Can A Person Be Taught How To Be Born Again?
December 20, 2000 By Pastor Bret Lovitz
One of the popular terms used in God's word about the believer's relationship to the Lord is "Born Again." Even up to one day before typing this article I have heard incorrect or incomplete interpretations of this term. Now before I proceed, I do want to say that I too had the wrong understanding about being born again, for the first eleven years of my Christian life. I am also not saying that everyone who has the wrong understanding of being born again is not saved. But unfortunetly most of the modern church does not completely understand how and when a person is born again from the Spirit of God. It is my hope that this article will help in some way, if the Lord chooses to use it.
About a decade ago, a very popular professing Christian wrote a book called "How To Be Born Again." We cannot teach someone how to be born again. Now we can teach them how to be saved. But there is a difference between being born again and being saved. A person cannot be saved UNTIL they have been born again! It is interesting that Jesus uses this term when He is talking with Nicodemus in Jn.3:1-21. Look at His words in verse 3: "Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man is born again, He cannot SEE the kingdom of God." If you were to check out "see" in the Greek, you would notice that it is not referring to "physically" seeing, but rather spiritually with the mind. Perceiving and understanding. So a person has to be born of the spirit to understand the kingdom of God, which of course includes how a person can be there: realizing how much of a sinner they are and embracing what the Lord Christ did on the cross when He shed His blood and died and rose again the third day. 1Cor.2:14 says that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. If we back up a couple of chapters to Jn.1:12-13, we'll see something very interesting there also: "But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name. Who were born, not of blood, nor of THE WILL OF THE FLESH, nor of THE WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD." So as we should clearly see in the passages we have mentioned so far, we have no control over being born again. We cannot control our spiritual birth anymore then we can control our physical birth! It is a sovereign act of God by the Spirit of God directly. Not as a result of communion, baptism, or a decision. If we go back to that passage with Nicodemus, we will see a very interesting illustration that Jesus gives in 3:8. There Jesus says: "The wind blows where is 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." Many times we only use half of the illustration: "hearing it but not being able to tell where it comes from." But notice it also says it "blows where it wishes and we cannot tell where it goes." The Spirit of God works the same way when it comes to giving people a new nature and spiritual re-birth (regeneration-Tit.3:5).
There are several other terms used in God's word that are synonomous with "born again." They are drawn, called, given, and quickened (made alive). Let's look at some of these passages of Scripture. Jn. 6:36-37 says: "But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father GIVES Me will come to Me, and the one that comes to Me I will by no means cast him out." Jn.6:43-44 says: " Jesus answered and said uno them 'do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come unto Me unless the Father who sent Me DRAWS him; and I will raise him up at the last day.'" Jn.6:64-65 goes on to say: "'But there are some of you that do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray him. And He said 'Therefore I have said unto you that no one can come to Me unless it has been GRANTED to him by my Father.'" Unless the Father draws, gives, grants someone they will not, cannot believe. Let's look at a couple of verses using "called." Acts 2:39 says something interesting after Peter preached that great message and told inquiring people that they had to repent and be baptized because of the remission of sins: "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD WILL CALL." Rom.8:30 speaks of an unbroken chain of events in the Christian's life that includes God's call: "Moreover whom He predestined, THESE HE ALSO CALLED; WHO HE CALLED, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." The verses dealing with being quickened/made alive, you will find in Eph. 2:1,5; Col.2:13. Again, we must be made alive (called, drawn, born again) before we can believe and be saved, because we are dead in sins and trespasses (see also Is.64:6; Jer.17:9; Rom.3:10-18,23; Gal.3:22).
How does this affect evangelism. Not very much. Because as we have seen, we do not know who, if, and when God gives someone the new birth. So we preach the true, complete gospel of Christ and repentence to all! We cannot make them believe and repent. We can not trick them into believing and repenting. If a person rejects Christ and the cross, they have not been born again. It doesn't mean that we decide not to bring it up again should the opportunity arise. Because for those God does draw, we do not know when in the person's life He chooses to do this. God did not draw this Christian until he was 28 years old. And I'm not going tell Him He was wrong for waiting :^ ). I am just most thankful for the grace that God showed this underving sinner, so I could see how sinful I am, and see that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for me, and rose again. If you are reading this and have not been born again and saved, may God be pleased to show you His love, grace and mercy, and save you from your sin.
Bret Lovitz
December 20, 2000 By Pastor Bret Lovitz
One of the popular terms used in God's word about the believer's relationship to the Lord is "Born Again." Even up to one day before typing this article I have heard incorrect or incomplete interpretations of this term. Now before I proceed, I do want to say that I too had the wrong understanding about being born again, for the first eleven years of my Christian life. I am also not saying that everyone who has the wrong understanding of being born again is not saved. But unfortunetly most of the modern church does not completely understand how and when a person is born again from the Spirit of God. It is my hope that this article will help in some way, if the Lord chooses to use it.
About a decade ago, a very popular professing Christian wrote a book called "How To Be Born Again." We cannot teach someone how to be born again. Now we can teach them how to be saved. But there is a difference between being born again and being saved. A person cannot be saved UNTIL they have been born again! It is interesting that Jesus uses this term when He is talking with Nicodemus in Jn.3:1-21. Look at His words in verse 3: "Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man is born again, He cannot SEE the kingdom of God." If you were to check out "see" in the Greek, you would notice that it is not referring to "physically" seeing, but rather spiritually with the mind. Perceiving and understanding. So a person has to be born of the spirit to understand the kingdom of God, which of course includes how a person can be there: realizing how much of a sinner they are and embracing what the Lord Christ did on the cross when He shed His blood and died and rose again the third day. 1Cor.2:14 says that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. If we back up a couple of chapters to Jn.1:12-13, we'll see something very interesting there also: "But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name. Who were born, not of blood, nor of THE WILL OF THE FLESH, nor of THE WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD." So as we should clearly see in the passages we have mentioned so far, we have no control over being born again. We cannot control our spiritual birth anymore then we can control our physical birth! It is a sovereign act of God by the Spirit of God directly. Not as a result of communion, baptism, or a decision. If we go back to that passage with Nicodemus, we will see a very interesting illustration that Jesus gives in 3:8. There Jesus says: "The wind blows where is 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." Many times we only use half of the illustration: "hearing it but not being able to tell where it comes from." But notice it also says it "blows where it wishes and we cannot tell where it goes." The Spirit of God works the same way when it comes to giving people a new nature and spiritual re-birth (regeneration-Tit.3:5).
There are several other terms used in God's word that are synonomous with "born again." They are drawn, called, given, and quickened (made alive). Let's look at some of these passages of Scripture. Jn. 6:36-37 says: "But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father GIVES Me will come to Me, and the one that comes to Me I will by no means cast him out." Jn.6:43-44 says: " Jesus answered and said uno them 'do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come unto Me unless the Father who sent Me DRAWS him; and I will raise him up at the last day.'" Jn.6:64-65 goes on to say: "'But there are some of you that do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray him. And He said 'Therefore I have said unto you that no one can come to Me unless it has been GRANTED to him by my Father.'" Unless the Father draws, gives, grants someone they will not, cannot believe. Let's look at a couple of verses using "called." Acts 2:39 says something interesting after Peter preached that great message and told inquiring people that they had to repent and be baptized because of the remission of sins: "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD WILL CALL." Rom.8:30 speaks of an unbroken chain of events in the Christian's life that includes God's call: "Moreover whom He predestined, THESE HE ALSO CALLED; WHO HE CALLED, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." The verses dealing with being quickened/made alive, you will find in Eph. 2:1,5; Col.2:13. Again, we must be made alive (called, drawn, born again) before we can believe and be saved, because we are dead in sins and trespasses (see also Is.64:6; Jer.17:9; Rom.3:10-18,23; Gal.3:22).
How does this affect evangelism. Not very much. Because as we have seen, we do not know who, if, and when God gives someone the new birth. So we preach the true, complete gospel of Christ and repentence to all! We cannot make them believe and repent. We can not trick them into believing and repenting. If a person rejects Christ and the cross, they have not been born again. It doesn't mean that we decide not to bring it up again should the opportunity arise. Because for those God does draw, we do not know when in the person's life He chooses to do this. God did not draw this Christian until he was 28 years old. And I'm not going tell Him He was wrong for waiting :^ ). I am just most thankful for the grace that God showed this underving sinner, so I could see how sinful I am, and see that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for me, and rose again. If you are reading this and have not been born again and saved, may God be pleased to show you His love, grace and mercy, and save you from your sin.
Bret Lovitz
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