BE BORN AGAIN IN CHRIST
- A STUDY ON JOHN 3:3-8
By Stephen Xu
1. What Does Jesus Say About “Rebirth”?
(1) What this rebirth is
NOT:
- Rebirth is NOT physical birth (John
3:6)
“How can a man be born when he is old?” (John 3:4)
- Rebirth is NOT initiated by men:
“You must BE born again” (John 3:7)
“.. who were born NOT of blood, NOR of the will of the
flesh, NOR of the will of man” (John 1:13a)
(2) What this rebirth really is:
- Rebirth is spiritual birth:
“That which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John
3:6b)
- Rebirth also means “born from above” (Greek meaning)
- Rebirth is born of the will of God (John 1:13b)
- Rebirth is God’s saving work in us through His Word
and Spirit (John 3:5): His Word reveals our true sinful nature
(Hebrews 4:12); His Spirit convicts us our sins and brings us
to Christ Jesus (John 16:8)
2. Why
Must We Be Born Again?
Rebirth is the prerequisite of seeing
and entering the kingdom of God
- “.. unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God” (John 3:3)
- “.. unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5)
Note: “Kingdom of God”
- God’s physical reign on earth: The Millennium (Rev. 20)
and The New Heaven and Earth (Rev. 21)
- All who were born again will reign with Christ on earth in the
Millennium (Rev. 20: 4, 6)
- The names of those who were born again will be in the Lamb’s
book of life and enter into the New Heaven and Earth God has prepared
for His people (Rev. 21:27)
- The destination of those whose names were not in the book of
life is with Satan and his demons in the lake of fire for eternal
(Rev. 20:10, 15).
3. How
Are We Born Again?
(1) We are reborn of the will of
God (John 1:13b)
(2) We are reborn by the grace of God
- “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of work,
that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8)
- “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23)
(3) We are reborn by the saving power of God’s Word and
Spirit
- “.. unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5)
(4) We are reborn through our faith (believing heart) in Christ
(Ephesians 2:8):
Believe in the divine nature of Christ
- Jesus Christ is God in human flesh (John 1:1, 14)
- Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 3:16)
- Jesus Christ is equal with God the Father (John 10:30)
Believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ
(1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
- Jesus Christ died for our sins (Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23; 1 Peter
2:24)
- Jesus Christ was indeed buried (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-46;
Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42).
- Jesus Christ was raised from the dead for our justification
(Romans 4:25; 6:13; 10:9-10).
Believe in Christ as the only way to God the Father
- No one comes to God the Father but by Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
- Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy
2:5)
- Salvation is in no one else, but in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).
4. How
Can We Be Sure of Our Rebirth?
(1) The witness of the Holy Spirit
within us:
- “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does
not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9)
-“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that
we are children of God” (Romans 8:16)
(2) The new life generated within us:
- “He who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has
eternal life, and does not come into judgement, but has passed
out of death into life” (John 5:24)
-“Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold, new thing have come”
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
(3) The genuine love for God and for others within us:
- “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because
we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death”
(1 John 3:14).
- “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God;
and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who
does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John
4:7-8)
Scripture
quotations taken from the New
American Standard Bible
Questions and comments of this Bible Study
may be sent to Stephen at here.
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