What does it mean to be born again? When Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again, Nicodemus didn’t understand. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again,^[a] you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NLT)

What is involved in being born again? Is it repeating words to a prayer? Is it just trying harder to be good? Does it happen by getting involved in a lot of church activities?

Jesus says we need two births. The first is our physical birth. The second birth is a spiritual birth. The first is new life that frees the infant from the mother’s womb so he/she can grow and develop into an adult. The second birth changes the individual’s spirit from serving self and failing to recognize the one true God, to recognizing one’s sins for what they are – rebellion against the God who created everything. Once this change takes place – the heart is free to grow and produce a mature Christian.

Some people have a harder time than others in recognizing their sin for what it is. I was one of those. I was an obedient child, and remember as a teenager thinking of myself as a “good” girl – not as a sinner. I knew the list of dos and don’ts very well, and I was “good.” I could not fully understand that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 KJV)

Luke 7:36-50 tells of the time a very sinful woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and then poured a jar full of outrageously expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. This happened during a supper that was given by one of the Pharisees, and this man objected to Jesus’ allowing her to do it. Jesus reminded the Pharisee that he hadn’t even asked his servant to wash Jesus’ feet – a normal custom of that day, yet this woman cried so hard that her tears were sufficient to wash his feet.

Jesus’ answer to the Pharisee reveals so much.  “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”  Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:47-48 NLT)

The Pharisee was self-righteous – blind to his own sins – and unable to love Jesus from his heart. The sinful woman recognized her sins, recognized Jesus for who he was – the way to true happiness and peace, and worshiped him with her whole heart as she ministered to his feet. And she received Jesus’ forgiveness for her many grievous sins.

If we have problems recognizing our sins, we need to draw all the closer to the one true Holy God as revealed through his Son Jesus the Christ. Isaiah 64:6 says all our righteous acts are as filthy rags. Maybe we are using the wrong measuring stick

Being born again is not a matter of achieving some level of perfection. We are born again when we by faith accept Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as payment for our sins. But accepting that payment involves recognizing those sins and repenting from them. Our baptism acknowledges our receiving Christ’s forgiveness for our sins, and our intentions of living the rest of our lives serving Christ and following his teachings.

Being born again is not a ticket to heaven that is to be kept in our back pocket in reserve for the day that we die. See my next post, God’s Growth Plan, for continuing and growing in the faith.