Born Again

Nicodemus asked Jesus boldly, “What does it mean to be saved?” Jesus responded, “You must be born again.” How is it, with all that has been said and done in the name of Jesus, that we are still wrestling with that question? Does being saved mean that you believe enough of the right things? What is non-negotiable in salvation? These questions lead us to bigger questions – questions that are important in terms of church leadership and doctrine. If someone believes homosexuality is not a sin, even though that doctrine is taught in both the Old and New Testaments, can they possibly be guided by the Holy Spirit?

Nicodemus didn’t have a good response to Jesus’s statement. “How can a man go back into his mother’s womb?”he asked incredulously. Jesus responded: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (Jn. 3:5) Jesus went on to allude to the death He would die on the Cross for salvation. 

This new birth that Jesus told Nicodemus about has three parts: the water, the blood, and the Spirit. When a baby is born, it is born out of water and blood from its mother’s womb, but Scripture teaches us that we are spiritually dead even at birth. The new birth mirrors that event. Jesus died on the Cross, shedding blood to pay for our sin, and when he died, both blood and water poured from his side. That is why Christians are baptized, as a symbol of the cleansing water, and why Christians take Communion, as a symbol of the flesh and blood. When we trust in Jesus as our hope and salvation, we die to ourselves. Our flesh and blood becomes Christ’s flesh and blood, causing us to share in His family inheritance. Our dead spirits are brought to life. 

John the Apostle wrote about the new birth in his letter to the Church, saying:

“This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”(‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:6-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Being born again means forfeiting any affection or entitlement to live in your old life. It means turning over all your thoughts and emotions to Christ and letting Him conform them to His will. So, what does it mean to be saved? And is there any doctrine that is negotiable in salvation? If we define salvation as entirely giving yourself to Jesus, there are no negotiables. This means that, whatever your opinion may be, you must surrender control of that opinion to God. It can never take precedence over the influence of the Holy Spirit in your life.

What does this mean for specific issues of contention in the Church? No Christian has all the answers, and even our language and communications are imperfect and fallen. There are some issues that we do not have a clear sign on and will have different interpretations about. In those areas, we are called to walk by faith and not by sight. However, I would be reluctant to trust anyone who lets an opinion about sexuality or anything else cause him not to take Scripture literally. The issue is more than whatever particular belief that person expresses; the central issue is the reality that the person would rather hold on to that opinion than fully surrender to Jesus. To me, that is a sign of only partial surrender, and partial surrender is no surrender.