Jesus once told a Jewish teacher and religious leader named Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
It doesn’t matter how religious we are, how often we go to church, how many prayers we say, or how moral our lives may seem — if we are not born again, we will not enter heaven.
Why is this new birth necessary?
Because Scripture tells us that we are all “dead in [our] trespasses and sins” (see Ephesians 2:1). Just as physical death separates us from one another, spiritual death separates us from God.
It is not enough to turn over a new leaf or make a few resolutions to live better. Religious rituals — even such things as circumcision or baptism — cannot change our inner condition. Nicodemus was already circumcised, yet he still needed to be born again.
Since we are spiritually dead, what we truly need is spiritual life — and that life begins only through the new birth.
But how can I be born again?
According to the Bible, we cannot do this ourselves. The new birth is not something we achieve. A baby does not choose to be conceived or born. In the same way, a spiritually dead person cannot bring themselves to life by their own will or effort.
Scripture says that God’s children are “born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). You and I depend entirely on the mercy and power of God’s Spirit to give us new life.
So how can I know if I have been born again?
Although the new birth is God’s work, the effects of this radical change become visible in our lives. The apostle John gives us several tests by which we can examine ourselves.
- “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God” (1 John 5:1). Previously, Christ may have meant very little to us. But now we trust in him with all our heart, convinced that he is the Christ, the Son of God — the one sent by the Father to save us from our sins.
- “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning … Everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him” (1 John 3:9; 2:29). God’s children reflect the character of their Father. They hate what God hates, fight against sin and temptation, and seek to obey his commands.
- “Whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). Because God is love itself, those who truly know him naturally learn to love just as he does. They forgive genuinely from the heart, work hard to help and serve others, and are kind and generous to everyone.
Friend, this is a moment for each of us to look honestly at ourselves in the light of God’s Word. Do I believe? Do I obey? Do I love? If I can answer yes with a clear conscience, then I can confidently say: “Yes, God has truly caused me to be born again.”