Being Born Again

What does it mean to have been born? What does it mean to be born again? Have you been born again? What was your role in your birth? What was your role in being born again?

Just like we were born physically into this world, we must be born spiritually if we are going to see God and his kingdom.

In John’s gospel account, Jesus said to a man named Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3, ESV).

Nicodemus said to Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:4-8, ESV).

Like in our natural birth, we are to be born of water, our baptismal waters. Just as we took our first breath after being born into this physical world, we must breathe the Spirit of God into our lives as we are born of the Spirit. As we were born physically, we must be born by the Spirit of God, we must be born spiritually.

Like Nicodemus, may we seek Jesus and seek to be born again through the baptismal waters, and by the Spirit of the Living God who gives us new life in him through the sacrificial death of Jesus on a cross and his resurrection life. May we receive new birth as God breathes his Spirit into us in newness of life as we are born again.

A Collect for the Second Sunday in Lent: “Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities that may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, 2019).

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