Tag: Born again

  • John 3:6–7

    “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” – John 3:6–7

    Birth is the beginning of life. Our first birth, through the flesh, makes us part of an earthly family. But Jesus is clear: “that which is born of the flesh is flesh.” The flesh here means our fallen human nature; corrupt, sinful, and weak. That we inherited through Adam’s sin, “sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men” (Romans 5:12). By nature, we are born separated from God, with desires and inclinations that cannot please Him. “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8).

    This is where we understand Jesus is teaching Nicodemus that no amount of human effort, law-keeping, or religion can make someone fit for God’s Kingdom. Human birth produces human life, but not spiritual life. That is why Jesus said, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”

    By our first birth, we were corrupt, shaped in sin. David said, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). Because of this, a new birth is necessary. We must be made new creatures. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).


    This new birth is not something we can achieve in our own strength. It is a work that only the Spirit of God can accomplish, changing us from the inside out. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12–13). It is God who put His Spirit within us to gave us a new heart that belongs to Him.

    By the Spirit’s work, we receive a new nature, new principles, new desires, and new aims. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to put off the old life of sin and walk in righteousness. But those who are born of the Spirit bear fruit that cannot come from the flesh: “lBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:22–24)

    And this explains why the world often cannot understand believers. “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Those still in the flesh cannot comprehend the life of the Spirit, because spiritual rebirth is something only God can give.

    The Spirit not only makes us new but also seals us. “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13–14). The Spirit assures us we belong to God, strengthens us in our weakness (Romans 8:26), transforms us into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18), and guides us into all truth (John 16:13).

    So Jesus’ words to Nicodemus remain urgent for us today!! “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit… You must be born again.” The flesh we have cannot inherit God’s Kingdom. Only through the baptism of the Holy Spirit’s bring new birth that we become children of God and enter into His Kingdom.

  • John 3:16

    “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

    This is the most well-known and most frequently memorized verse in the entire Bible. It’s often the first verse children learn and the first that new believers cling to. It has been used by countless preachers and teachers to share the gospel. But do we truly grasp the depth of what this Scripture is telling us?

    Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to Him at night. Though Nicodemus had devoted his life to studying and teaching the Scriptures, he still struggled to understand what Jesus meant when He explained that in order to enter the kingdom of God, a person must be born again. If a teacher of Israel wrestled with this truth, how much more difficult would it be for others when Jesus declared that salvation was being offered not only to Israel, but to the entire world?

    For Nicodemus, this message was radical. As a Jew, he had been taught that salvation was for Israel alone, that they were God’s chosen people and no one else. But Jesus overturned that idea. He declared that God’s love was for the world, not just Israel. Why? Because through Adam’s transgression, sin entered all humanity (Romans 5:12). We are all created in God’s image, and yet every nation, every people, and every culture has fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23). The whole world stands guilty before God and in need of salvation.

    God’s plan of salvation would not be limited to one nation or one group. No matter your background, the color of your skin, or the language you speak. God’s promise of salvation is for you. His love extends to every person without exception. Later, the Apostle Paul would emphasize this truth in his letters, teaching that the Gentiles were also included in God’s redemptive plan. But even here, Jesus was already revealing this to Nicodemus and preparing His disciples for their mission: “You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

    Jesus was not only revealing His own purpose but also pointing ahead to the work His disciples would continue after Him. The gospel would spread far beyond Israel to the nations. And with it comes both a promise and a warning: the love of God is revealed in Christ, but the wrath of God remains on those who reject Him (John 3:36).

    That is why John 3:16 is not just a declaration of God’s love. It is also God’s invitation and command: that only through the Lord Jesus Christ can we be saved, and that everyone and everywhere is called to believe in Him. God loves the whole world, and He desires that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, as His people, we must not only believe this truth for ourselves but also share Jesus with others because we ought to love the world, so that they too may be saved and enter His kingdom.