“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
Our look at the term “born again” from 1 Peter 1:3 now takes us to the Gospel of John and Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus, a member of the ruling council. This man opened his interview with Jesus with the following admission…
“‘…Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’
Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’
Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, 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. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit'” (John 3:2b-8).
So just as human beings must undergo a physical birth process, so we must also undergo a process of spiritual birth as well. That rebirth is necessary in light of the fact that human beings are spiritually separated from God. Therefore, we must be “born again” to a new life with God in Christ. This explains why Jesus told Nicodemus, “I can guarantee this truth: No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above” (GW).
This portion of Scripture also tells us that this act of spiritual rebirth is a prerequisite to our reconciliation to God. Thus, as we’re told in the following passages…
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God…” (1 John 5:1 CSB).
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV).
So, a person who is “born again” is someone who is spiritually reborn into a life that is alive to God through Jesus Christ.