You Must Be Born Again – What must you do to be born again?
In North America, many people make the unbiblical distinction between “Christian” and a “born-again Christian.” The Bible teaches that if a man is not born again, he is not a Christian at all.
In John 3, a man named Nicodemus questioned Jesus Christ about spiritual things. The Lord said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (vs. 3).
The new birth is an utter necessity because man, in his natural state, is totally depraved and completely unable to merit God’s favor in and of himself. He continually commits sin against God and has no desire to seek after God.
In order for this to change, the man must undergo a radical transformation – the new birth. He must have new principles implanted from above into his heart: spiritual life, faith in Christ and repentance unto life.
Jesus said that the new birth must take place, but He did not teach that man is the initiator of the new birth. It is God the Holy Spirit alone who accomplishes the new birth for sinful man.
