“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3
Few ideas grip the imagination like the image of a worm transforming into a butterfly. The apostle Paul said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” and he used the word for “metamorphosis.” (Romans 12:1-2) You can become what you are not! Jesus said you must be “born again.” The power that brings that about is the power of the Gospel message (Romans 1:16).
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"
The beloved song, “Ye Must Be Born Again,” stresses the need to be born again. Our song recounts the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night (John 3:1-2). Nicodemus recognized Jesus as a teacher who came from God. He was about to ask Jesus about His message, but Jesus stopped him with these words, “you must be born again” (John 3:4-5).
"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.' 3 Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.' 4 Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?' 5 Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'"
Jesus’ message to him applies to all “children of men” (humanity) because all have sinned (Romans 3:23).
All humanity must attend to Jesus’ Word, for they will be judged according to that Word.
"The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day" (John 12:48).
The message of His Word is that we all must be born again by the Gospel.
"For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (1 Cor. 4:15-16).
Thus, all humanity is compelled to respond to the Gospel message of Christ to be saved. Those who wish to have eternal life must be born of God.
"And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life" (1 John 2:25)."Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God" (1 John 4:4-6).
There is a glorious rest for those born of God.
"Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.[a] 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, 'As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’ although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.' 5 And again in this passage he said, 'They shall not enter my rest.' 6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.' 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.'" (Hebrews 4:1-10)
The ransomed will sing the song of blest.
"And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.'" (Revelation 5:8-10)
Those who respond to the Gospel Message and are thus born again by the incorruptible seed will receive their final reward.
"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for 'All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.' And this word is the good news that was preached to you.'" (1 Pet. 1:22-25)
This is the hope for those who the precious blood of Jesus has ransomed.
Thus,
“Ye must be born again, Ye must be born again; I verily, verily, say unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
CONCLUSION:
Sadly, many call themselves Christians but misunderstand the concept of being born again. Jesus stresses the need for regeneration to enter the kingdom of God by saying, “Ye Must Be Born Again.” To be born again, one must obey the Gospel, God’s terms of pardon.
It is widely taught that one is “born again” before and without baptism. The problem with this teaching is that Jesus clearly taught that one cannot be born again without obeying the true Gospel of Christ. Peter calls it the imperishable seed (1 Peter 1:22-23). John 3:3-7 says that to enter the kingdom of God, he must be born again. So what does that new birth include? Simply two essential elements: one must be born of water and of the Spirit to become a child of God. Those who disregard what Jesus taught on this matter are not abiding in the doctrine of Christ and do not have God and are thus misleading many into error. They are teaching the doctrines and commandments of men! They are blind guides misleading and deceiving many souls to their own destruction (2 John 9-11; Gal. 1:8,9; Matt. 15:9,14; etc.). New birth and radical transformation must happen for Jesus to heal us of our sins. We can only have a relationship with Him when we look to Him, desiring to do His will.
Through Jesus, the new birth and radical transformation are possible, for He can heal us of our sins when we seek Him by faith, following Him and doing His will, and pursuing a sincere relationship with Him. Through the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins is available to all. The new birth, the new life, is “in Christ” (1 Cor. 4:15; 15:22; 2 Cor. 5:17). We are “born again” by the incorruptible seed, which is God’s Word, the Gospel preached to us (1 Peter 1:22-25). The new birth is the product of the seed planted (the Gospel, the Word of God) and then germinates and produces abundant fruit. We become children of God through His Word (Luke 8:11) that is planted in the hearts of men when they hear the Gospel. The sincere heart heeds the words of Jesus, believes them, and obeys them, thus becoming “born again” as Christians, experiencing the new birth, the new life in Christ (Cf. James 1:18; 1 Cor. 4:15). The seed reproduces after its kind (Galatians 6:7). So we must make sure that the seed, the Message, that we teach for others to hear is the true Gospel! Why? Because we can plant the wrong seed in God’s Garden and not be able to grow the kind of plant that God wants. We cannot be born again when we accept a different Gospel.
May we teach those living in darkness how to enter the kingdom of God and be born again. May they understand that to be born again, they must obey the proper seed, the Gospel, to become a child of God and be in His kingdom. May we grow in grace and knowledge as those who have been born again of water and the Spirit.
A ruler once came to Jesus by night
To ask Him the way of salvation and light;
The Master made answer in words true and plain,
‘Ye must be born again.’
Ye children of men, attend to the Word,
So solemnly uttered by Jesus the Lord;
And let not this message to you be in vain,
‘Ye must be born again.’
O ye who would enter that glorious rest,
And sing with the ransomed the song of the blest,
The life everlasting if ye would obtain,
‘Ye must be born again.’
Chorus,
Ye must be born again, Ye must be born again;
I verily, verily, say unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Luci
