John 3:3-8
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again (from above). 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Did you read the above scriptures in your personal paperback/hardback bible today or just only on this website?
If only online, I encourage you to please open your bible and read these verses both on our website and in your bible. There is power in reading the real bible. Also, did you pray before beginning to read about this specific subject today? If not, I encourage you to take the time now to pray for understanding of truth.
Some claim that blowing like the wind is literal, therefore they say that Jesus is talking about the Resurrection. They claim that you are only born again at the Resurrections. However, God has been leading me that He was talking spiritually. Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, A Pharisee. John 3:1: "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews".
The Pharisees understood and accepted the Resurrection. Nicodemus was a ruler of the Pharisees. Surely he would not have been puzzled if Jesus had been talking literally or about the resurrection. It was the spiritual things that the Pharisees did not understand.
Everyone will be resurrected. This is clear and unavoidable. There is nothing we can do to avoid being resurrected or to cause being resurrected. John 5:28-29
28 "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
So, if we will all be resurrected and there is nothing we can do to stop that event nor to bring it about, then why did Jesus say that "Ye must be born again"?
It is clear that there is something that we can do to help ensure that we be raised in the resurrection to Life in the Kingdom of God instead of the Resurrection of Damnation (Judgment). We must be Born Again of the Water and of the Spirit. This is speaking of receiving The Holy Ghost (The Spirit of Jesus crucified, resurrected & Gloried) at water baptism.
We are not born via only a prayer. Many sinners have prayed the so called "prayer of salvation" yet have never been born again or had a change of life. We are not born of water in the Resurrection. History shows that even before Jesus taught water baptism in John 3, the Jews already called being baptized in water "being born again". Source.
The reason some people think Jesus was talking about the resurrection is because it says whoever is born of spirit is spirit and they think we are not yet spirit. But they do not realize that according to the bible, we are Spirit. (We dwell in fleshly temples) Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Jesus described himself with the description of someone who has been born again! John 3:8 "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit". John 8:14 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go".
Indeed, the scriptures say He was the first begotten/firstborn. But when was He born again? Some say at His ascension into Heaven. But let's look at some clues.
Matthew 3:16
16 "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"
Let's look at Luke's account: Luke 3:21-24
21 "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. 23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,"
It is very interesting that immediately after Jesus was baptized, Luke starts giving the genealogy of Jesus. Why would he do this in Luke 3 instead of Luke 2 when Jesus was born of the flesh? I believe it is a good clue that Luke understood that this was Jesus' new birth!
Also notice that Christ said "Except a man be born of water and of The Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Christ was a man! Yes, He was God in the flesh. But still a man. He was not only the son of God, but also the son of man, via Mary, a human as well as God in the flesh. For a man to enter into the fullness of the Kingdom, He must be born from above. Surely Christ was born from above!
1 Peter 1:22-25
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
1 Peter 2:1-2
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1 John 3:9-10
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
(It's impossible to sin when you are being led of the Spirit)
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Do you call yourself a child of God? If so, you must have been born of the Spirit. God is Spirit. You cannot be a child of God without being born of Spirit!
Romans 8:9, 14
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 5:1,4-6,18
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but (because) he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
John 5:31-37
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Water is our witness because it seen us get baptized in water. The spirit is our witness because it engulfed us when we were baptized in The Holy Ghost (the resurrected and ascended power of Christ) and The Blood of Christ is our witness because we are now covered in the blood once we have been baptized from on High.
Many are baptized of The Holy Ghost when we had hands laid on us immediately after water baptism. Others of us are baptized of The Holy Ghost some time before or after this water event. Search the scriptures and you will see accounts of people receiving this power from on high called The Holy Ghost at time intervals before and after the water baptism.
Col.1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
Yes, Jesus is the first born from the dead, even though others were raised from the dead before Him, there is a difference. But that does not mean that He is the first born only of the dead, keep reading: "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."
Yes, many people were baptized of water before Christ. But so were many raised from the dead before Christ! The difference is this: Acts 2:16-38
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
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