What it means to be Born Again

Praise the Lord. Hallelujah!
Today I thought of sharing a message I preached to the youth church last Sunday. I pray you are blessed and transformed by it.

Read: John 3:1-5 This is a passage that highlights a conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. This passage is of interest essentially because Jesus revealed the kingdom of God and the mystery of how to see and enter into the kingdom of God. Jesus Said to Nicodemus you must be born again to see the Kingdom of God, He said again to him unless one is born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Every word Jesus spoke here is of great importance. At another time we shall look into what He meant by born of water and of the spirit. Today I want to share with you what it means to be born again. From the passage Nicodemus made an error interpreting what Jesus was saying.

Certain words in the Bible don’t have literal meanings. A word like Born Again means something different than what many think. Being Born again a spiritual rebirth of the spirit of man. Nicodemus thought Jesus was talking about a natural birth but no He was speaking of a spiritual birth. There are many people who do not understand the concept of salvation in Christ. They do not understand what exactly has happened to them in Christ. A lack of understanding often leads to confusion and sometimes backsliding. This series of teachings aim to help you understand the Born Again experience and the part you have to play in it.

THE 7 GREAT PRINCIPLES

• Man is a Spirit, Has a Soul and Lives in a Body
• The Spirit of an Unsaved Man is Dead and Desperately Wicked
• The Spirit of a Saved Man is Righteous and Truly Holy
• After You are Born Again, Your Spirit is a New Born Baby and It Must Grow
• After You are Saved, Your Mind is Still the Same; It Must be Renewed
• After You are Saved, Your Body is Still the Same; You Must Keep It Under Control
• After You are Born Again, Your Mind is Still Open to All Kinds of Thoughts; You Must Learn to Think on the Right Things

After you understand these principles, you will know why there is no religion that offers what Christianity offers you. Christianity offers a change and a recreation of the wicked heart of man. Christianity is not a new set of rules. You do not get to heaven by obeying the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of human beings.
My prayer for you is that Jesus will change your heart and give you power to control your body and renew your mind.

Man is a Spirit, Has a Soul and Lives in a Body
That fact that a human being is actually a spirit living inside a physical body is one of the lesser known truths. When Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he wrote that God should affect them in all three areas: spirit, soul and body.
• On the sixth day of creation God made man in His image and likeness (spirt) Genesis 1:27 (NKJV) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
• God formed man out of the dust of the earth (Body) Genesis 2:7
• God breathed into His nostrils and man became a living soul (Soul)
Genesis 2:7b

When Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he wrote that God should affect them in all three areas: spirit, soul and body.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Man is a Spirit
God is spirit and created us in His image and likeness. He made man a spirit living in a body with a soul. We are spirits with a soul trying to have a human experience.
• The born again spirit of man is what communicates with God.
• The born again spirit of man is what gives man dominion over all God created
• The born again spirit is the express image of God when born again
• The born again spirit of man is the candle of the Lord

The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. The purpose of a candle is to shine forth light. When a candle is in darkness and has no light it becomes useless to the people around. The purpose of a candle is light. When you become born again your spirit becomes light to your soul and your body.
Be conscious of your spirit within. You are a spirit, you have a soul and you live in a body.
Proverbs 20:27 (NIV) The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD that sheds light on
one’s inmost being.

Man has a Soul
But what is a soul? The Bible makes it clear that the soul is different from the spirit. The soul is the nature of man that handles your emotions, your will, your intellect and your thoughts. Your mind in the gate to your soul, it feeds your soul with information from your five(5) senses and your thoughts.
There are so many words in the Bible that are used to describe the activities of the soul.
• A soul can be said to be rejoicing (Psalm 31:7).
• The soul can magnify and bless the Lord (Psalm 103:2).
• The soul can be downcast (Psalm 42:5).
• The soul can be grieved (Judges 10:16).
• The soul can be discouraged (Numbers 21:4).
• The soul can be joyful (Psalm 35:9).

These conclude that the soul is a part of man that experiences thoughts and emotions. The examples above are just a few of the emotions that the soul expresses.
In Luke 16-19-31 – Read
We realize that the soul of the rich man was alive in hell. The rich man had thoughts, feelings and emotions even though he was dead and in hell. That is why he could remember Lazarus. The rich man thought things were still the same as when he was alive on earth. That is why he wanted to send Lazarus like a messenger, to proceed all the way from heaven to hell to serve him some water. Apparently the soul of the man had gone into hell, even though his body was still buried on earth.
The rich man remembered his five brothers and pleaded with Father Abraham to prevent them from coming to join him in hell. He pitied anyone who would ever come to hell. The soul of the rich man had perished in the lake of fire and he could remember, think and feel as though he was on earth.

What did Jesus say about the soul? He said, Mark 8:36 (NKJV) For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? It is the soul that goes to hell. Your spirit and your soul will suffer in hell if you are not born again!
Never forget this reality. You are a spirit (the inner man). You have a soul (feelings, thoughts and emotions). You live in a body (the house of flesh). This is the first great principle I am sharing with you. When you know who and what you are, you will live your life in the right way and with the right attitude.

Man has a Body – the Container
The body is the physical nature of a person. The body is the container for the spirt and soul of a person. Like a physical house we dwell in, to be able to live on earth as a human being, your spirt and soul must be contained in a body. The moment your soul and spirit depart your body, the body becomes a corpse. Let us look at what the Bible says about the Body.

The Body as The temple of God
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
For the Born again person who has had a spiritual rebirth of their spirit, their body now becomes a temple for the spirit of God.
For an unsaved person their body is also a temple/house also but for demons and devils. There are many examples in the Bible about people who had demons living in them. You see, for demons to operate on earth they need a human body.
Examples will be Mary Magdalene who had seven (7) demons living in her and The Mad Man of Gadara who had a legion (6,000) demons living in him.

With all these people, Jesus had to cast out the devils in order for them to be free. A temple that does not have The Spirit of God will have devils as tenants. Choose to be a temple for the Holy Spirit by being born again. A clean and Holy temple for God.

The Body as a Vessel
2 Timothy 2:19-24 (NKJV) Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

The experience of being Born again involves believing that Jesus is the Son of God and confessing Him as Lord over your life. If your are not born again and want to receive Jesus, then please say this prayer earnestly

Dear Lord Jesus I believe in my heart that you are the son of God sent to die to pay for my sins. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and cannot save myself. I declare you Lord over my life this day as I open my heart to you. Make me a new Person in Jesus Precious Name, Amen.

You are now born again, Congratulations! Find a Bible and Holy Spirit believing church so you grow spiritually by the hearing of God’s word

Shalom, peace and life to you. Pastor Ron Chiarelli.

Reference: How to be born Again by Bishop Dag Heward-Mills