Born of the Spirit is to be Born Again

[newton3005]

To be born of the spirit is to be born again. This may sound elementary to most people here. But how many actually take it to heart? On earth we are tempted six ways from Sunday, straying off the path of righteousness. Many of us pray in a house of worship, but how many people actually take to heart what the clergyman says? We hear of what our optimum relationship with God is, but when many leave after the service, how long do they keep it in mind? Ten minutes? Five minutes? Until they vote?

In John 3, Nicodemus who is presented as a teaching ruler of the Jews, has a secret conversation with Jesus. The inherent problem with Nicodemus is that he has no choice but to teach that which came to him from generations of Jews following their first receiving the Word of God in the wilderness en route to the Promised Land. A lot of what the Hebrews heard regarding God Is not always cut and dry. Within the Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy are ambiguities and seeming contradictions. This is probably why Leviticus 19:32 deals with the things God told the Hebrews when it says, “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.” Those who are old, then, who attempt to give clarity where clarity doesn’t seem to exist, are expected to be deferred to in matters involving the Word of God.

But many generations later, whatever was told to the Jews may either have been diluted in a sense, to the point where the Jews could have been misled, or they lost sight of the Word of God to a certain extent. And whereas via passages like Leviticus 19:34 they were expected to declare the glory of God of the heavens to people who don’t know, they largely kept God to themselves.

Which leads us to the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. We don’t know why Nicodemus, who was indoctrinated by the generations of Jewish teachings, reached out to Jesus one night, saying to him in Verse 2, “we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Two presumptions can be made: 1) Nicodemus, being a learned man, is not gullible, so 2) by some miracle, perhaps, Nicodemus is convinced that the signs that Jesus made are real and not the signs manufactured by, say, a sorcerer.

Following that opening, Jesus says to him in Verse 3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When Nicodemus asks how a person could be born from the womb again, Jesus effectively corrects him by saying in Verse 5 that to be born again is to be born of water and the spirit. To be born of water and the spirit is to be born of the Word of God through Christ Jesus.

Many people who say they are Christians have yet to be so born again. Their understanding is still overpowered by what the flesh advocates, and they have yet to subordinate that understanding to the teachings of Christ Jesus. So, many of them risk the dark side of Matthew 25:31-46. What are the two great commandments of Jesus but to love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself? As John 3:16-17 says, Christ Jesus came to save us from our flesh for an eternal spiritual existence in God’s Kingdom. But many have not taken Christ Jesus to heart and so have yet to be born again. Ironically, Nicodemus of the Jews had more of an understanding of Jesus than many of those who regularly attend a house of worship.

 

[SkyWriting]

To be born of the spirit is to be born again. This may sound elementary to most people here. But how many actually take it to heart? On earth we are tempted six ways from Sunday, straying off the path of righteousness. Many of us pray in a house of worship, but how many people actually take to heart what the clergyman says? We hear of what our optimum relationship with God is, but when many leave after the service, how long do they keep it in mind? Ten minutes? Five minutes? Until they vote?

In John 3, Nicodemus who is presented as a teaching ruler of the Jews, has a secret conversation with Jesus. The inherent problem with Nicodemus is that he has no choice but to teach that which came to him from generations of Jews following their first receiving the Word of God in the wilderness en route to the Promised Land. A lot of what the Hebrews heard regarding God Is not always cut and dry. Within the Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy are ambiguities and seeming contradictions. This is probably why Leviticus 19:32 deals with the things God told the Hebrews when it says, “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.” Those who are old, then, who attempt to give clarity where clarity doesn’t seem to exist, are expected to be deferred to in matters involving the Word of God.

But many generations later, whatever was told to the Jews may either have been diluted in a sense, to the point where the Jews could have been misled, or they lost sight of the Word of God to a certain extent. And whereas via passages like Leviticus 19:34 they were expected to declare the glory of God of the heavens to people who don’t know, they largely kept God to themselves.

Which leads us to the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. We don’t know why Nicodemus, who was indoctrinated by the generations of Jewish teachings, reached out to Jesus one night, saying to him in Verse 2, “we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Two presumptions can be made: 1) Nicodemus, being a learned man, is not gullible, so 2) by some miracle, perhaps, Nicodemus is convinced that the signs that Jesus made are real and not the signs manufactured by, say, a sorcerer.

Following that opening, Jesus says to him in Verse 3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When Nicodemus asks how a person could be born from the womb again, Jesus effectively corrects him by saying in Verse 5 that to be born again is to be born of water and the spirit. To be born of water and the spirit is to be born of the Word of God through Christ Jesus.

Many people who say they are Christians have yet to be so born again. Their understanding is still overpowered by what the flesh advocates, and they have yet to subordinate that understanding to the teachings of Christ Jesus. So, many of them risk the dark side of Matthew 25:31-46. What are the two great commandments of Jesus but to love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself? As John 3:16-17 says, Christ Jesus came to save us from our flesh for an eternal spiritual existence in God’s Kingdom. But many have not taken Christ Jesus to heart and so have yet to be born again. Ironically, Nicodemus of the Jews had more of an understanding of Jesus than many of those who regularly attend a house of worship.

Most preachers have not been born again. So that explains that.

 

[sandman]

To be born of the spirit is to be born again. This may sound elementary to most people here. But how many actually take it to heart? On earth we are tempted six ways from Sunday, straying off the path of righteousness. Many of us pray in a house of worship, but how many people actually take to heart what the clergyman says? We hear of what our optimum relationship with God is, but when many leave after the service, how long do they keep it in mind? Ten minutes? Five minutes? Until they vote?

In John 3, Nicodemus who is presented as a teaching ruler of the Jews, has a secret conversation with Jesus. The inherent problem with Nicodemus is that he has no choice but to teach that which came to him from generations of Jews following their first receiving the Word of God in the wilderness en route to the Promised Land. A lot of what the Hebrews heard regarding God Is not always cut and dry. Within the Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy are ambiguities and seeming contradictions. This is probably why Leviticus 19:32 deals with the things God told the Hebrews when it says, “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.” Those who are old, then, who attempt to give clarity where clarity doesn’t seem to exist, are expected to be deferred to in matters involving the Word of God.

But many generations later, whatever was told to the Jews may either have been diluted in a sense, to the point where the Jews could have been misled, or they lost sight of the Word of God to a certain extent. And whereas via passages like Leviticus 19:34 they were expected to declare the glory of God of the heavens to people who don’t know, they largely kept God to themselves.

Which leads us to the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. We don’t know why Nicodemus, who was indoctrinated by the generations of Jewish teachings, reached out to Jesus one night, saying to him in Verse 2, “we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Two presumptions can be made: 1) Nicodemus, being a learned man, is not gullible, so 2) by some miracle, perhaps, Nicodemus is convinced that the signs that Jesus made are real and not the signs manufactured by, say, a sorcerer.

Following that opening, Jesus says to him in Verse 3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When Nicodemus asks how a person could be born from the womb again, Jesus effectively corrects him by saying in Verse 5 that to be born again is to be born of water and the spirit. To be born of water and the spirit is to be born of the Word of God through Christ Jesus.

Many people who say they are Christians have yet to be so born again. Their understanding is still overpowered by what the flesh advocates, and they have yet to subordinate that understanding to the teachings of Christ Jesus. So, many of them risk the dark side of Matthew 25:31-46. What are the two great commandments of Jesus but to love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself? As John 3:16-17 says, Christ Jesus came to save us from our flesh for an eternal spiritual existence in God’s Kingdom. But many have not taken Christ Jesus to heart and so have yet to be born again. Ironically, Nicodemus of the Jews had more of an understanding of Jesus than many of those who regularly attend a house of worship.

Not wanting to jump to conclusions…. I will ask you instead.

Are you stating that Nicodemus was born again …relating to the convo in Jhn 3:1. Or are you referring to Water & spirit baptism.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Many people who say they are Christians have yet to be so born again.

Many who attend church services miss it,imho, because the baptism in the Holy Ghost is not preached or emphasized. They are like the believers in this story.
Acts 19: 1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

 

[Blade]

To be born of the spirit is to be born again. This may sound elementary to most people here. But how many actually take it to heart? On earth we are tempted six ways from Sunday, straying off the path of righteousness. Many of us pray in a house of worship, but how many people actually take to heart what the clergyman says? We hear of what our optimum relationship with God is, but when many leave after the service, how long do they keep it in mind? Ten minutes? Five minutes? Until they vote?

In John 3, Nicodemus who is presented as a teaching ruler of the Jews, has a secret conversation with Jesus. The inherent problem with Nicodemus is that he has no choice but to teach that which came to him from generations of Jews following their first receiving the Word of God in the wilderness en route to the Promised Land. A lot of what the Hebrews heard regarding God Is not always cut and dry. Within the Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy are ambiguities and seeming contradictions. This is probably why Leviticus 19:32 deals with the things God told the Hebrews when it says, “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.” Those who are old, then, who attempt to give clarity where clarity doesn’t seem to exist, are expected to be deferred to in matters involving the Word of God.

But many generations later, whatever was told to the Jews may either have been diluted in a sense, to the point where the Jews could have been misled, or they lost sight of the Word of God to a certain extent. And whereas via passages like Leviticus 19:34 they were expected to declare the glory of God of the heavens to people who don’t know, they largely kept God to themselves.

Which leads us to the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. We don’t know why Nicodemus, who was indoctrinated by the generations of Jewish teachings, reached out to Jesus one night, saying to him in Verse 2, “we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Two presumptions can be made: 1) Nicodemus, being a learned man, is not gullible, so 2) by some miracle, perhaps, Nicodemus is convinced that the signs that Jesus made are real and not the signs manufactured by, say, a sorcerer.

Following that opening, Jesus says to him in Verse 3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When Nicodemus asks how a person could be born from the womb again, Jesus effectively corrects him by saying in Verse 5 that to be born again is to be born of water and the spirit. To be born of water and the spirit is to be born of the Word of God through Christ Jesus.

Many people who say they are Christians have yet to be so born again. Their understanding is still overpowered by what the flesh advocates, and they have yet to subordinate that understanding to the teachings of Christ Jesus. So, many of them risk the dark side of Matthew 25:31-46. What are the two great commandments of Jesus but to love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself? As John 3:16-17 says, Christ Jesus came to save us from our flesh for an eternal spiritual existence in God’s Kingdom. But many have not taken Christ Jesus to heart and so have yet to be born again. Ironically, Nicodemus of the Jews had more of an understanding of Jesus than many of those who regularly attend a house of worship.

Thanks not sure what you mean by "many". Well there are over 30 million Churches in the world. Have we went to ever Church in our city talked to ever preacher? John 3:16-17 Rom 10:9-10 are easy. OT/NT anyone that calls on the name of the lord shall be saved. Then as Christ said "if you were blind you would have no sin..you say you see your sin remains". We can say "many" are blind. What we each personally believe about salvation is NOT how people get saved. We don't and can not save anyone He does it all. He knows the heart.

Sheep and goats its not us today. When He comes sets foot on the earth He then gathers the nations. Those are the ones that just came out of the great tribulation. Those He says "I never knew you" were never saved. I think we tend to brush over this so easy. Well were talking about REAL people that a GOD not us that a GOD created that He has to say " I never knew you" forever to never see them again. Only He knows the heart only He knows who is written in His book. Anyone confessing Jesus came in the flesh died on the cross for the worlds sin was buried rose the 3rd day is the only way to the Father are born from above.. saved. We get no say what so ever.. to that PRAISE GOD!