"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." - John 3:3
Here Jesus was speaking to the pharisee named Nicodemus. These words of the Lord Jesus are quite clear. However the interpretation of the issue in Scriptures is varied. As the true seeker seeks the real truth, instead of picking doctrine there, abandoning one here, one of the honest heart ought to seek the God's truth.
The issue of Christian Rebirth should not be taken lightly, as we read the Lord's words. To be born again means to be assured the enterence and inheritance of the Kingdom of God. It is written:
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." - Romans 8:15-17.
Thus we are assured by the Living Spirit of God, who dwells in us, that we are the children of God, when we have been saved, we have taken Jesus Christ as our Savior and given our whole life totally to God. It is also, as we read, the testimony of the Scripture.
How then, is one born again? Some say that it happens when the priest sprinkles water three times to the forehead of baby child. But that custom tends to give suggestion that it is up to parents and priests to assure one of spiritual rebirth. It may even bring people to false sense of being under the mercy of God. Lord said:
"Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.- - Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 7:17,20-21
So, if the sprinkling of babies brings the assurance of salvation, then most of the people even today in Christian world ought to bear good fruit. Is it so? What do we see in news? Prisons and brothels are full of people who have been baptized as a child. Does their behavior testify they have been Born Again from above? Surely not. True and genuine rebirth includes things and brings the fruit which is written by St. Paul:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - Romans 12:1-2
How then do we achieve this? Is this salvation by works?
The real and factual event of Rebirth takes place, when one truly takes Jesus for his or her personal savior. This includes, as I wrote before, that we give the fullness of ourselves to the LORD. Accepting the atoning work of Christ as a substitute Lamb for our sins makes us righteous before the eyes of God the Father. Thus we also receive the Holy Spirit, when we take Jesus.
Rebirth is "from above", it is the miraculous work of God and not of man. We cannot choose to be born again, but ought to expect it, if we give ourselves to Him. God makes us New Men. St.Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, made it very clear that it is not something we can achieve through rituals.
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."
- Galatians 6:15
Let us now consider what else Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." - John 3:5-6
Now, those who over-emphasize the sacramentalism may say that here Jesus clearly institutes the sacrament of baptism, by which the rebirth occurs. The context and the whole of the Bible does not allow this kind of interpretation. Jesus also said, as written down by the same apostle John:
"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." - John 4:10
Jesus was speaking to a Samaritan woman, who was did not yet believe in Him. Thus he used the symbolism of water as that of the truth about salvation trough Him. Jesus is giving us the Living Water, the faith which brings the Spirit of God also to us. Thus it seems preferable that one takes the Christian water baptism after he or she has been Born Again. Thus it is an outward sing of the fact one is already saved, and gives assurance of that. This does not diminish the true sacramental value of baptism, but this has to be made clear in whole other study.
Now, to summarize the work of the Lord, who gives the salvation to us as a free gift, which we can take or abandon let us read:
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12,13.
By the will of God, we are born again and can call God Abba, our Father. In perfect love there's no fear, like St. John wrote later on. We are New Creatures in Christ. Thus we are His joint-heirs waiting to receive from Him all which He has. This includes a new body at the Day of His Coming (1.Co.15.). This is beautiful and joyful hope of the true Christians.
Here Jesus was speaking to the pharisee named Nicodemus. These words of the Lord Jesus are quite clear. However the interpretation of the issue in Scriptures is varied. As the true seeker seeks the real truth, instead of picking doctrine there, abandoning one here, one of the honest heart ought to seek the God's truth.
The issue of Christian Rebirth should not be taken lightly, as we read the Lord's words. To be born again means to be assured the enterence and inheritance of the Kingdom of God. It is written:
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." - Romans 8:15-17.
Thus we are assured by the Living Spirit of God, who dwells in us, that we are the children of God, when we have been saved, we have taken Jesus Christ as our Savior and given our whole life totally to God. It is also, as we read, the testimony of the Scripture.
How then, is one born again? Some say that it happens when the priest sprinkles water three times to the forehead of baby child. But that custom tends to give suggestion that it is up to parents and priests to assure one of spiritual rebirth. It may even bring people to false sense of being under the mercy of God. Lord said:
"Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.- - Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 7:17,20-21
So, if the sprinkling of babies brings the assurance of salvation, then most of the people even today in Christian world ought to bear good fruit. Is it so? What do we see in news? Prisons and brothels are full of people who have been baptized as a child. Does their behavior testify they have been Born Again from above? Surely not. True and genuine rebirth includes things and brings the fruit which is written by St. Paul:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - Romans 12:1-2
How then do we achieve this? Is this salvation by works?
The real and factual event of Rebirth takes place, when one truly takes Jesus for his or her personal savior. This includes, as I wrote before, that we give the fullness of ourselves to the LORD. Accepting the atoning work of Christ as a substitute Lamb for our sins makes us righteous before the eyes of God the Father. Thus we also receive the Holy Spirit, when we take Jesus.
Rebirth is "from above", it is the miraculous work of God and not of man. We cannot choose to be born again, but ought to expect it, if we give ourselves to Him. God makes us New Men. St.Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, made it very clear that it is not something we can achieve through rituals.
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."
- Galatians 6:15
Let us now consider what else Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." - John 3:5-6
Now, those who over-emphasize the sacramentalism may say that here Jesus clearly institutes the sacrament of baptism, by which the rebirth occurs. The context and the whole of the Bible does not allow this kind of interpretation. Jesus also said, as written down by the same apostle John:
"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." - John 4:10
Jesus was speaking to a Samaritan woman, who was did not yet believe in Him. Thus he used the symbolism of water as that of the truth about salvation trough Him. Jesus is giving us the Living Water, the faith which brings the Spirit of God also to us. Thus it seems preferable that one takes the Christian water baptism after he or she has been Born Again. Thus it is an outward sing of the fact one is already saved, and gives assurance of that. This does not diminish the true sacramental value of baptism, but this has to be made clear in whole other study.
Now, to summarize the work of the Lord, who gives the salvation to us as a free gift, which we can take or abandon let us read:
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12,13.
By the will of God, we are born again and can call God Abba, our Father. In perfect love there's no fear, like St. John wrote later on. We are New Creatures in Christ. Thus we are His joint-heirs waiting to receive from Him all which He has. This includes a new body at the Day of His Coming (1.Co.15.). This is beautiful and joyful hope of the true Christians.
