Have you ever wondered, why you must be born again? Why couldn’t humanity stay the way they were, after the fall? Why isn’t a confession of your faith statement, a church visit, reading the Bible, a prayer, lsp. enough? Why is regeneration necessary? Why do we need to be born again?
That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit
Gusti Yesus mangsuli lan ngandika marang dheweke, satemene, satemene, Aku pitutur marang kowe, Kajaba wong lair maneh, ora bisa ndeleng Kratoning Allah (John 3:3)
Gusti Yesus mangsuli, satemene, satemene, Aku pitutur marang kowe, Kajaba wong lair saka banyu lan saka Roh, ora bisa lumebu ing Kratoning Allah. Sing lair saka daging iku daging; lan sing lair saka Roh iku roh. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit (John 3:5-8).
The Word says, that you must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God and to see the Kingdom of God. Only, if you are born of water and of the Spirit, you will enter and see the Kingdom of God. There is no other way to enter nor to see the Kingdom of God.
The reason why Jesus came to this earth
In order to understand the words of Jesus and the necessity of the new birth, you should know the reason why Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth and what His mission was.
Jesus came to the earth to restore the state of fallen man and to reconcile man back to God.
Jesus needed to restore the state of fallen man and reconcile man back to God, because the union between God and man was broken. Who broke the relationship? Man did. (Maca uga: ‘The peace Jesus restored between fallen man and God‘ lan ‘Jesus restored the position of fallen man‘).
Let’s go back to the moment in the Garden of Eden, in order to understand the necessity of the new birth and the reason why you must be born again.
Man chose the flesh over the Spirit
Throughout the ages, we see that man rather chose the way of the flesh, instead of the way of the Spirit. This already began in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve chose the carnal tree of knowledge of good and evil, rather than the sacred tree of life.
God had commanded man, to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God had warned man what would happen if they would eat from that tree. If they would eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they would die.
But despite the warning and commandment of God, Adam and Eve chose to eat from the fruit of the forbidden tree.
They were led by curiosity and began to doubt the words of God. They obeyed the devil and became disobedient to God. Because of their disobedience to God death entered.
The sentence of death came upon them and upon everyone, who would be born of the seed of Adam. Therefore the sentence of death came upon the whole human race.
Adam was a living soul, born of the Spirit. He was one with God (dead for sin). But when he became disobedient to God and sinned, the death sentence came upon him. The spirit in man died, and man came under the authority of death. As he was created out of the dust, he would return to dust.
Before Adam sinned, his predominant characteristic was spirit. But after Adam sinned his spirit died and came under the authority of death and his predominant characteristic was flesh.
Born of the flesh
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (wong Romawi 3:23)
Man fell from his position, which God had given to man, and the sentence of death was passed on to the entire human race.
Kabeh wong, who would be born of the flesh possesses a sinful nature and is sentenced to death. There is no exception! No one is born of the Spirit when (s)he comes into this world.
Flesh and blood can’t enter the Kingdom of God
Because of the fact, that everyone is born of the flesh, as a sinner, no one can enter the Kingdom of God, in this carnal sinful state, which is the state of a sinner.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:8-10)
The natural carnal man, who exists of flesh and blood and whose spirit is dead, is unspiritual and can’t comprehend, nor receive the things of the Spirit of God, because it’s foolishness unto the carnal man.
But the natural man receive not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned(1 Corinthians 2:14)
Now this I say, sedulur, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:50)
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)
Sing lair saka daging iku daging. The flesh can’t please God. The flesh is not able to see or enter the Kingdom of God. Therefore a person must be born again in the spirit in order to see and enter the Kingdom of God.
Only when a person becomes born again; born of water and the Spirit, a person shall enter the Kingdom of God and receive eternal life. Water and Spirit, means the baptism in water and the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Maca uga: ‘The meaning of water baptism, ‘What is Pentecost?‘ lan ‘How can a person become born again?‘).
Faith is the catalyst, which brings you to an encounter with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit regenerates you. So that, you are born into the heavenly realm and Kingdom, just as you were once born into the natural (earthly) realm and kingdom.
4 Reasons why you must be born again
Let’s look at the 4 reasons why you must be born again:
1. The universal result of sin demands regeneration
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (wong Romawi 5:12)
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one (wong Romawi 3:10)
2. Unregenerate man is unable to understand the things of God and His Kingdom nor receive the gifts of God
But the natural man receive not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14)
3. Without the new birth everything you do, every impulse and action is defiled
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man (Mark 7:21-23)
4. Unless you are born again, you have no escape from the judgment of God
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others (Ephesians 2:1-3)
‘Be the salt of the earth’
