Born Again

We first hear the term used by Jesus as He was speaking with Nicodemus:

John 3:3 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.

Based on these words, a large segment of orthodox Christianity see being born again as THE requirement for being saved and going to heaven when we die. And they refer to themselves as born-again Christians, as distinguished from other Christians who don’t subscribe to this doctrine.

As I understand it, the orthodox view of this doctrine is that we are all born into what is called original sin and therefore spiritually dead. But children under what is called the age of accountability (usually about twelve years old —based on our hearing nothing of Jesus from birth until age twelve) are not held accountable by God for their sin; so if they die before this age (whatever it is), they will automatically go to heaven. [One man wrote that if he really believed that, he would go around pinching children’s heads off to ensure them an eternality of bliss and save them from the fires of hell.]

But everyone beyond this age would have to be born again in order to go to heaven when they die. My understanding is that it happens something like this. At some time in a person’s life on planet earth, he is convicted by the Holy Spirit that he is a sinner and needs to repent and be saved. This means that God is drawing him —based on John 6:44 . If he has been fortunate enough to have heard the gospel, he will agree with God that he is indeed a sinner and feel remorse for his sins (usually to the point of tears —I heard one preacher say that there is no such thing as a dry conversion), ask for and receive forgiveness and thereby become born again. Now he is assured that he will go to heaven when he dies; and his primary goal in life is to help in whatever way he can (by example, testimony, giving to missions, becoming a missionary or evangelist —if called by God to do so, etc.) to get other people to also become born again and ensure their place in heaven.

I am in no sense of the word making light of this doctrine or those who subscribe to it. I was raised by people and in a church where this was preached every time we came together and there was always an invitational hymn where people were invited to make this all-important decision and become a member of the church and the community of believers.

I have very vivid memories of my earthly father recounting his born-again experience to anyone who would listen. It was almost as dramatic as Paul’s; and his life changed almost as dramatically. More than anything, I wanted this experience for myself. So as early as I can remember I started praying for God to save me as He had saved my father; then I would wait to feel what my dad said he had felt. I couldn’t be sure that God was drawing me or that I was born again because I didn’t really feel any different after I had prayed —and I hadn’t shed any tears (which was strange, because I cried about everything else). My brother and sister who were closest to my age got saved and baptized and became members of the church; but I never did because I didn’t believe I was saved. I even went to a Baptist college for two years and had to write on the forms I had to fill out that I wasn’t a Christian. I was so honest that there was no way I was going to lie about something so important. I know my parents and siblings were praying for me. Maybe somehow I had committed the sin which could never be forgiven (Matthew 12:31) and God would never draw me. Now that thinking produces the fear that has torment (1John 4:18).

Of course I heard not only about being born again, but also about the rapture in almost every sermon. Jesus was going to come out of the sky and take with Him everyone who was saved and leave the rest of us. Two would be in the field or at the mill; one would be taken and the other left behind —according to Matthew 24:27ff (the scariest chapter in the Bible for me). This was always in the back of my mind. Any time I found myself alone in a room where someone was with me a few moments before or I couldn’t find someone who was supposed to be where I was looking, I was sure that I had been left behind.

I left home at age twenty to go to graduate school a thousand miles away. I didn’t have a car, so I took a taxi and went to the Baptist church the first Sunday. After the taxi driver made a pass at me and the preacher preached a sermon proving that Jesus didn’t really turn the water into wine, but rather into grape juice, I didn’t go back to church for six years. It was a wonderful, glorious season for me. I had every opportunity to become as wild as I wished with no one watching, but I found I didn’t wish it. I just had a tremendous sense of freedom —that if I was good it was because I chose to be, not because it was demanded of me.

Then I met my future husband who was a practicing Christian; and I began to attend church again. I don’t wish to go into the details of my spiritual journey; but I decided to just believe I was saved even though I didn’t feel any particular fireworks. Then I became extremely religious and lost all sense of freedom, making laws for myself and for everyone else.

But I was diligently seeking to know God. And now this Scripture is being fulfilled in my life:

Jeremiah 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Now I know that I was begotten by God, that He has always been my Father, that I was never separated from Him except by my belief that I was (carnal mindedness, which is sin or ignorance of the truth). I just had to be awakened to my true spiritual identity —which brings righteousness, peace and joy into manifestation in my life (which is the kingdom of heaven that I have now entered by recognition). I have indeed been born again of the Spirit. I was originally born of Spirit (or generated of God) and had to be born again back to the place of my origin (or re-generated). See Declaring His Generation.

Peterson says it best in his translation of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus.

John 3:3-5 (MESSAGE) Jesus said, You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to —to God’s kingdom. How can anyone, said Nicodemus, be born who has already been born and grown up? You can’t re-enter your mother’s womb and be born again. What are you saying with this born-from-above talk? Jesus said, You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation —the wind hovering over the water creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life— it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom.

When we submit to that original creation, we know that we are children of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. See also Why Jesus Came , The Word Made Flesh and Who or What Is Christ?

We who live with or observe the lives of born again Christians cannot deny that their lives have indeed been drastically and dramatically changed by their experience. Even though they believe that they had to do something to come into this experience, other than just recognizing what already is, they did what they believe God required, that which enabled them to believe that they are children of God now, that God is no longer angry with them (because they have accepted the sacrifice of His Son) and will not send them to hell when they die. Really believing that will change anyone’s life.

But then there are those of us who could not be sure we had done it correctly, those of us who could never feel completely safe in the hands of an angry God who sent multiplied billions to hell who hadn’t done the right thing. We could never experience the perfect love which casts out all fear (1John 4:18). I have personally encountered many of these people, people who can’t be sure that they are saved or believing that they have committed the unpardonable sin, people going to church every Sunday and doing everything they can to serve God but who are never free from these fears. I know that many others are spending their days in psychiatric wards, taking pills and treatments to dull their minds so they can’t feel the fear and guilt.

My prayer is that we all will awaken to our true identity (be born again of the Spirit) and experience the abundant Life that Jesus said He came to give us —a life completely free from the fear that brings torment.

Ephesians 5:14

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

1Corinthians 15:34

Awake to righteousness, and sin not [stop believing you can be separated from God]; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.