How Can A Person be Born Again?
Written by Lucas Griffin
June 26, 2020

As you may already know, John 3 is the chapter in the Bible that talks about being “born again” the most.  Just like you may question the concept, so did Nicodemus, a well-educated Jewish leader.  Jesus started off by saying “You MUST be born again…you CANNOT see heaven unless you are born again.”  He then talked about physical (natural) birth AND spiritual birth (born again).  He used natural birth to explain what happens when a person believes in Him (Jesus Christ).  Just like your physical life began at conception, your spiritual life will begin when you come to Jesus as your Saviour.  The Bible is pretty clear that you don’t need to die in order to be born again…you are already dead from a spiritual perspective.  In Ephesians 2:1, it is worded like this – “…you were dead in your trespasses and sins”.  However, because God loves you, he doesn’t want you (or anyone) to remain this way, so He sent Jesus to be the Saviour of the world.  Jesus said in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  Jesus can offer abundant, eternal life to you today because He gave Himself as your substitute – on the cross, God punished Jesus for all your sin, in your place.  He died so you could live.  On the cross, Jesus took your punishment and paid your debt of sin, instead of you.  When you realize that you are a sinner, but Jesus was punished for your sin on the cross, the Bible (the Word of God) states that your sin is forgiven, you are given eternal life, and you are born into the family of God – you become one of His children! 😊

Here is how Billy Graham explained it many years ago:

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Our first birth gave us physical life; the new birth gives us spiritual life and membership in God’s family (John 1:13). To be born again is to have the Holy Spirit transform our hearts from indifference and hostility toward God to a love of God and a desire for righteousness and holiness. The only way one can come to God and experience what it means to be “born again” is through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ; read John 14:6. The Bible clearly teaches in Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5, and Romans 10:13 that salvation is a gift; it cannot be earned in any way.

To receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord means more than accepting Him as a fact of history, a teacher, or an example. It means more than giving mental assent to the fact that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. It means that one turns from sin and with his or her whole heart trusts in Christ as personal Savior and Lord. God makes that one a new person; see 2 Corinthians 5:17. The Bible says, “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

It is our prayer that you will admit that you are a sinner, acknowledge that you need a Saviour, and accept the truth that Jesus died for your sins on the cross.  At that moment, you will be born again, and you will have eternal life!