The new birth
(also called regeneration or being “born again”)
is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit
by which a person who is spiritually dead
is given new spiritual life.
It is the beginning of the Christian life
and the necessary entrance into
the kingdom of God.
Jesus declared,
“You must be born again”
(John 3:7).
The clearest teaching on the new birth is found in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God… 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.” (John 3:3, 5-6)
Other important passages include:
The new birth is entirely a work of God, not something humans can accomplish by their own effort.
When a person is born again, several things take place:
The new birth is instantaneous and marks the beginning of a lifelong process of transformation.
The new birth is one of the most foundational truths of the Christian faith. It reminds us that salvation is not a matter of self-improvement or religious effort, but a miraculous work of God that gives life to the dead. Every true believer has been born again by the Spirit of God, and this new life is the source of all spiritual growth and fruitfulness that follows.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.