The expression “born again” is not a new term, invented by modern journalists to describe recent religious trends. The term “born again” is almost two thousand years old. One dark night, in the ancient city of Jerusalem, Jesus turned to one of the best- known intellectuals of his time and said, “I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). In those words Jesus told us of both the necessity and the possibility of new birth—of spiritual transformation. Since that time untold millions throughout the ages have attested to the reality and the power of God in their lives through being born again.
This new birth happens in all kinds of ways. It may seem to happen over a period of time or in a moment. The paths that people take to reach that point of decision may be very direct or very circuitous. Whatever the path, we always find Christ at the end to welcome us. And that encounter with Christ, that new birth, is the beginning of a whole new path in life under His control. Lives can be remarkably changed, marriages excitingly improved, societies influenced for good—all by the simple, sweeping surge of individuals knowing what it is to be born again.
It may be that down inside you sense an unnamed need you cannot describe. Perhaps you have been consciously searching all your life to fill a void in your heart and to find a purpose for living. Perhaps outwardly you have been very successful in life, but you know it has not brought you peace and true happiness. Perhaps your life is an unbroken chain of heartaches and shattered dreams. Maybe you are just curious.
Ultimately there is a mystery about the new birth; we cannot understand everything about it, for our minds are finite.
Men desperately want peace, but the peace of God is not absence from tension or turmoil, but peace in the midst of tension and turmoil.
Today many use their nation as an object of worship, espousing the gospel of nationalism. They mistakenly attempt to displace the true and living God with the religion of nationalism. Others make a god of their cause. Although many radical groups deny faith in God, thousands willingly lay down their lives and suffer privation and poverty because of their belief in “the cause” or “the revolution.”
Jesus said that God can change men and women from the inside out. It was a challenge—a command. He didn’t say, “It might be nice if you were born again,” or, “If it looks good to you, you might be born again.” Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7).
When Jesus told him that unless one is born again he cannot see the
kingdom of God, he was explaining to Nicodemus that he didn’t have to improve his moral standards or increase his educational credits, he needed to receive a new quality of life—eternal life—that begins in this world and carries into the next world.
There are many people sitting in churches today who have never heard this message of the new birth. Some churches preach good works, social change, and government legislation, and neglect the one thing that will help solve the problems of our world-changed men and women. Man’s basic problem is first spiritual, then social. He needs a complete change from the inside out.
Through the prophet Ezekiel, God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezek. 36:26). In the book of Acts, Peter called it repenting and being converted. Paul speaks of it in Romans as being “alive from the dead” (Rom. 6:13). In Colossians Paul calls it “(a putting off of) the old self with its evil practices, and (a putting on of) the new self who is being
renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him” (Col. 3:9–10). In Titus he calls it “the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Tit. 3:5). Peter said it was being “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). In the Church of England catechism it is called “a death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness.”
The context of John 3 teaches that the new birth is something that God does for man when man is willing to yield to God. We have seen that the Bible teaches that man is dead in trespasses and sins, and his great need is life. We do not have within ourselves the seed of the new life; this must come from God Himself.
One of the great Christian writers of the this century, Oswald Chambers, said, “Our part as workers for God is to open men’s eyes that they may turn themselves from darkness to light; but that is not salvation, that is conversion—the effort of a roused human being. I do not think it is too sweeping to say that the majority of nominal Christians are of this order; their eyes are opened, but they have received nothing. . . . When a man is born again, he
knows that it is because he has received something as a gift from Almighty God and not because of his own decision.”
Conversion means “turning.” The Bible is full of this concept and God pleads with man to turn to Him. He spoke through the prophet Ezekiel, “Repent . . .and turn your faces away from all your abominations” (Ezek. 14:6, emphasis mine). Another prophet, Isaiah, spoke, “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Isa. 45:22, emphasis mine).
The new birth is not just being reformed, it’s being transformed. People are always making resolutions to do better, to change, and breaking those resolutions soon afterward. But the Bible teaches us that through the new birth we can enter a new world.
The contrasts used in the Bible to express the change which comes over us when we are born again are very graphic; from lust to holiness; from darkness to light; from death to resurrection; from stranger to the kingdom of God to now being its citizen. The Bible teaches that the person who is born again has a changed will, changed affections, changed objectives for living, changed disposition, new purpose. He receives a new nature and a new heart. He becomes a new creation.
Johnny Cash says, “A few years ago I was hooked on drugs. I dreaded to wake up in the morning. There was no joy, peace, or happiness in my life. Then one day in my helplessness I turned my life completely over to God. Now I can’t wait to get up in the morning to study my Bible. Sometimes the words out of the Scriptures leap into my heart. This does not mean that all my problems have been solved, or that I have reached any state of perfection. However, my life has been turned around. I have been born again!”
When emotions are contrary to our willingness to turn from sin, hypocrisy enters the life of a believer, and doubts begin to grow. There are so many things in the Bible that seem so difficult to believe. When we become a new creature in Christ, we are propelled into an exhilarating, joyful, exciting experience which carries us emotionally for a time. Then doubts may enter our lives, quietly at first, but then more boldly as the questions begin to crowd out the trust. “How can I be willing to turn over my life to God when He might make me do something I don’t want to do?”
A wonderful old woman who wrote one of the classics in Christian books told a story about a young man of great intelligence who was having tremendous difficulties in his new Christian experience with this matter of will. He was a great doubter, and emotionally nothing seemed real to him. He was given this piece of advice: “‘A man’s will is really the man’s self; . . . what his will does, he does. Your part then is simply to put your will . . . over on God’s side, making up your mind that you will believe what He says [in the Bible], because He says it, and that you will not pay any regard to the feelings that make it seem so unreal. God will not fail to respond, sooner or later, with His revelation to such a faith.’
“The young man paused a moment, and then said solemnly, ‘I understand, and will do what you say. I cannot control my emotions, but I can control my will; and the new life begins to look possible to me, if it is only my will that needs to be set straight in the matter. I can give my will to God, and I do.’
Thus, repentance is first, and absolutely necessary, if we are to be born
again. It involves simple recognition of what we are before God—sinners who fall short of His glory; second, it involves genuine sorrow for sin; third, it means our willingness to turn from sin.
In considering the conversion we have seen that it has a “turning-from” side called repentance. It also has a “turning-to” side called faith.
Faith is first of all belief—belief that Christ was who He said He was.
Second, faith is belief that He can do what He claimed He could do—He can
forgive me, and come into my life. Third, faith is trust, an act of commitment, in which I open the door of my heart to Him. In the New Testament the words faith, belief, and believe are translations of similar Greek words, so they are interchangeable.
So we can see how important belief is. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God. But what does it mean to believe? It means to “commit” yourself to Christ, to “surrender” to Him. Believing is your response to God’s offer of mercy, love, and forgiveness. God took the initiative and did everything that was needed to make the offer of salvation possible. When Christ bowed His head on the cross and said, “It is finished,” He meant just that (John 19:30). God’s plan for our reconciliation and redemption was complete in His Son. But only by believing in Jesus—committing yourself to Him, surrendering to Him—are you saved.
Belief is not just a feeling; it is the assurance of salvation. You may look at yourself in the mirror and say, “But I don’t feel saved— I don’t feel forgiven.” But don’t depend on feelings for your assurance. Christ has promised, and He cannot lie. Belief is a deliberate act of committing one’s self to the person of Jesus Christ. It’s not a “hanging on” to some vague idea. It is an act of trust in the God-Man, Jesus Christ.
The New Testament never used the words belief and faith in the plural.
Christian faith does not mean accepting a long list of dos and don’ts. It means a single, individual relinquishment of mind and heart toward the one person, Jesus Christ. It does not mean believing everything or just anything. It is belief in a person, and that person is the Christ described in Scripture.
We have seen that conversion occurs when we repent and place our faith in
Christ. But what is the process like as we approach the point of conversion? How long will it take? Will it be emotional or dramatic? My answer is, I don’t know. If everyone had the same reaction we could apply a neat little chemical formula with predetermined results. The key word is variety.
We can see this clearly if we stop for a moment to reflect on God. First, the point we are heading for is a point where God Himself is going to do something; He is the one who converts us when we repent and believe in Christ. “Salvation is of the Lord.” Second, His help starts coming long before that point. As we have already seen, during the time before conversion He is preparing us for repentance by the conviction of the Holy Spirit and by making us want to turn from our sins. Also He is preparing us for faith by showing us how forgiving and majestic Christ is.
Questions about length of time and amount of emotion in the conversion
process, consequently, are very personal. God looks at each of us differently, because each of us is different. He will relate to you just as you are. He will relate to me just as I am. Of course, in His concern His goal for each of us will be the same—our new birth. But to help us to that point He will be just as personal as a shepherd who knows each of his sheep by name.
The length of time and degree of emotion involved in the process which leads to our conversion is also varied. Some, but not all, will face an emotional crisis with symptoms similar to those accompanying mental conflict. They may experience deep feelings and even tears of repentance. The Holy Spirit is convicting them of sin. This is their way of responding to Him. Each of us may have a different emotional experience. The night I came to Christ there were several people around me weeping. I had no tears at all and wondered if my act of commitment was genuine.
Jesus described the conversion experience like the movement of the wind. “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8)
Nevertheless, the issue for a person now is not so much “when” as “whether.” When we were saved is not so important as whether we are now saved. We often cannot tell the exact moment when night becomes day, but we know when it is daylight. So the great question for a person to answer who has never by a conscious act of will committed himself to Christ as his Lord and Savior is this:
“Are you now living in the day, in touch with Christ?”
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