- What does it mean to be born again?
- Is there any difference from the normal experience of baptism?
- Are all Christians born again?
SCRIPTURES:
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, 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, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
John 3:3-7
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because
“All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
1 Peter 1:22-25
Christ's own words to Nicodemus make it clear that he is distinguishing between different kinds of birth: physical and spiritual. He had just told Nicodemus of the necessity of a second birth and in reply to Nicodemus's natural confusion (vs. 4), he gives a brief explanation of what distinguishes the two births from each other. Verses 5 and 6, then, constitute this explanation, as is very evident in what Jesus says:
John 3:5-6
5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
There was, then, a very good reason for Jesus to go into the matter of physical birth. In doing so, he was directly responding to Nicodemus's confusion about what Jesus meant about being born a second time.
Have I not found an instance of physical birth being described as "born of water"?
Again, Jesus addresses the individual or small group with what they need to hear at the moment and we need to know what they need to be hearing at the moment to best understand what Jesus is saying.
Mark 4: 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you.
But to those on the outside everything is said in parables. This is definitely about the “Kingdom” and Nicodemus is definitely an outsider. So, Jesus is talking in parables to Nicodemus. (A parable does not have to be just a story with a Spiritual meaning, but something said with a parallel deeper Spiritual meaning, so the we need to not just look at the surface conversation).
Nicodemus has already acknowledged what the first birth was, so he is
only asking about the born again (not what is meant by two births).
Jesus response “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are
born of water and the Spirit….” Is addressing the born-again question.
Nicodemus as part of the Sanhedrin would not have been baptized by John’s baptism from the conversation Jesus later had with Matt. 21: 23 …the chief priests and the elders… 24 Jesus replied, …25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” …They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ Jesus said: ““
Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The religious leadership knew John’s baptism was Spiritual (from heaven), but said they “do not know” which is a lie.
Bottom line: Nicodemus would know he personally needed to accept John’s baptism, but at the time he came to Christ he would not have been water baptized with John’s baptism.
Jesus says “…born of water and the Spirit” because the water baptism itself does not “do” anything, but should acknowledge a commitment by the person being baptized. The Spirit that really changes the person’s heart. Nicodemus’ heart is not going to be transformed without demonstrating the commitment with baptism. For Nicodemus to be reborn he would need submit to both water baptism which includes a spiritual changing of his heart.
When Jesus does address our birth from our mother womb he does not say “born of water”, but says: “born of the flesh” which is contrasted with baptism from heaven birth.
Jesus does not call our fleshly birth: “water birth”.