What Does it Mean to be Born Again?

QUESTION:

ANSWER:

To be born again means to be spiritually reborn by making a heartfelt decision to return to God in repentance (born of water) and to surrender one’s life fully to the Lord Jesus Christ (born of Spirit), receiving forgiveness, new life, and entrance into the Kingdom of God.

The teaching of being born again is the result of a very profound conversation between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus, a teacher of the law. Having said that, we will better understand the meaning of this if we look at it from the perspective of a person who is an expert in the law.

But before we dive into its actual meaning, let us take note — and put it deep in our hearts — the importance of being born again:

“Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

And in verse 5, the Lord Jesus added,

“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

See? We cannot see and we cannot enter the Kingdom of God if we are not born again!

1. Being Born Again Means Being Spiritually Reborn

Some people call it spiritual regeneration or spiritual rebirth.

Notice this: Nicodemus had just asked,

“How can a man be born when he is old?” (John 3:4)

This shows that he misunderstood Jesus’ spiritual meaning. He first thought that Jesus was speaking about a physical birth — but Jesus was speaking about a spiritual birth.

When man fell into sin, he became spiritually dead.

Ephesians 2:1 says,
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
Romans 5:12 also states,
“Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”

And so, the Lord Jesus is teaching that unless we are spiritually reborn, there is no way we can see the kingdom of God.
This is further confirmed by John 3:6, where Jesus says,

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

2. How to Be Born Again?

It is saddening — truly heartbreaking — to realize that some people today have misrepresented this beautiful truth.
Some teach that to be born again simply means joining their group, becoming a member of their “born-again” congregation. While not wanting to sound harsh, this is truly a tragic misunderstanding of the Lord’s words.

Take note that the Lord uses the word “one”:

“Unless one is born again.”

This tells us clearly that being born again is a deeply personal thing. It is a personal experience, a personal spiritual rebirth that each individual must undergo if they want to enter the Kingdom of God.

So, how can a person be born again?

When Nicodemus seemed confused, Jesus further explained:

“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

Now, we are given two elements: born of water and born of Spirit.

Let us now take a closer look at what the Bible says about these.

3. Born of Water and of Spirit

In the New Testament, we encounter a deeper and more spiritual meaning when we hear of “water” and “spirit” together.
Understanding these will lead us to the real meaning of being born again.

a. Born of Water

To be “born of water” signifies the inner cleansing and repentance associated with the act of water baptism that John the Baptist introduced.

Mark 1:4 says,

“John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

Nicodemus, as a teacher of the law, was surely familiar with the prophecy in Ezekiel 36:25-26,

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

However, it is important to understand that it is not the act of being baptized in water that cleanses us, but the transformation that happens inside the heart.

1 Peter 3:21 explains this clearly:
“There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 51:10 cries out:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

True repentance is a matter of the heart — a firm decision to return to God from a life of rejecting Him. (See also: “What is True Repentance?”) Repentance is putting faith in God, just like Abraham and the Old Testament saints did, about whom it was said,

“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)

Thus, to be born of water is to make a decision to come back to God — not merely performing an outward act, but experiencing a deep inner cleansing of the heart. (See also: “Why do I Need to be Baptized?”)

b. Born of Spirit

The second part is to be born of the Spirit.

John the Baptist pointed to the Lord Jesus as the One Who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

John 1:33 says,
“Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 3:11 echoes this,
“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

To be baptized in the Spirit is to come to know Jesus personally, to surrender one’s life fully to Him and to have a personal relationship to Him. The only way Jesus can baptize a person in the Spirit is when that person comes to Him, truly repenting and surrendering their life to Him in faith.

Final Thought

This truth is consistently proclaimed in the teachings of:

John the Baptist:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2)
The Lord Jesus Christ:
“Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)
The Apostles:
- Acts 2:38:
  “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
- Acts 20:21:
  “Testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is the good news of salvation illustrated in the ministries of the Lord Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. John the Baptist came first as a herald, preparing the way of the Lord. The Lord Jesus, who is our Savior, is the One who baptizes us in the Spirit and forgives our sins.

But there is an important prerequisite:

One must first make a decision to return to God — just as John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah,
the only way for us to prepare ourselves to be born of the Spirit is to first be born of water — that is, repentance.

What a great mystery!
The glorious gift of salvation is opened to those who humbly return to God.

Invitation

If you desire to be born again today, make the decision now — to turn away from a life of rejecting God and to surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. You can do this with a simple but heartfelt prayer often called the Prayer of Acceptance.

Pray this sincerely from your heart:

“Father God, I come before You, admitting that I have sinned against You. I am sorry for the life I lived away from and in rejection of You. I need You, Lord. Today, I make this decision to return to You. I also believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again because He is the Messiah. I now surrender my life to You, Lord Jesus. Come into my life, be my Lord and Savior, and change me through Your Spirit. I receive Your forgiveness and Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for saving me. Amen.”

Have You Just Accepted the Lord?

If you just prayed this prayer with all your heart, praise God! 🎉
You have made the most important decision of your life!
You are now born again — spiritually cleansed, spiritually alive, and welcomed into the family of God.

To know more about this new journey, please visit:

“I Just Accepted Jesus Christ. What Should I Do Next?”

QUESTION: