A New Creature
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus who was a ruler of the Jews. John 3:1 This man, Nicodemus was very intrigued by Jesus and was curious to learn more about Jesus and to talk to him personally.
Because of his reputation, Nicodemus came to Jesus “secretly” under the cover of nightfall to inquire just how Jesus was able to perform all of the miracles he was seeing. Nicodemus knew that Jesus could not do any of these miracles without God being with Him. John 3:2 The answer that Jesus gave Nicodemus was not what he was expecting at all.
Jesus went directly to the most important thing that Nicodemus needed to hear: He needed to be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God.
John 3:3 We know by Nicodemus’s reaction that he understood that Jesus was talking about an event, a happening, an experience that must take place.
We read the famous question that Nicodemus asked Jesus in John 3:4, “…. How can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Although Nicodemus misunderstood the type of rebirth that Jesus was telling him about, Nicodemus did understand that Jesus was talking about an event, a happening, an experience that had to take place in his life.
Jesus went on to explain this born-again “requirement” that MUST take place in an individual’s life to gain entrance into the Kingdom of God. John 3:5
Jesus said that a person MUST be born again of water and of the Spirit in order to enter into the Kingdom of God. John 3:7
Just as it is when a baby is born into this world, it is quite the event, it is quite the experience! There was a definite action that took place to bring about the birth of a new baby. The father and mother just didn’t decide to have a baby and there it was.
The mother and father did not just believe that the baby was born and carried home a brand-new baby from the hospital. Of course not, it was a definite experience, an event that involved lots of ACTION. In other words, parents just cannot believe their baby into existence.
Just as physical birth requires lots of action, so does our spiritual birth. Jesus spelled it out to us very clearly in the Scriptures we have just read in the Book of John.
• The first birth brings physical life.
• The second birth brings spiritual life.
It is so very important that we take the time to read and understand just how to be born again.
Let’s look at the first requirement that Jesus described in this rebirth experience. Jesus said that a man must be born of the water. Water is a symbol in the Bible for the Word of God. Ephesians 5:26
Ephesians 5:26 that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
The Word of God is also called “seed” by Jesus in the Parable of the Sower. Luke 8:11 This seed is the Word of God.
Just as the seed comes first to bring forth natural life, so the seed, or the Word of God has to come first in order to bring forth spiritual life. The seed we received when we were conceived naturally was corruptible seed. “Corruptible” means “perishable” in the Greek. In other words, if we have only physical life, we will one day perish.
The seed that we receive when we are born again of the water and the spirit is incorruptible seed which means it is “non-perishable”. 1 Peter 1:4, 18-19, 23 It is incorruptible because it endures forever. 1 Peter 1:25, Isaiah 40:8
If we continue in our sinful corruptible nature, the Bible calls us “the children of wrath”. Ephesians 2:3 This is why Jesus said, “You MUST be born again”. In our second birth, which is our spiritual birth, we receive the character and nature of God. 2 Peter 1:3-4
When a person is born again according to the Scriptures, he does, in fact, become a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 The Bible calls the born-again believer a “new creature”. Galatians 6:15, Ephesians 4:23-24
Paul calls the born-again believers in Ephesus “His workmanship created in Christ Jesus”. Ephesians 2:10 In James 1:18, the Scripture says that we were begotten by the Word of Truth that we should be the first fruits of His creatures. The word “begotten” used here means “to be born” or “to bring into existence”. We MUST be born again by the Word of God. Even in the Old Testament, we can find verses that refer to a “future creation” of people who will praise the Lord. Psalms 102:18, Isaiah 12:1-4, 43:18-19,21, 65:17-18, Jeremiah 31:31-33
When the “seed” of the Word of God is planted in our hearts, this is the point of our spiritual conception. We begin to search for God; we begin to reach out to the Lord. Just as a newly conceived baby begins to grow in the womb, so we begin to grow in the “womb” of faith.
Just as a natural baby is not born at the point of conception but has to grow and develop before the birth process can occur, so we too must develop faith. This faith will lead us to worship, pray, read, study, and believe the Word of God.
Our faith is what pleases God. Hebrews 11:6 As we grow in our faith, God will reward us as we diligently seek Him. It is through our growing faith that we gain the ability to obey the Word of God.
It is in the Word of God that we read about Jesus commanding the disciples to go into all the world to teach and to baptize. Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said that water baptism was absolutely necessary in order to be saved. Mark 16:15-16
Jesus said that repentance and remission of sins would begin at Jerusalem. Luke 24:47 Jesus also told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise which would bring them power from “on high”. Luke 24:49
There was something very big getting ready to happen.
We can follow the disciples as they made their way to Jerusalem in obedience to the instructions of Jesus. In Acts 1:5, Jesus told the disciples that they would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit very soon.
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, as the 120 were in the Upper Room praising and worshipping God, “…they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:4
This was a definite happening; this was a definite event. Surely the disciples were devout believers by now, but yet they too needed this rebirth experience that Jesus spoke about.
When the devout Jews from every nation who had gathered together to keep the Feast of Pentecost, heard all the commotion, they asked, “What does this mean?” Acts 2:5-6, 2:12 Peter did not hesitate to answer them.
Peter proclaimed to them that this was, in fact, the Spirit of God being poured out in these last days. Acts 2:16-17 Notice that this was an event; this was an experience; it was definitely a happening.
Peter continued to preach the very first evangelistic message about what was happening there that day (Please note these were the last days as prophesied by the Prophet Joel). It concluded with the declaration: “…. God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36
This bold statement pierced them right to their core as they responded, “…. What shall we do?” Acts 2:37 The moment had arrived; everything Jesus had prepared the disciples for had arrived.
Peter did not hesitate to tell them at this moment what they all needed to do. Acts 2:38-39 Baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues is the rebirth experience. This is how we become born again of the incorruptible seed by obeying the Word of God which is incorruptible.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 tells us that when we are born again, we are washed, we are sanctified, and we are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God.
Washed means our sins are gone. Sanctified means we are set apart, clean and holy for God. Justified means as if you never were impure to begin with. These words were penned to the Church in Corinth who had been born again just like those on the Day of Pentecost.
Peter went on to tell them that day to “save yourselves from this untoward generation”. How could they save themselves? By obeying the Word of God. They could save themselves by being baptized in water and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It took action on their part; it took an experience; it took an event. Those that gladly received Peter’s words that day were baptized in Jesus Name and were added to the body of believers. Acts 2:41 The disciples went everywhere carrying this Gospel message which is this rebirth experience.
Conclusion
Just as it took action to be born physically, it takes action to be born again. Just as seed was planted for physical conception, so must “seed” be planted in our hearts for spiritual conception. This seed is the Word of God. As this seed grows in us, it will lead us to “gladly” receive the Word of God and become born again by the incorruptible seed which is the Word of God.
If we are born again of the incorruptible seed, we will then be incorruptible. This means we will not perish. If we are “born again” any other way outside of the Bible way, it is man’s way which is corruptible.
This means if we are “born again” man’s way, we will perish. Just as physical birth was quite the event, so is spiritual rebirth. Physical birth was a definite experience; it was an event; so is being born again.
Remember, Jesus said a man MUST be born again of the water and of the Spirit or else he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. How to become born again of the incorruptible seed is right here in your Bible. We MUST become a new creature that has been born again of the incorruptible seed.
