John 3:3,7 KJV
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. [7] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

John 3:16-17 KJV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Verse 17 above is the Good News which is received when we get born again.  Jesus already paid the price for our sin.  The condemnation due to sin was wrought on Jesus at the cross.  Salvation is a free gift.  It cannot be earned or bought (through good works).  Salvation is received entirely by faith in Jesus.

Jesus + Anything = Nothing  (however) Jesus + Nothing = Everything

Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Salvation cannot be earned – it is a free gift from God.

1 John 4:8 KJV
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Our faith does NOT move God. What motivates God is love. Not our love for Him but His love because God is love.

1 John 4:9-10,19 KJV
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. [10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [19] We love him, because he first loved us.

John 3:7 KJV
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Jesus said, “You must be born again.”  Then He explained what was meant by the terminology ‘born again’. Well this left Nicodemus (the man Jesus was speaking with) bewildered as you’ll see below.

John 3:3-8 KJV
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. [4] Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? [5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. [8] The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

HOW does man get born-again?

 Romans 10:9-13 KJV
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [11] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. [12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. [13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Man was created a three-part being

Man is a tri-part being – spirit, soul and body – at the ‘new birth’ it is your spirit that gets recreated or born again.

• We are a spirit
• We have a soul
• We live in a body

1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Two births and two deaths explained

Romans 5:12 KJV
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

This death (Rom 5:12) is spiritual death. Adam died spiritually the moment he sinned and his offspring (seed) were all born in sin or spiritual death.

Spiritual death is separation from God. Jesus Christ died for us Spirit, soul and body. (Matt 27:46; 50)

1st birth – Our natural childbirth (mother’s water breaks “born of water” John 3:5)

2nd birth – Getting born-again, our spirit is born-again and we reconnect with God. (John 3:5 & Rom 8:15-16)

1st death – All men and women alive today were born spiritually dead (which is separation from God). Just reiterating – we’re all born spiritually dead – that’s the first death. (Gen 2:17)

2nd death – Physical death. We who are born-again are appointed to die once (Heb 9:27). So even though we’re born again we will die a physical death.

Hebrews 9:27 KJV
[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die…

The above is physical death. Only Adam, Eve and Jesus died spiritually, the rest of mankind were/are born into spiritual death. So all of mankind are spiritually dead and all are appointed to die a natural death.

We see Jesus died spiritually (spiritual death being separation from God) when He said:

Matthew 27:46 KJV
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

However, we all get the opportunity to be born-again which is spiritual rebirth …to be born of the Spirit (John 3:5-7).

Though mankind is appointed to die once it’s not limited to once for those who choose to trample underfoot such great Salvation.

 Hebrews 2:3 KJV.
[3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

What happens when we get born-again?

 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 KJV
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. [18] And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; [19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. [20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. [21] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Hebrews 9:11-15 KJV
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; [12] Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. [13] For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: [14] How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? [15] And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Garry Preston