Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 – NKJV) Those words are just as true now as they were when He first said them. If we want to enter Heaven and spend eternity with God we must be born again. What does that mean?
Jesus goes on to say that we must be born of the Spirit. That is the essence of being born again. We are no longer just human beings of flesh and blood, but we have God’s very own spirit within us. Nicodemus thought that Jesus meant that we needed to be born physically a second time, and didn’t understand. To be born again means to give our lives over to Jesus and inviting Him into our hearts.
Why Must I be Born Again?
Many of us think that we’re good people. We don’t kill anyone or steal from others. We don’t cheat on our wives or husbands. Maybe we even go to church and put our money in the collection plate occasionally. In Matthew 5, Jesus tells the people that sin is truly in the heart. For example, calling your brother a fool is murder in God’s eyes (Matthew 5:21-26), and that looking at a woman lustfully is adultery (Matthew 5:27-30).
The Apostle Paul tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NKJV). Every one of us has sinned, and no matter how good we try to be, we still can’t be good enough to enter into God’s presence on our own. The good news, however, is that God gave His Son Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins (see John 3:16). By giving our lives over to Jesus, letting Him into our hearts, asking His forgiveness and following His leading we can spend all eternity with Him and His Father.