“Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”” [John‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬]

I believe inside most of us, there exists, a desire and belief in God, and a future hope of eternity which is now but not yet. Often times, we come to Jesus on our terms, our way.  However, when we come face to face with Jesus, the truth is often startling, “you must be born again”. Our rational minds go to work quickly and can’t process this truth and often scoff at it as did our friend Nicodemus in [John 3:4]:

”How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mothers womb and be born?”

That doesn’t make any sense, that’s not even possible. Jesus, how do you expect me to follow you with comments like that, you can’t be born when you are old.  Everybody knows that.  Jesus doubles down:

”Truly, truly I say unto you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God”. [John 3:5]

How is that possible, “How can these things be?”  Jesus, I don’t understand.  Jesus rebuked the rational mind and said, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things”.  Well, let us not be the unbelieving but those who believe. And let’s allow the Bible to teach us and bring to our understanding. Here’s what it means to be born again:

To be born again you first have to come to Jesus and allow him to be Lord of your life, and be saved.

“he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” [‭‭Titus‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬]

After we come to faith in Jesus we are told to repent, confess our sins and ask God to wash us from all unrighteousness.

“Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.””
‭‭[Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭31‬-‭32‬]

Then, Peter tells us to be baptized.  To make a public declaration of our faith in Jesus, to be washed clean of our sin and symbolically, a picture of death to life, being born again.

“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
‭‭[Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭38‬]‬

A gift is given in this process of being born: the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that he would not leave us as orphans, but that he would ask the Father and he would give all those who are in Jesus an advocate, the Spirit of Truth.

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  ‭‭[John‬ ‭14‬:‭26‬]

And that we, who come in faith and believe in the name of Jesus will be saved, by new birth in the Spirit through the water.  That we would be born again.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
‭‭[1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬]

Being Born Again is a product of Faith in Jesus alone. That transformation then takes us through a continual process of sanctification that brings us closer and closer, little by little, into a deeper and intimate relationship with God the Father.

Ask yourself: have I been born again?  Am I daily walking in that transformation?