I remember when I was born again in 1969, the term was not very excepted in religious circles even though it was one of the main ideas in Jesus’ teaching. When I or friends of mine testified that we were born again people actually got angry because they thought we were judging them for being less of a Christian than we were.
Now mind you this happened during the Jesus Movement Revival and all kinds of young people were getting saved. We didn’t know a lot about what being Christians was all about other than the main point that being born again meant we were reconciled to our Heavenly Father. Surfers, teenagers, drug addicts and just about every category of young person was getting born again and sharing the good news with anyone we encountered. You see we were in love with God!
This Jesus Revival was probably the last of its kind in my generation, that swept around the world. Many religious adults were offended because they didn’t understand why and how God was saving young people. It didn’t fit the idea of what they thought a Christian should look like. Many of that adult generation had lost the understanding that getting saved was more about their hearts being transformed than it was about how a person dressed going to church, or how long or short a person’s hair was. I think this older generation felt being a Christian was more like choosing a sports team rather than embracing a new relationship with God. That’s exactly how the Jews’ mindset had become during the time Jesus walked the earth. The majority of the Jews believed they were born into not only their nationality, but religion as well. For the most part they lost the significance of what it meant to be a child of God.
When Jesus first spoke on being born again, it was with the Jewish Pharisee Nicodemus in John chapter three. He came to see Jesus at night, which speaks to his fear of other Pharisees disapproving of his visit with Jesus. Coming at night time seemed the least conspicuous and out of the view of judgmental people. Why at night you might ask? Because Jesus teachings and ideas of being a child of God was about a relationship with God and not about Jewish nationality.
John 3:1-3
Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” [3] Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
How easy it is to turn the idea of a relationship with God into a dry old religion that is more about do’s and don’ts than about an intimate walk with God. The Jewish people were meant to be a beacon of hope for humanity, of what it means to have a relationship with God, but they failed miserably. Jesus taught about finding harmony with God but the religious people didn’t want to hear such things. Instead of Israel being a beacon of light for the world Israel became a people that were just as rebellious towards God as the pagan nations. So God sent prophets to the Jewish people like Ezekiel who spoke over 625 years before Christ was born. He prophesied about what God wanted to do in his people Israel by transforming their very souls.
Ezekiel 11:19
“And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
The apostle Paul, in the book of Romans, lays out a very clear explanation of how far man has rebelled against God and his word, and thus needs judgement or redemption. He makes a profound statement in Chapter 5:1 in which he states that real believers are JUSTIFIED by faith and that justification releases PEACE into the human heart through union with Jesus Christ as our Savior. This singular verse in 5:1 lies in direct contrast to so much of what Christianity functions in today. We often learn the form of a Christian without the heart transformation.
When we experience JUSTIFICATION it carries the idea of becoming innocent towards and with God as if we had never sinned and rebelled. Being born again is far more than some outward observance of rules or behavior. Our guilt and shame are removed so that we can be embraced by God as our Father, not just a care taker in the sky. For the average professing Christian the idea of justification by faith is for the most part a foreign concept. For most, they can’t explain justification, and probably never think about it, yet to Paul it was the central idea of our path towards a relationship with God. Being justified before God opens the door of intimacy with our creator. It removes the obstacle of sin that has ruined us.
Romans 5:1-2
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
Mind you, Paul says we are justified because we embrace Christ’s sacrifice for us by FAITH. How often have we heard preachers teach that we are saved by grace alone when Paul teaches that such thinking is the furthest thing from the truth. Jesus died to save all mankind but all mankind will never reap the rewards of what Jesus did unless they accept that offer of pardon by our act of faith. Our faith unlocks God’s pardon and that’s why in previous chapters Paul spent so much time explaining how important Abraham’s faith was in pleasing God.
Galatians 3:6-7
In the same way, “Abraham believed God, so God declared him righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are all those who put their faith in God.
Finally back to Romans 5, Paul says we HAVE PEACE with God and don’t need to search for it as if it’s beyond our reach. If we are born again, peace is part of the package of salvation. What we need to do is embrace that peace. It is the same with the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we are born again we receive the Holy Spirit yet so few believers walk in the benefits of a relationship with him even though we have access to do so.
Beloved, realize what a tremendous gift we have received in being justified with God. Because of being justified we can, like the book of Hebrews says, approach the throne of Grace in confidence whenever we have need.
Hebrews 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Today, realize how valuable your faith is in God’s justification.
Questions:
1) Do you understand how important it is to be born again? If not read all of John 3 about Nicodemus and his encounter with Jesus.
2) Have you thanked God for giving you the privilege of being Justified through Jesus Christ? If not read Romans 1-5 and get a picture of what God wants to do in your life.
Loving to think biblically,
Pastor Dale
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