Born Again
I understand it is hard to change one’s mind when a person has believed a teaching that has been taught to them over and over, especially when it is a bible term. So what is meant by the term in the bible “born again”.
What does born again mean and who is it for? Born again is for the Jews, the nation of Israel who were God's first born who needed to be born again. A spiritual rebirth.
Exod 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
As Gentiles we were not ever considered His "firstborn". Matter of fact this was our state before the apostle Paul was saved:
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Many people quote John 3:16 (which is in the same chapter as the term "born again") as though it is for the body of Christ today. We should know that in John 3:16 the cross and resurrection had not even happened yet. The word believe does not point to the same thing we are to believe in about Jesus Christ. We believe in Christ' death, burial and resurrection to be saved today, yet it is not even part of the gospel Jesus and Peter (the 12) preached. John explains what this word believe means and points to the object of what Israel (not us today) needed to believe in John 20:31.
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (we are not saved by only believing Jesus is the Son of God as this verse points out).
We are saved by believing in Christ's death, burial and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins.
1John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
We the body of Christ are not able to "not commit sin", but Israel will have that capability during the tribulation (which the books of Heb. - Rev. pertain to) when God puts His Spirit in them and causes them to walk, keep and obey His statutes.
Ezek 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Ezek 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Ezek 36:28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Being born again as a Jew has nothing to do with us today, the body of Christ.
The apostle Paul never mentions the words "born again". Paul is where we get our gospel to believe and to be saved today, the body of Christ.
If you understand the word rightly divided, you will understand that Jesus just as He said Himself in Matt 15:24, John 1:11, (also see Rom 15:8, Gal 4:4) was not talking to or about the body of Christ (us) believers today, in the 4 gospel books. When we understand that, we will see that, "born again" has nothing to do with us today. I know this is hard for many "Baptists" but this is the proper understanding of what “born again” means. Just study it for yourself and don't take my word for it or any denomination. The KJB is our final authority.
Summary
The term "born again Christian", is not in the bible. When will people understand that when Jesus told Nicodemus He was talking to a Jew about Israel. Read the rest of the chapter. The word "believe" in the chapter refers to believing Jesus was the Christ, for ISRAEL, not the body of Christ. John 20:31 Just think about it. JESUS WAS STILL ALIVE in John 3. The gospel that saves a person TODAY requires that we believe in Christ' DEATH, SHED BLOOD, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION. Get it? Jesus wasn't talking to us in John 3. We are a "new" man not one who is born AGAIN. "New" is the opposite of "again".
Eph 2:15 KJV Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
2Cor 5:17 KJV Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
With that said, I see no problem with calling yourself a "born again Christian". The problem I do have is when people make the term a division amongst believers, thinking that if you say you are not born again, that would mean that you are not saved. This is divisive and untrue. Salvation comes from believing and putting our trust in Christ' death, shed blood, burial and resurrection, for the forgiveness of our sins, not identifying with a bible term written to and about Israel. Though I used to call myself a "born again Christian", I now just call myself a "bible believer".
Reasons I no longer call myself a "born again Christian" since I started rightly dividing the word.
1. Context of John 3. Jesus still alive. So our gospel is not being presented.
2. Jesus says "ye MUST be born again". If that were the case Paul would have mentioned it a least once in all his epistles - he does not.
3. 1st John says:
1John 3:9 KJV Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
This does not apply to us as you well know.
1John 5:4 KJV For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
I wish this could happen to us today, but it doesn't.
4. Being born again is just that "again". We are "new", New is not "again".
5. Israel is the only one who can be born again.
Exod 4:22 KJV And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
Gentiles were never born of God in the first place to have us have it done "again".
6. The term "born again Christian" is not a biblical term
7. It takes away from the true gospel. I have asked many people "are you going to Heaven?" And when they consider themselves born again, the answer they give of how they got saved is never belief in the DBR of Christ, or His shed blood for the forgiveness of their sins, nope, they just throw out the term, "I'm born again". That does not, could not and will not ever save a person today.
With that said, If someone wants to call themself a "born again Christian", fine. It's not the first time bible term are taken out of context. But the problem I do have is when people make the term a division amongst believers, thinking that if you say you are not born again, that would mean that you are not saved. This is divisive and untrue. Salvation comes from believing and putting our trust in Christ' death, shed blood, burial and resurrection, for the forgiveness of our sins, not identifying with a bible term written to and about Israel. Though I used to call myself a "born again Christian", I now just call myself a "bible believer".