The Christian Life

Are you born again?

"Hi, I am Raquel a born again Christian,"

You may have come across the above statement and you probably wondering what it actually means. I also did but now I have come to understand (Glory to God) and I'll share the insight in a moment.
But before then, lets us first see where these words 'Born again' came from.
And May the Almighty God glorify His name.

The Bible.
John 3:3
[3]Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

The Lord Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus,the ruler of the Jews who went to him by night. Nicodemus was certain that God was with Jesus judging from the signs Jesus performed. John 3:1&2

It is on the same night when Jesus spoke to him concerning being born again. But Nicodemus could not fathom what Jesus meant by being born again.

"How can a man be born when he is old?Can he enter his mother's womb and be born again?" Nicodemus said to him.

Certainly not. That's not what Jesus meant.
Jesus goes on to explain what he meant...
John 3:5
[5]Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. [Ezek. 36:25-27.]

In place of born again he replaced with born of water and even the spirit.

Born of water
The word Born is the past participle of bear, to be given birth. Birth, is the beginning of life.

Now to be born of water and spirit,in other words to be born again marks the beginning of a new life.

How?
I understand to be born of water as baptism because when one is being baptised they are immersed in water.
Baptism pictures being buried with Christ (going under the water) and being raised to new life with Christ(coming up from the water).

What does baptism(to be born of water) imply?
-It is an act of Faith that the person being baptised has believed in all his heart that Jesus is the son of God.
Acts 8{ Philip baptises the Ethiopian eunuch. But before proceeding he asks, do you truly believe that Jesus is the son of God. When Philip confirmed it he was baptised.}

And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart [if you have a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah and accept Him as the Author of your salvation in the kingdom of God, giving Him your obedience, then] you may. And he replied, I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Acts 8:37

- The action of being immersed in water also implies that one is dead to sin and upon rising one has risen with Christ by faith. The old sinful life is now dead and the person receives the life of Christ,the new life. He is said to be born again.
{Note that I have not touched on born of the spirit. Please study the words of Jesus concerning the above and also for revelation. If you have anything to share on that please do on the comment box below. I'd be glad to hear from you.}
Romans 6:11,
[11]Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.

In summary, when I say I am born again i mean, "I am dead to sin and alive in Christ./ My relation to sin is broken I have received the life of Jesus./ The old sinful me is dead! I have received the life of Christ instead. Isn't that being Born again?

Now understanding that being Born again,breaks the relation with sin,then that explains why Jesus said to Nicodemus, unless one is born again he will not see the Kingdom of God.

Again it's written in Matthew 5:8,
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Born again goes in line with purification of heart.

Are you born again?

If not come as you are. Jesus says,
John 6:37
[37]All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me].

The choice to get born again is the best one can make. I can attest to that.
And if only you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead then you shall be saved.
Romans 10:9
[9]That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

John 3:16-17
[16]For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He gave up His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
[17]For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

#We are recreated that is given anew life when we accept Jesus as our saviour.
May God's grace be with you always.
God bless