"Have you been born again?” Perhaps someone has asked you that question, and you didn’t quite know how to answer it.

We must be born of the Spirit

One night Nicodemus came to talk to Jesus (John 3). In the course of their conversation, Jesus confronted him with a strange idea. “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (v. 3). When Nicodemus couldn’t understand this, Jesus explained more fully. “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (vv. 5-8).

Jesus’ few words tell us much about the Holy Spirit’s work. Flesh gives birth to flesh. You were not a child of God when you were born. As cute and innocent as you appeared, you were just the opposite in the sight of God. You were dead in your sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). You could breathe on your own, but you could not believe on your own.

You needed a miracle. Sometimes the Bible refers to the miracle of believing as a resurrection (Ephesians 2:4,5; Ezekiel 37:1-10). In John 3 Jesus uses a different but similar expression. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be “born again.” This is just another way of saying that you must come to faith in Jesus and that you cannot do this on your own, any more than you could be born on your own.

The Spirit calls us by the gospel