Born again by The Spirit (1)

Many different opinions on how to be born again caused lots of confusion for the body of Christ, especially the new converts. Jesus’ teaching on this subject seems hidden from most people. On the surface, He mentioned born again only in John chapter 3, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. He explained further in verse 5 to 7, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ It is easy to understand one must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God, and there is no other ways to enter.

But in the sermon on the mount Jesus explained who will enter the Kingdom of God, which is an indirect answer of how to be born again. Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Take heed, only the one does God’s will enter the heaven.

We see both passages are talking about who will enter the Kingdom of God, John 3:5 described the internal change, “ the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” That means a new creation. While Matthew 7:21 described the external (behavioral) change, “the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” This is the result of the internal change, as the new spirit will do God’s will, but the old man want to live for the self. On the other hand, doing God’s will is the evidence and fruit of the internal change — a new life.

Hearing God’s voice is the key to separate sheep from goat, as Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” They listen to his voice for instructions on how to do God’s will, this is done through prayer, asking for the daily bread according to the Lord’s prayer. For that is their spiritual food, the same as Jesus’ food, (John 4:34) “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. However, many sheep are still having difficulty or unable to hear Jesus’ voice, because the requirement of becoming his disciples, the taking up the cross have been overlooked.

Born of the Spirit by taking up their cross

Jesus explained how to be born of the Spirit, (Matthew 16:24-25) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. Lose their life means die to the old self, so that one can follow Christ, imitate him to do God’s will. If anyone doesn’t want to pay the cost of being His disciple, he can’t be born into this new life. Paul explained this process in details.

(Romans 8:12-14) Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

(Romans 12:1-2) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. Verse 5, offering the body as living sacrifice is the key, only then we can know what God’s will is. This is defines what is “holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Jesus’ word “whoever loses their life for me” means die to the self, then “offer your bodies as living sacrifices“, and this is the true “act of worship“. Paul summarized it in one sentence, (1 Corinthians 11:1) Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. And again he wrote, (Ephesians 5:1-2) Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

All the epistles are teaching us how to take up the cross and to be born again. (Colossians 3:1-5) Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. These are practical guide on how to offer your body as living sacrifice.

We normally don’t think about how to put to death whatever belong to our earthly nature everyday. Perhaps, not many people like to take up their cross and follow Jesus’ steps, most prefer something easy and comfortable. That is why all denominations has their own definition of what it means to be born again and get saved.

Rebellious people mere talkers and deceivers

(Luke 16:14-15) The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight. Lots of Bible teachers disagree with Jesus’ teachings, they put God in a box so that they can predict everything. Yet they are well accepted by many.

It is written, (Titus 1:10-11) For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach — and that for the sake of dishonest gain. The massage is clear, those who teach “things they ought not to teach” are “rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers“. Now, take a look at different teachings of born again from various denominations, and we may have some ideas of who are those rebellious people, mere talker and deceivers.

Below I listed just a few of these denominational positions according to the Wikipedia;

Anabaptist denominations, such as the Mennonites, teach that “true faith entails a new birth, a spiritual regeneration by God’s grace and power; ‘believers’ are those who have become the spiritual children of God.”[36] In Anabaptist theology, the pathway to salvation is “marked not by a forensic understanding of salvation by ‘faith alone,’ but by the entire process of repentance, self-denial, faith rebirth, and obedience.”

The phrase “born again” is mentioned in the 39 Articles of the Anglican Church in article 15, entitled “Of Christ alone without Sin”. In part, it reads, “sin, as S. John saith, was not in Him. But all we the rest, although baptized and born again in Christ, yet offend in many things: and if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Baptists teach that people are born again when they start believing that Jesus “died for their sins”, was buried, and rose again and that by believing/trusting in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, eternal life shall be granted as a gift by God. Those who have been born again, according to Baptist teaching, know that they are “[children] of God because the Holy Spirit witnesses to them that they are”

I also found a Q&A from billygraham.ca https://www.billygraham.ca/answer/what-is-your-definition-of-a-born-again-christian/ “My prayer is that you too may be born again and become part of God’s family. By a simple prayer of faith, tell God that you know you are a sinner, and you are sorry for your sins. Then ask Christ to come into your life and save you. When you do, God will come to live within you by His Spirit, and you will be born again.”

The above are just few examples of men’s opinions on this subject, they have simplified the gospel so much that everyone who does not wish to take up their cross and repent will love it, because they want to get into heaven without holiness and righteousness. It reminds me what Dietrich Bonhoeffer described as cheap grace in his book, The cost of the discipleship;

“Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. We are fighting today for the costly grace. Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks’ wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices.

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

When you compare the word of God to these denominational positions, they are very different. God’s word warned this, as it is written in Titus 1:10 “For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers,” This is not something new today.

The word of God says in, (2 Timothy 3:1-5) But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

Who are the unholy people today? Can those who do not obey the word “offer your bodies as living sacrifices” become holy? Can those reject the scripture “If anyone speak, let him speak as the oracles of God” become lovers of God? Who are those seem “having a form of godliness but denying its power” ? Too many have put God in a box, in order to serve their own interests. But there are always some of the remnant who are called by God, they are not well know, A Stronger Faith podcast has many interviews hosted by Stacy McCants.

Everyday people experiencing God

He interviewed some everyday people who have encountered God that transformed their life. For example Episode #144, Sheila Self, she was in the presence of God and she confessed and repented her sins. Many of us wanted to experience something like this but unable to see obstacles such as, sin and lack of faith that have hindered our spiritual growth. The web address is, https://www.astrongerfaith.org/blank-1-2-1-1

In Episode #114, Maree Orr who now lives a life in constant connection with God after a powerful dream and encounter that completely transformed her. She talk to the Holy Spirit all the time as the scripture said, “prayer without ceasing”. The web address is, https://www.astrongerfaith.org/episode114mareeorr

In Episode 111, Chip Wallace experienced an awakening, and he is doing God’s will by asking God every morning, “Lord, what are we doing today”? This is his daily bread. The web address is, https://www.astrongerfaith.org/episode111chipwallace He said “I have two-way conversation back and forth with God after I just started reading the Bible, I got people in church for 30 years that they don’t experience this stuff or talk about it.”

These guests are born again and living a new life. On the contrary, many churchgoers attending local church for tens of years and still without real experiencing of God. But we have failed to see these guests on the podcast have pure heart that most of us don’t. That’s why so few people want to ask God (according to the Beatitudes) changing us to become poor in spirit, meek, hunger for righteousness, merciful and pure in heart.

2 Peter 3:14-18 (NKJV) Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation–as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Now, let’s pray psalms 35 and 36 (NIV);

Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid.
Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, “I am your salvation.”
May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.
May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away;
may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,
may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.
My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.
They repay me evil for good and leave me like one bereaved.
Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.
But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; assailants gathered against me without my knowledge. They slandered me without ceasing.
Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.
How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.
Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.
They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.
They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
LORD, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord.
Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.
Vindicate me in your righteousness, LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.
Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” or say, “We have swallowed him up.”
May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.
May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.


I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.
The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good.
Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.
Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.
May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
See how the evildoers lie fallen— thrown down, not able to rise!