautifully reaffirms to us the absolute necessity of the full Born Again plan in each life for salvation!

Some Common Misconceptions

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ

The Thief on the Cross

Conclusion