Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 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 3:7-8 (ESV)
If we must be born again, two questions immediately come to mind: what does that mean and how can we know if we have been? It all sounds rather mysterious and mystical. It certainly did to a certain Pharisee named Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night, most likely to avoid persecution by others in his religious order, who were openly and viciously hostile to Jesus. He wanted to learn more about this miracle working teacher. His opening statement revealed to Jesus his deepest need.
…”Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” John 3:2 (NASB)
Because Nicodemus had an open mind and heart, he correctly reasoned that Jesus must be sent by God. The miracles Jesus performed required God’s help. It would be unreasonable for God to affirm and use a person who does not please him. This was good logic that should have been obvious to all the Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders. Most of us would applaud such clear thinking, openness, humility, and hunger to know more. Jesus, who never used flattery to manipulate people, rather than congratulate him for what he understood, quickly confronted this man’s ignorance of crucial spiritual matters. We do not show love to people when we coddle their feelings at the expense of their eternal destiny. It doesn’t matter how many theological degrees we may have, if we have not been born again, we have nothing. This brings us to a very big truth regarding the new birth, our first key to knowing if we have been born again.
Key #1. Revelation Is the Only Gate into the New Birth
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NASB)
Jesus knew that Nicodemus would have no idea of what he meant by being born again, and this was on purpose. He wanted this well-educated man to immediately grasp that his religious training and knowledge of the Bible had not served him as well as it should have. Nicodemus was woefully ignorant of what mattered most. This is the case with many churchgoers who have grown up in and around Christianity, who have a fair grasp of the Bible, who know how to talk the Christian talk, but who have never been born again. They, like Nicodemus, are in a very precarious situation, thinking that they are secure with God, when they are actually outside of God’s family and in danger of spending an eternity separated from God.
Jesus also wanted Nicodemus to understand that human reasoning alone is insufficient when it comes to the things of God. Nicodemus’ opening statement revealed that he knew Jesus was from God, but he did not yet really see who Jesus was and is. It is not enough to simply know about Jesus. We must see him with spiritually opened eyes. Even the demons know that Jesus is God’s Son and someone great, but they are certainly not born again.
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! James 2:19 (ESV)
A good indicator that someone is born again is that she or he clearly sees and understands that Jesus is the Lord of Lords.
Key #2. Revelation Produces Faith
Just knowing about Jesus is never enough. We must have revelation from God that not only opens our eyes to his true identity, but also sparks faith in our hearts that enables us to receive from him and give to him.
Revelation from God causes faith to explode inside us. Suddenly we know who Jesus is in a way that causes us to worship and serve him as our Lord. We receive forgiveness and life. We give him ourselves.
A great example of this happening is the account of Thomas encounter with Jesus after his resurrection. Apparently Thomas had never previously really known Jesus, except as team leader and as a great teacher and prophet. But when Jesus appeared to him in his resurrection body he realized something he had never seen before.
Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:27-29 (ESV)
Thomas had the distinct privilege of beholding, touching, and talking to the resurrected Jesus. We are not at a disadvantage however.
We may not physically see Jesus, but we can definitely behold him by revelation from the Spirit of God, and that act of beholding will always produce faith. This is a clear indicator of the new birth.
"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." John 6:40 (NASB)
Jesus was continually on the lookout for those who had received such revelation and faith. One of the first such persons he found was unexpectedly a Gentile. The Roman centurion who asked Jesus to come to his home to his heal his servant understood in his heart who Jesus was and is. We know this because of his expressed faith.
But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. Matthew 8:8-10 (ESV)
Key #3. Revelation Produces Action and a Lifestyle Change
One way we can know that we have been born again is if our faith results in action. The centurion’s faith prompted him to come to Jesus for help and to declare that all he needed to do was to simply say the word for his servant to be healed. Jesus saw the faith through his actions, and so can we.
Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:33 (ESV)
Being born again should produce a thinking and lifestyle change. Faith coupled with repentance (changing our thinking to agree with God and his Word) ought to result in a life dedicated to God and his kingdom.
If believing in Jesus has not made any appreciable difference in your life, it is safe to say that most likely you have not been born again.
Key #4. Revelation Produces a Confession of Allegiance to the Lord
Later in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus asked his disciples a probing question designed to reveal if any of them had yet received such a life changing revelation regarding his true identity.
He [Jesus] *said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:15-17 (NASB)
Notice that our Lord did not coach them in what to say. He also did not do what many well meaning preachers do: he did not put the words in their mouths by leading them in a “sinner’s prayer.” Jesus did not tell his disciples, “Now say after me. Jesus is the Messiah.” No, he waited for the Spirit of God to reveal this.
Paul understood the importance of believing from the heart, the place where faith resides because of revelation from the Spirit.
But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:8-10 (NASB)
The new birth is precipitated by the Spirit’s revealing to us who Jesus truly is – the Lord of Lords and Messiah King of Israel. Seeing (with the eyes of revelation) is believing. The one automatically follows the other. What we believe in our hearts, we naturally speak.
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 (ESV)
When we publicly profess our allegiance to Jesus our Lord, it gives strong evidence of the internal work of the Spirit.
I put this key last because it is the one that is easiest to fake. We can say anything, can’t we? But if what we say agrees with how we live, we can be surer that what we say is real.
Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46 (NASB)
Summary
It is vital that we grasp that the new birth is not simply a nice sounding but toothless theological term. Rather, it is an actual experience every child of God must have. It is initiated and carried out by the Holy Spirit as we participate by faith. The new birth depends on our receiving a revelation of Jesus’ true identity as Savior and Lord. This means that God opens our spiritual eyes and makes us alive in our spirits by supernaturally connecting us to his Spirit. Through the amazing process called the new birth, we receive an entirely new spiritual identity. We become a new creation.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 (NASB) Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)
Being different in the core of our being changes our thinking, words, and actions. If we still think as unsaved people do, if our words sound exactly like those of our friends and neighbors who don’t profess allegiance to Christ, and if our actions do not reflect a loyalty to Christ and his teachings, we should wonder if we ever have been born again.
Prayer
Perhaps you now seriously question if you have been born again. If so, consider praying the following prayer.
Jesus, I am not sure I have ever been born again. I want to have everything you died to give me. Holy Spirit, please open my heart and mind to know by revelation who Jesus truly is. Let me behold him by faith in the Spirit. Make me a new creation. I invite you, Spirit of God, into my life. Jesus, I profess my loyalty to you. I receive forgiveness and life from you. Father in heaven, I want to be your child. You said that no one who comes to Jesus will ever be turned away. Well, here I am. Amen
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. John 6:37 (ESV)
