The expression “born again” is familiar to almost everyone who has heard the gospel.
People sometimes use it to describe having a religious experience, accepting Jesus into their heart, beginning to believe in Christ, or making a new commitment to God.
But Jesus Himself used the expression.
Therefore, rather than allowing modern religious usage to define the new birth, we should ask:
WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAID A PERSON MUST BE BORN AGAIN?
Jesus told Nicodemus:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3
Whatever the new birth means, Jesus made it necessary.
NICODEMUS DID NOT UNDERSTAND
Nicodemus responded:
“…How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”
John 3:4
Nicodemus was thinking about physical birth.
Jesus was speaking about something entirely different.
Jesus explained:
“…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
John 3:5
Jesus therefore described the new birth as being:
BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.
The question is:
What does Scripture reveal about this birth?
JESUS WAS NOT DESCRIBING ANOTHER PHYSICAL BIRTH
Jesus immediately distinguished physical birth from spiritual birth:
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
John 3:6
Nicodemus had already experienced physical birth.
Jesus was telling him that entrance into God’s kingdom required another birth—a spiritual birth.
Jesus continued:
“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
John 3:7
Notice the word:
MUST.
The new birth is not optional.
WHAT ROLE DOES THE WORD OF GOD HAVE?
The New Testament connects spiritual life with the Word of God.
Peter wrote:
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
1 Peter 1:23
James similarly wrote:
“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth…”
James 1:18
The gospel produces faith.
Paul wrote:
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:17
The Spirit revealed the Word.
The sinner hears that Word, believes it, and responds obediently to the gospel.
WHAT ABOUT THE WATER?
Jesus specifically said:
“…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
John 3:5
We should not simply remove the water from Jesus’ statement.
Instead, we should examine what happens when the gospel begins to be preached after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
On Pentecost, people heard the gospel and asked:
“…Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:37
Peter answered:
“…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”
Acts 2:38
Those who received the Word responded:
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized…”
Acts 2:41
Notice the relationship:
THE WORD WAS PREACHED → THEY RECEIVED THE WORD → THEY REPENTED → THEY WERE BAPTIZED
BAPTISM IS DESCRIBED AS A BURIAL AND A NEW LIFE
Paul provides additional insight:
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death…”
Romans 6:4
But the person does not remain buried.
Paul continues:
“…that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Romans 6:4
Notice the pattern:
OLD LIFE → BURIAL → RISING → NEW LIFE
Paul continues:
“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:”
Romans 6:5
This is the language of a beginning—a new life.
WHEN DOES THE “NEWNESS OF LIFE” BEGIN?
Romans 6 is especially important because it gives us a sequence.
The person is:
BURIED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM
and then rises:
TO WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE.
Paul did not describe baptism as something performed after the new life had already begun.
The person rises from baptism to walk in that new life.
This harmonizes naturally with Jesus’ words:
“BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.”
BAPTISM CONNECTS US WITH CHRIST
Paul wrote:
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?”
Romans 6:3
He also wrote:
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Galatians 3:27
Notice the expressions:
BAPTIZED INTO JESUS CHRIST
BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH
BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
PUT ON CHRIST
These passages should be allowed to contribute to our understanding of the new birth.
GOD IS THE ONE WORKING
Again, baptism is not a human accomplishment by which someone earns the new birth.
Paul wrote:
“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God…”
Colossians 2:12
The person submits.
God operates.
The person has faith.
God provides the spiritual blessing.
The person obeys the gospel.
God saves.
That is why baptism can simultaneously be an act of obedience and an expression of faith in God’s saving power.
PAUL DESCRIBED A WASHING AND RENEWING
Paul wrote:
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”
Titus 3:5
How?
“…by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
Titus 3:5
Notice the language:
WASHING
REGENERATION
RENEWING
SAVED ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY
This is not salvation earned through human merit.
It is regeneration accomplished according to God’s mercy.
THE OLD MAN IS PUT OFF
The new birth means more than getting wet.
If someone is immersed in water without faith and repentance, he has merely gotten wet.
The biblical response involves the death of the old sinful life.
Paul wrote:
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed…”
Romans 6:6
The new birth involves a fundamental change.
The sinner turns from sin.
He submits to Christ.
The old man is buried.
A new life begins.
THE CONVERSION ACCOUNTS SHOW THE PATTERN
This is why baptism appears repeatedly when people respond to the gospel in Acts.
At Pentecost:
“…they that gladly received his word were baptized…”
Acts 2:41
In Samaria:
“…when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized…”
Acts 8:12
The Ethiopian eunuch:
“…they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”
Acts 8:38
Saul:
“…arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins…”
Acts 22:16
Cornelius and his household:
“…Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized…”
Acts 10:47
The Philippian jailer:
“…was baptized, he and all his, straightway.”
Acts 16:33
The Corinthians:
“…hearing believed, and were baptized.”
Acts 18:8
The pattern is not difficult to see when the accounts are allowed to speak together.
BEING BORN AGAIN IS NOT SIMPLY SAYING A PRAYER
Jesus did not tell Nicodemus:
“Ask Me into your heart.”
Peter did not tell the people at Pentecost:
“Repeat this prayer after me.”
Ananias did not tell Saul:
“Pray until you feel that your sins have been forgiven.”
Instead, the gospel was preached and people were called to respond to what God commanded.
That response involved faith, repentance, confession of Christ, and baptism.
THE NEW BIRTH IS THE BEGINNING—NOT THE END
Being born again begins the Christian life.
A newborn child must grow.
The same is true spiritually.
Peter wrote:
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
1 Peter 2:2
The person who rises from baptism has begun:
“newness of life.”
Now that person must learn.
Grow.
Worship.
Serve.
Resist temptation.
Develop spiritually.
Remain faithful.
The new birth is not the finish line.
IT IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.
PUTTING THE PASSAGES TOGETHER
When we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, a consistent picture emerges:
THE WORD OF GOD IS PREACHED
↓
THE SINNER HEARS
↓
THE SINNER BELIEVES IN JESUS CHRIST
↓
THE SINNER REPENTS
↓
THE SINNER CONFESSES CHRIST
↓
THE SINNER IS BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
↓
THE OLD LIFE IS BURIED
↓
THE PERSON RISES TO WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE
That is not salvation by human merit.
It is a sinner responding in faith to the saving work of God.
Jesus said:
“…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
John 3:5
We should neither add to those words nor remove anything from them.
Instead, examine how the apostles preached the gospel and how people responded to it.
Then ask:
Does my understanding of being “born again” match the pattern revealed in Scripture?
Don’t answer that question according to tradition.
Don’t answer it according to what a denomination teaches.
Don’t answer it according to what you have always heard.
Open your Bible.
Read John 3.
Read Acts.
Read Romans 6.
Read Galatians 3.
Read Colossians 2.
Compare the passages.
Then allow God’s Word to provide the answer.
ALLOW SCRIPTURE TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE.
The Biblical Pattern
Biblical Studies & Books by Kevin L. Walker
The Biblical Pattern 