You might have heard the term “born again.” It is a core idea of Christianity. But what does it really mean? It’s not about a physical birth, but a spiritual one.
To be “born again” means to get a new spiritual life from God. It is a fresh start for your soul.
Jesus first said this to a religious man named Nicodemus. Jesus told him, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3).
Nicodemus was confused. He asked, “Can someone enter their mother’s womb a second time?” But Jesus was not talking about a physical birth.
He explained: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6).
What this tells us is that there are two births
First Birth and Second Birth.
- Our First Birth: We are all born physically alive by our parents but we are spiritually dead because of inherent sin that separated us from God sunce the fall.
- The Second Birth: Being “born again” is when God’s Holy Spirit regenerates our spirit – makes our spirit alive. He Justififies us, forgives our sin because of Jesus’s death on the cross and then He comes to live in us and We become a new person inside (2 Corinthians 5:17).
How does it happen?
It is not by our own good works but solely and wholly by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and it happens in the following ways.
- We hear the truth about Jesus.
- We repent (turn away) from our sin.
- We believe and trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord
Lastly, when a person is born again, the result is a changed life and the person is now a child of God, with hope for today and eternal life with Him.
