Now there was a man
of the
Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling
council. He came to Jesus at night and said, Rabbi, we know
you
are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the
miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him. In reply Jesus
declared, I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God
unless he is born again. How can a man be born when he is old?
Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's
womb to be born! Jesus answered, 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.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its
sound,
but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is
with everyone born of the Spirit. How can this be? Nicodemus
asked. You are Israel's teacher, said Jesus, and do you not
understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we
know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not
accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things
and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of
heavenly things? No-one has ever gone into heaven except the one who
came from heaven- the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in
the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone
who
believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the
world
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son
into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him.
John 3:1-17
Born again (Christianity)
In Christianity, being born again represents a spiritual and
metaphorical rebirth,
accepting Jesus as the Messiah and receiving the Holy Spirit.
The origin of the term "born again" is the New Testament:
"Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you,
no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again.'" John 3:3
Origin
According to John
3:5, Jesus
originated the term "born again" (alternately translated "born from
above") while teaching Nicodemus, a rabbi of the Jewish sect known as
the Pharisees. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that
every person
must have two births—the natural birth of the physical body, the other
of the regenerated spirit. Jesus' discourse with Nicodemus established
the Christian belief that all human beings—whether Jew or Gentile—must
be "born again" of the spiritual seed of Christ.
The Apostle Peter further reinforced this understanding:
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of
imperishable,
through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23
Jesus Christ used the
"birth"
analogy in tracing spiritual newness of life to a divine beginning.
Contemporary Christian theologians have provided explanations for "born
from above" being a more accurate translation of the original Greek
word transliterated anothen.
Theologian Frank Stagg cites two reasons why the newer translation is significant:
1. The emphasis "from above" (implying "from
Heaven")
calls attention to the source of the "newness of life." Stagg writes
that the word "again" does not include the source of the new kind of
beginning.
2. More than personal improvement is needed. "...a
new
destiny requires a new origin, and the new origin must be from God." (Wikipedia)
Christian Testimonies: The Stories of Our Lives
Christian testimonies
are the
stories told by believers about what God has done and is doing in their
lives. Today, we often think of the word "testimonial" in which people
offer their personal experiences with a product. In this case, the
encounter being described is with a person-the person of God in Jesus
Christ.
Why do Christian stories and testimony matter? Your experience with God
as a believer is exactly that-your experience with God! Surely your
life has been enhanced by the advice or true life story of another
person. We are unique, but we have the common bond of being created by
the same God. Therefore, even if we've stuffed different programs in
along the way, we all have basically the same operating system! We are
all bodies made by God.
My experience with God happens within my lifetime. It happens only
once, to me. God has put me here, in this place and time, in order to
tell others about what He has done and is doing in my life. As a
Christian, do you really grasp this? Whatever you're going through,
whether it's joyful or painful, is allowed into your life by a loving
God, whose goal for you is to become like His Son, Jesus Christ.
Because God wants to transform you, He allowed your life to follow the
path it did before you became a believer in order that you would
recognize His work at some point along the way. Now, seeing it, you are
responsible to tell others what He has done. That is your Christian
testimony! Maybe you've been a Christian for an hour, a day, or for
years. What is He doing in your life now? That is your Christian
testimony. You are an eyewitness to the works of Jesus Christ in your
life. (www.allaboutgod.com)
Open the ears of the many
longing to hear your voice
who, deafened by the world,
have yet to hear you speak.
Bring them to a quiet place
where they can be at peace
and, in a moment's stillness,
let them hear your words
of comfort, love and grace,
so that in days that follow
they may discern your call
through this world's noise
and know that you are there.