Born Again

It is too bad because being ‘born again” has been part of biblical terminology for 20 centuries. But in our time it came into common usage when Chuck Colson wrote the testimony of his conversion in his book, Born Again, published in 1976. It is quite understandable that this book was greeted with a great deal of skepticism when it came out, given Colson’s well-earned reputation as a political gangster. The incredulous response to Colson’s testimony (and the terminology of its title) was appropriate both because of his reputation and because of the inherent nature of what he was claiming. When the concept of being “born again” was first brought up by Jesus in John chapter three it also met with the same scornful derision it often receives today.

In John 3 Jesus told a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus, who scrupulously attended to religious matters, that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven he needed more than to be a Jew, even a Pharisee – he needed to be born again. Nicodemus was a man who not only taught others how to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through good works and religious activity but he also lived a rigorously clean and devout life.

The phrase “born again” is ambiguous. It may mean born again or born from above. Students of the Gospel of John have come to expect John to load his terminology with multiple nuances. Nicodemus’ response to Jesus indicates that he understood it as born again. But John intended his readers to understand that this second birth is one that comes from above – from the Holy Spirit, from God Himself. As Nicodemus was well aware, the Old Testament scriptures reveal that at the end of the age the world will be transformed, but Jesus wanted Nicodemus to know that he must be transformed in order to enter that transformed world! He, like the rest of us, needed God to transform him. Nicodemus was astounded!

But Jesus told him not to be amazed, and employed a wordplay to make his point. Both the Hebrew term and Greek term for wind also mean spirit. So speaking of the wind (spirit) – Jesus told Nicodemus that we can neither see it nor control it but we can hear it and see its effects. So it is with one who is born again (from above). You can’t see it or control it or even comprehend it, but you can see its effects. As the southern proverb puts it: “The proof is in the puddin’.” It has been almost 30 years since Chuck Colson wrote his book, and the transformation of his life is evident to all who observe him. For over 30 years he has selflessly labored among prisoners to bring healing and grace and change into their lives. We may not know what exactly happened to him but we can see its effects. His testimony remains the same – God changed his life. It shows.

This is hard truth to believe because it is counter-intuitive. We almost always ask “What must we do to be saved?” Our whole orientation is toward earning salvation. But salvation is work of God! Neither religious affiliation, nor race, nor goodness, nor honest religiosity, nor attending a particular church, nor working with lepers in Calcutta, will qualify you for the Kingdom of God, or bring you eternal life. Jesus says that you must be born again/from above, that is, you must be transformed by God.

“Born again” is a not a term to wear as a badge of honor to separate some people from others who claim to be Christians. According to Jesus, like the wind we ought to be able to see the effects of spiritual birth on those who have experienced it. Chuck Colson is a great example because his encounter with Christ changed the entire nature of his life. If you call yourself a Christian, has it radically changed the entire course of your life?

by Dr. J. Patrick Curtis, Senior Pastor
Valley Bible Church
851 Fairview Terrace
White River Junction, VT
Sponsored by Valley Bible Church
Published in the Valley News Tuesday, August 9, 2005