Is Everybody Born Again?
My name is Leroy Daley and today I will be doing a Bible study on the born again experience. I pursue Bible studies that are not driven by opinions, but I utilize scriptures to explicate scriptures.
First, I’m going to look at what born again is not, then what born again is; finally, I’m going to give you a bonus and then wrap this all up.
Born Again is More Than a Phrase
Born again is not a phrase used by Protestants to describe gaining faith in Jesus Christ. It is not, it is entirely not true and is also not a phrase applied to people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Redeemer and Savior. Again this is not true. This is just not the case.
Who Says a Prayer and is Born Again?
Next, we cannot say a prayer and be born again. We cannot say any prayer and be reborn. That is not scriptural; it’s not in the Bible.
No Apostle, no disciple of Jesus Christ, said a prayer and was born again. No person in the Bible said a prayer and was reborn.
I know many people will say, but the thief on the cross with Jesus wasn’t born again and he was saved.
Who Started the Born Again Movement?
We can’t have two Comforters simultaneously, Jesus was our Comforter while he was on earth, but he promised to send another Comforter when he gets back to heaven and for that to happen he would have to be resurrected.
So, the thief on the cross by Jesus couldn’t have had the rebirth experience.
Jesus originates this concept of born-again. It’s not somebody’s idea.
It’s not a figment of somebody’s imagination. It was originated by Jesus Christ himself. He is the first person to speak about it in St. John Chapter 3.
Jesus Tells Nicodemus Three Things
Now let us look at what born-again is. I have written about this so I’m going to read an excerpt from my book “Living Soul”. Jesus tells Nicodemus three things.
He identifies who knows the born-again procedure; he explains the component of rebirth and he expounds the expected behavior of born-again believers.
On the other hand, his apostles augment the new birth process. They explain what to do to be born again. These two inputs, concerning rebirth, are not contradictory but complementary.
This Must Happen Before We Understand The Kingdom
First, Jesus informs Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Why did he say “again”?
We are appreciative he was not referring to a physical rebirth because that is frivolous and Nicodemus excludes it with his reply.
Nicodemus answered that the physical rebirth of a person is ludicrous.
He asked, “how can a man be born when he is old; can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (John 3:4).
This Is Also A Spiritual Experience
From this utterance, we should realize that the new birth is also spiritual.
I have heard so many Christian theories of this, which borders on the insane.
Therefore, Jesus explained to Nicodemus that for him “to see” or perceive the Kingdom of God he must be born again.
Consequently, one has to be born again to understand the Kingdom of God.
Why is Born Again Important?
Born again is more than going to heaven. Christians need to be born again here and now on earth to know how to live, to learn how to live and to know and understand the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God.
When we are born again and we understand how the Kingdom of God operates it determines how we live our lives, it empowers us.
You’re not puny and weak, but you’re spiritually strong, physically strong too and we live much longer.
It Empowers Us!
We live above sicknesses, we live above diseases. It empowers us in this life.
So don’t think that being born again is to get to heaven only to get to heaven.
No, it does help us to get to heaven because it’s that spirit that is in us that will change this mortal body into an immortal one so that we can get to heaven; but for now and here right now, we need the Holy Ghost to assist us to live a better life on earth, a more productive life, a most fruitful life, a more abundant life and that’s why we need to be properly born again now.
It has immediate ramifications and it has future implications for our destination.
Born Again Identical For All
This is one of the reasons Jesus spoke in parables (Matthew 13:13-15). It should motivate believers to search the Word of God for answers (Acts 17:14).
As a result, Christian leaders who are not yet born again cannot comprehend or see the Kingdom of God and therefore they are unable to recognize it in scriptures (Mark 7:18 and Mark 8:17).
Doctrines Of Men
Thus there are many different notions regarding being born again and that is why many are not biblical. They are doctrines of men.
The born-again process is identical for everyone; everybody must experience the same process to be born again.
We must go through the same routine. Jesus’s focus was on being born again; twice he repeated it.
Most people miss his emphasis and they go off track, but his accent tells us what is important in his disclosure with Nicodemus.
What Is Born Again?
What did Jesus say must be born again? Did he say our spirit or soul?
He said, “ye must be born again” or “you must be born again” (John 3:7).
What is the equivalent of you in a person?
If I were not born again, I never would have seen what the Lord God is about to reveal to his church.
We must be living souls to perceive the Kingdom of God.
Why Must We Be Born Again?
Turn with me to the first book of Moses called Genesis, go to Chapter two, and verse seven (Genesis 2:7).
It says that the Lord blew his breath into Adam and he became a living soul.
Who became a living soul? The man Adam became a living soul.
He did not possess one because he was the soul. The living soul that was Adam, died when he disobeyed God (Genesis 2:7).
He died. Since he died, he must be born again.
We inherited Adam’s dead soul, therefore we must be born again. This is also evidence that the soul of man is the inner man.
It’s not the inner-most man but it’s the inner man. The spirit of man is the inner-most man.
Jesus Informs Martha About This
All humanity except for Jesus Christ inherits Adam’s dead soul, therefore, humans are born with dead souls.
We could be physically alive yet our souls are dead to God.
However, if we believe in Jesus Christ we shall live again, our souls shall live again.
He explained this to Martha before he resurrected her brother Lazarus.
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. Believe thou this?” (John 11:25 – 26).
Jesus Tells Nicodemus Two Prerequisites for ReBirth
Born Of Water
Next, the Lord provides Nicodemus with two prerequisites to be born again and thus to enter into the Kingdom of God.
He tells him, “I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
These are not optional but compulsory, for we must experience these dual births to enter into God’s Kingdom.
Born Of Spirit
The first requirement means water gives birth to us, we are born of water. Similarly, the second condition means that the Spirit gives birth to us too.
Therefore, when we are born again we have dual status in the earth, for we are both physical and spiritual beings (John 3:6).
This declaration of Jesus Christ is of paramount importance to the resurrection of the dead in Christ and to the behavior of the church at present and at the rapture.
How Believers Will Behave at the Rapture
Finally, Jesus explained how we shall behave at the rapture.
“As the wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth, so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).
In other words, Jesus compares his born-again supporters to the behavior of the wind.
He alone compares a person to the gale.
He informs us that the breeze blows where it wants and we hear the sound of it, but we cannot say where it’s coming from or where it’s going.
What Did Jesus Compare Believers to?
He says the same is true of all born-again believers because we are spirits just like the wind.
Jesus is the only person I know who contrasts the animate with the inanimate.
This means we may be here with others now but gone the next moment.
We shall disappear from their sight like the wind because we are spirits.
They knew we were with them talking, eating, driving, walking, or sleeping and we just disappeared.
They cannot tell where we could have gone; this is the rapture.
What Did Peter Say About the Rebirth?
We know the two main constituents of being born again and we are aware who understands it, yet, there is another component of the new birth and it comes from Apostle Peter.
On the Day of Pentecost, he preached Christ to the citizens of Jerusalem. They were convicted of their sins and they wanted to know what to do next to save themselves.
Peter used this opportunity to reveal an additional prerequisite for the new birth process. In a word, he said, “repent” (Acts 2:38).
How to Born Again?
Therefore, to be born again, we know from these scriptures that a person must repent, be born of water – that is- baptism by immersion and be born of the spirit – that is- receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
None of these three features of the rebirth can be missing, because they are mandatory for the Kingdom of God.
I’ve discussed repentance elsewhere in this book and I will not duplicate it here, however, let us continue to peruse these scriptures to learn the importance of water baptism.
I’ll stop here and earlier I told you about a bonus. This bonus concerns the rebirth.
The Come Upon Experience!
The Old Testament does not mention born again. However, the notion of it exists throughout the Bible.
Bible Study Tip
The New Testament reveals the Old Testament.
Whatever is unclear in the Old Testament, the New Testament makes it clearer for us to understand, to perceive, to see.
So the New Testament reveals the Old Testament.
The Old Testament speaks of the come upon experience.
But, instead of saying born again, it informs us about the come upon experience.
Remember When Samuel Took…
Remember when Samuel took the holy oil and anointed David to be king over Israel and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him?
That’s what I’m talking about here, the come upon of the Spirit of God. He didn’t enter into his body, for He came and rested upon him.
That was the case until the resurrection of Christ because the Spirit also came on Christ at his baptism and sat on him in the form of a dove.
Jesus Promise to Send Another Comforter
That’s the same come upon experience from the Old Testament.
But after the resurrection of Jesus; Christ promised to send another comforter and that is the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost first came on the Day of Pentecost and He resides within us. Instead of sitting on us, He lives in us.
So that’s the bonus.
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Remember, spend at least 30 minutes every day searching the scriptures for it will change your life.
Thank you for stopping by. God bless you.
