Born again

“Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’” John 3:3
The words ‘born again’ are used today almost synonymously with ‘nutcase Christian’. This is a great tragedy because Jesus says there is only one kind of Christian – the born again kind. You even hear people say things like, ‘I’m not born again, I’m Anglican.’ But if you’re really not born again, then it doesn’t matter what you are – Jesus says you won’t see the kingdom of God.
Let’s set aside the stereotypes that automatically arise when we hear the words ‘born again’, and think about what it really means. Jesus goes on in John 3 to tell Nicodemus that being ‘born again’ refers to the spiritual birth. To enter the kingdom of God we must be “born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). That is, we must be born physically (obviously), and we must be born spiritually. When we are born physically into a family, we receive privileges and benefits of becoming part of that family. We receive care from our parents. We receive an inheritance later on. So too, when we become part of God’s family by being born spiritually into it, we receive privileges and benefits – not the least of which is salvation and an eternal inheritance in heaven.
A person is not automatically part of God’s family, even if they are born into a Christian home. Where do you stand today with regards to being a part of God’s family?