New Birth. Regeneration. Becoming Born Again. How do we accomplish this Biblical concept? Are there steps to follow? Is there a process to repeat? Absolutely not!
What human beings cannot bring about in themselves or others God does. He alone can create a clean heart (Ps. 51:10–12). He will take away their stony heart and give them a heart of flesh, circumcise the foreskin of their heart, put a new spirit within them, inscribe the law in their heart, and cause them to walk in his statutes. Those who are born again are His people and a work of His hands, that He may be glorified*
Jesus required such an internal change from all who want to enter the kingdom of heaven. In the dark of night, Jesus had a conversation with Nicodemus. Jesus abruptly interjects an answer to a question not yet asked: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God” [John 3:3 RSV]. And with that answer, he abruptly cut off all human self-effort, all Pharisaic law observance, as the way to the kingdom
Jesus does not speak of being born a second time, as in literally from a woman, but of being born from above. This is the meaning of the word used, born from above.
He stresses the point for Nicodemus that only a birth from above (v. 3), of water and the Spirit (v. 5), of the Spirit (v. 8), admits a person to the kingdom. This birth occurs in contrast to that of the flesh, for what is born of the flesh is flesh (v. 6). It is not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of humans, but of God (John 1:13).
This is regeneration. This site is dedicated to teaching the doctrines of God’s grace and what life looks like for those who are given new life.
Welcome to life, regenerated
*Deut. 10:16; 30:1–6; Isa. 54:13; 60:21; Jer. 24:7; 31:18, 31ff.; 32:8ff.; Ezek. 11:19; 36:25ff.