Bible uses several terms like born again, born of Spirit, born of God, new creation, new man but all refer the same.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” … v5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Being born again is so important that it is even a requirement to enter kingdom of God. Please refer to this blog to know who can enter, inherit and be thrust out from Kingdom of God.
Born Again Deception
While the importance of being born again is widely known, the true meaning of what it means to be born again is diluted and many are even deceived.
2Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
1John 3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
Until our old things have passed away and have a transformed heart that cannot sin, that person is not born again. This does not mean a born again person will never sin or fall away. But being born again is the state of the transformed heart that has a strong aversion towards sin which makes it impossible to do it.
2Pet 2:20-22 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
For a born again person, doing sin will be like eating his/her own vomit like a dog or swimming in the dirty ditch like a pig. If you don’t feel that level of aversion towards sin but still have struggle with the lusts of the world and enjoy the vomit and the dirty ditch in your heart, then you are still in labor pains and the new creation which is born of Spirit is not yet.
Luke 13:23-24 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
Matt 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
You may honestly seek to enter through the narrow gate by putting a good fight against sin and think to yourself as born again. But, putting a good fight against sin is not enough. You must actually overcome sin and enter into the narrow gate to get life. Jesus is never going to pull you into that narrow gate or force you through that difficult path. You, I mean, only you with your own free-will must strive to enter through the narrow gate and you will find life and be saved only “after” entering it.
No Magic Transformations
Some Christians believe once they are born again, their heart is magically transformed by God but that is not what the Bible teaches.
Ezek 11:19-21 “Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord GOD.
To whom will God take the stony heart and give a heart of flesh and a new spirit? To those whose heart do not follow the desire for detestable and abominations. God is not magically transforming your sinful heart but rather, the new heart and new spirit is the end result for them whose heart do not follow the detestable and abominable things.
Ezek 24:13 In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I have cleansed you, and you were not cleansed, You will not be cleansed of your filthiness anymore, Till I have caused My fury to rest upon you.
Further, God can cleanse you, but if you still remain in your filthiness without becoming clean, you will not be cleansed from your filthiness anymore but His fury will rest upon you.
John 8:31-36 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Jesus also explains there is no magical transformation. It is the responsibility of each Christian who believes in Jesus Christ to abide in His word and not commit any sin. This is how the Christ makes you free. As you see, there is no magical transformation as many modern preachers preach.
Labor Pains of New Creation
Kingdom of heaven comes with a great cost. How far you are willing to pay that cost shows whether you will enter it.
Mark 10:24b But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
Matt 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Matt 13:45-46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Kingdom of heaven comes with a great cost. It can cost you your entire wealth in exchange for being born again so that you can enter kingdom of God.
Matt 5:29-30 “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Luke 9:23-24 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
Being born again can even cost your own life.
It can cost you to cast away all things that causes you to sin and remove any stumbling block for holiness and righteousness.
Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. … v33 “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Matt 10:37-39 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
To be born again by following Christ and enter kingdom of God can cost you your relationship with your own relatives and even to hate them if they are a stumbling block to love God more.
It is not easy to enter the narrow gate and walk in the path of difficultly that leads to life. To cast away everything that cause you to sin or remove stumbling blocks that is taking you away from God is indeed a struggle with birth pains. This can be your television, internet, movies, mobile, games, job, even relationships. Until you remove every stumbling block that comes in-between you can God, you cannot be born again. But the end result of those struggle of labor pains is the birth of a new creation which is born of Spirit. Do not be deceived that are born again and yet struggling with sin. Christ warns to cut off even if it is your own hand or eye to enter kingdom of God.
Conclusion
To enter kingdom of God, you must be born again.
You must overcome sin and enter into the narrow gate to get life. Jesus is never going to pull you into that narrow gate or force you to walk through difficult path that leads to life. It is your responsibility.
God is not magically transforming your sinful heart but rather, the new heart and new spirit is the end result for them whose heart do not follow the detestable and abominable things.
Until you remove every stumbling block that comes in-between you can God, you cannot be born again. But the end result of those struggle of labor pains is the birth of a new creation which is born of Spirit.
Only when someone is truly born again, God can work through them and use his dish whose inside is clean.
John 3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Eccl 11:5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
Just as we do not know the way of the wind which is compared to the works of God, so will God work through everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Is God happy to be with you in every thought that comes in your heart? Let your birth pain of struggle with sin be over soon and let you become a new creation born of Spirit who cannot sin. Cast away everything that causes you to sin or comes in-between you and God. Repent now!
