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ing God as new men and women.
After all, doesn't Ephesians 4:13
talk about becoming a 'perfect
man' in Chríst?" And people who
claím now to be "born again" do
have a powerful mental and emo–
tional experience. These people
do not affect dramatic personal
change without deep conviction.
How else can you account for
individuals, even celebrities, who
drastically alter their lifestyles
toward God's principies?
But ís
that
being "born
agaín"?
lmportant Wo rds
Yes, the Bible does emphatically
teach that men and women
must
be
"born again." But what it reveals
about being "born again" is far
deeper than mere emotions.
Jésus Christ said you and
1
must live "by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of
God" (Matthew 4:4). The Bible
is the Word of God in print. So
let's claim the promise of II Tim–
othy 3:16, "Al! scripture ís given
by inspíration of God ... for
instruction in righteousness" and
examine what the Bible teaches
about being "born again."
We turn first to the central
account of Christ's teachings on
the subject in the third chapter of
John.
Let's capture the flavor of the
setting. Christ is now a well–
known, controversia! figure in the
city of Jerusalem. In front of
many thousands of people, Christ
shocked throngs gathered for the
April 1981
annual Passover by demolishing
the prívate petty businesses of
those selling animaJs for sacrifice
near the Temple (John 2:13-17).
Understanding tbis, we can see
there was no small reason why the
influential and powerful Nicode–
mus might want to come to Christ
at night, in order not to be seen by
his fellow Pharisees (John 3:2).
So here you have it. A
powerful "ruler of the Jews"
(John 3: 1) wants to find out more
from this man who caused such
an uproar in the Temple. He
begins the conversation by telling
Christ he knows he is not the typ–
ical Jew: "Rabbi,' ' he says, " we
[the Pharisees]
know
you are a
teacher who has come from God.
For
no one
could perform the
miraculous signs you are doing if
God were not with him" (John
3:2, New l nternational Version).
In reply, Christ unloads a
blockbuster: "1 tell you the truth,
unless a man is born again, he
cannot see the Kingdom of God"
(John 3:3, N IV).
Born again? A confused Nic–
odemus responds: "How can a
man be born when he is old?
Surely he cannot enter a second
time into bis mother's womb to
be born!" (John 3:4, NIV).
Before we go on, let's pause to
examine sorne important points.
Why was this so puzzling to
Nicodemus? He was intimately
familiar with allegories and par–
ables in the Old Testament as a
teacher on the Pharisee ruling
council (John 3:1, 10). Nicode-
mus should have been able to
grasp a spiritual side to today's
religious life- if
that only
was
what Jesus saíd.
And wby would one have to be
born again to
SEE
the Kingdom of
God?
Nicodemus was surprised be-
cause what Christ told him is that a
new life by birth must occur if one
is to be reborn. Jesus deliberately
chose to use a word that meant
delivered from one's mother's
womb.
The Greek word Jesus used,
which is translated "born," is
gennao.
Jt
refers to the entire
birth cycle- from conception to
physicaJ birth.
Wouldn't you be shocked if a
minister told you that you
couldn't have saJvation-eternaJ
life-unless somehow you were to
go through a new birth cycle?
"Why," people would sputter,
"how can 1 do
that?"
This is the same reaction
Nicodemus had.
Confronting the stunned Phari–
see, Jesus spelled it out again,
"Verily, verily, 1 say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God."
For, he continued, "That
which is
born
[Greek:
gennao]
of
the flesh is flesh; and that which
is born [Greek:
gennao]
of the
Spirit
is
spirit" (John 3:5-6)!
In other words, believe it or
not, Jesus Christ said
you must
be spirit before you can be a part
of or see the Kingdom of the
13 ,