by Asher Eagle
Have you ever wondered what it means to be born again? You wouldn’t be alone in your pondering. Nicodemus had a very difficult time with this concept as described in John 3
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 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.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:3-7)
Throughout my life I have heard the term “born again,” and thought, “yes, I am a Christian, I am born again.” It was not until recently that the Lord revealed to me the powerful meaning of what this actually means. It is not some fancy metaphor to explain how to become a Christian. It is the powerful truth of what happens to each believer as they receive the Holy Spirit.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 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)
Before we receive Jesus we are of the dust. We are flesh and blood children of the fall. But when we turn to the Lord we become completely made new. We are not humans who are adopted, which actually comes from a bad translation of the word huiothesia (Strongs Greek 5206). This word should actually be translated as eternal sonship, because we are literally given a new birth by the Holy Spirit and receive new DNA. We become literal children of God. We become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) Our old self is crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6) and we are raised to life as a brand new creation.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)
So to be born again means that our old life dies with Christ and we are resurrected to new life in HIm! This is so amazing!!! As you start to see this many of the scriptures will open up. We start to see why Jesus is called the firstborn of the dead, and the firstborn of many brothers. The Spirit raised Jesus to life, and the Spirit now raises us to new life when we receive Jesus. Resurrection and new birth go hand in hand as I will demonstrate with the next few passages.
Before Jesus went to the cross, He gave His disciples the metaphor of a woman groaning in the pains of childbirth. He was prophesying His death on the cross and His resurrection that would follow.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” (John 16:20-22)
Isaiah also prophesied the same moment that Jesus was speaking of.
“Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O Lord... Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.” (Isaiah 26:17,19)
Jesus was obviously the Son of God before His death, burial and resurrection, but the bible tells us that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God through His resurrection from the dead.
concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, (Romans 1:4-5)
In his sermon in Acts 13, Paul quoted the second Psalm (which speaks of Jesus being begotten) in relation to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,“‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ (Acts 13:32-33)
Paul demonstrates to us that this Psalm is not speaking of the virgin birth but is in fact speaking of the resurrection. Here is the passage in the Psalms that he is quoting in relation to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. (Psalm 2:7-8)
Begotten means to give birth. This is why Jesus is called the Firstborn from the dead, and the firstborn of all Creation. He is the firstborn of the new creation through HIs resurrection from the dead.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)
and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. (Revelation 1:5)
And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. (Psalm 89:27)
...the beginning of God’s creation. (Rev. 3:14)
that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles." (Acts 26:23)
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29)
Jesus is the head of the body, the church, that in everything He might be preeminent. In a birthing process, the head comes first. Jesus is the head and was the first to rise from the dead. As each new believer is born again they are resurrected from death to life.
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:5-6)
It is important to note that Jesus said Himself that He is the resurrection and the life.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
Resurrection will continue as each believer is added into the body of Christ and will culminate after the restoration of all things when Jesus returns to earth. He will bring those who have fallen asleep in Him with Him back to earth where they will receive new bodies free of decay and corruption just like the body Jesus is in heaven with now.
Isaiah prophesied the birth of the body of Christ through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and said that God will finish what He started. As The body of Christ, we are called a “Holy Nation,” and our birthing began in one day through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
“Before she was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she delivered a son. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?” says the LORD; “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?” says your God. (Isaiah 66:7-9)
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
Now as each new believer receives the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the knowledge of the glory of God is beginning to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The body of Christ is being birthed into the earth! All creation is groaning and longing for the full redemption of the body of Christ, that is more and more people to come into the body of Christ. We are all groaning and waiting to see more and more sons and daughters be birthed into the earth. All creation is waiting for the revealing of the Sons of God! All of creation is waiting for us to lay hold of the power of the resurrection and all that Jesus has accomplished for us!
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it (Adam), in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for more eternal sons, the redemption of the body. (Romans 8:18-23)
The end of this passage is also mistranslated in many versions. Some translations say, “the redemption of our bodies,” making it each individual body when the word for body there is singular. Romans 8:23 is speaking of the redemption of THE body singularly, meaning the body of Christ. And we are awaiting more people to be born again. We are waiting for more eternal sons and daughters of God.