Poor Nicodemus

"Have you been born again?" Christians demand this from fellow Christians and non-Christians, seekers, newly converted, or long-time believers (but possibly from another denomination). Nothing like asking an incredibly meta-physical question and expecting a simple "Yes" or "No". I have been a Christ follower my whole life. I have been asked this, I have asked it of myself, and I always said, "Of course". After all, all this question really means is "Have you been saved, are you on your way to Heaven?", right? Well, if that is all it means, then I say "Of course".

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." John 5:24

Welp, that was easy, I heard the words of Jesus and every story as a child, and I have always believed. So, I am saved, on my way to Heaven. Great, next question!

Well, I was reading John's gospel the other day, and stumbled into Jesus talking to Nicodemus. Jesus actually introduced this concept of being "born again". However, he was not talking to the un-religious, or the un-educated. He did not go to the masses and demand that they be born again. He was speaking privately with a pharisee, (the Jewish rabbis who were fully educated in the Scriptures, the Law, and even had the Scriptures fully memorized). So, the first point here is that we should be careful in our speech. Don't assume that the masses understand our Christian-talk. It sounds like foolishness to them. Take care in what you say and who you say it to.

Ok, so here's Jesus, God as man, talking to one of the highest trained men of the Jewish religion. And this guy approaches him and acknowledges that Jesus is from God. So Jesus jumps right in, knowing Nic's heart, and answers the question that Nic wants to ask.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God".

Nic, of course, takes this literally, and asks Jesus how he could possibly get back into his mother's womb. Ok, dumb question, but I think he was a little taken aback by Jesus, who saw straight into his heart and answered the question Nic had hidden in there. This guy is the teacher of the nation of Israel (well, suburb of Rome, but let's not get all political). Of all people, he should know the path to Heaven, right? Yet Jesus sees his heart laid bare, immediately answers his innermost question, and I think Nic is taken off guard. Who wants their doubt, fear, and whatever else we try to hide inside to be laid bare in front of anyone? So he asks the dumb question, trying to sound smart, hide his fear, hide his seeking. Jesus ignores the dumb question and gives Nic a clearer picture.

"Truly, truly, 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."

Wow, OK. So, I have been born of flesh, got that all taken care of, I am flesh. Couldn't possibly get re-born in the flesh, Nic's dumb question makes that pretty obvious. So, Jesus tells us to be born again, we need to be born in some other way. So we must be born of the water and the Spirit. O...K...? Hmm, how can I be born of water and the Spirit? Well, just thinking off the top of my head, Jesus received the Spirit like a dove when he came up from the water when he humbly allowed John the Baptist to baptize him. Well, piece of cake, I have been baptized, twice actually, I must be good to go!

Really? Jesus is telling Nic here that all he has to do is a religious ritual, get a bit wet, and he will be on his way to Heaven? Seems rather anti-climactic, and also just wrong. Would Jesus come to Earth and put himself on the cross for us just so that he could replace one set of religious rituals with another? Hmm, let me think some more. Well, I did go and get wet a few times in the name of Christ, but I don't remember the Spirit coming upon me in the form of a dove. Also, I don't remember the Heavens parting or a voice from Heaven bellowing out about how pleased God was in me. I do remember getting a towel and drying off. If this was all it took to be born of water and the Spirit, I am going to just start walking around with a spray bottle and spray my friends. Get them wet, they are born again! Ok, stop being sarcastic.

Maybe I did receive the Spirit on that baptism day (or that second baptism one), or the day I professed that I believe in Jesus. So, now I have been born twice, I guess I am born again. However, you would think that if two different things have been born that make up who I am, flesh and spirit, there would be two parts of me. I am fully aware of my flesh, and it seems to be very flesh-like. My flesh is happy to eat, to sleep, it enjoys money and stuff money buys. It likes being warm but not too hot. Yes, I know my flesh, what it demands and desires, it is all to present. However, my non-Christian neighbor has flesh, too, and I don't think that the flesh is the point. The point is that our flesh is corrupted by sin, and we need to have something new born in us that is not corrupted. The Spirit offers us this, bought by the precious blood of Christ.

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all" John 6:64

The next words that Jesus speaks to Nic is the well known and often recited verse of John 3:16, which I won't waste your time by typing, because you have already recited it in your head. This tells us how Jesus bought redemption and new life for us. It is an interesting point for me that this most-quoted of verses was spoken to Nic in private, but I will have to explore that another time because it is off topic.

So to be born again to keep our flesh but to have spirit brought to life in us. This question, "Have you been born again", can imply whether you have been "saved", and so often is only used in that way. It is how I always answered. But that misses the point. The point of this amazing concept is whether you have had the spirit brought to life in you, whether you are growing in the spirit, whether the spirit has grown to be an equal or greater part of you than your flesh. Our flesh cannot worship God, he is seeking worshipers in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). As Christ followers, we are not to keep growing in our flesh and seeking to fulfill it, but seek to grow in the spirit.

"Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." John 6:27

OK, I have been born again, I am now both spirit and flesh. I must start seeking to grow my spirit and lesson my flesh. The only measure I can think of for spiritual growth is the list of the fruit that a healthy spirit grows:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Galations 5:22-25

So, when I consider being "born again" in the future, I will not just look to see if I have had the salvation event, the one time profession of Christ, perhaps along with being baptized. Sure, I did all that. The question is, now that the spirit is born in me, am I living in the spirit or still in the flesh? What does the fruit of my life, my words, my actions, and my relationships look like? This is how I can be different than my non-Christian neighbor. He will live in the flesh, because that is all he was born to. I still carry this flesh, but I will strive to grow spiritually, that the fruit of my life will be more than what comes from my flesh.

There is more to Christianity than demanding of people whether they are "saved" or not, and mis-using our religious phrases to sound spiritual. Let's understand how deep this question is, and demand it of ourselves rather than others. I think from now on, each time this phrase comes up, from others or myself, I will pause to take a measure of my spirit, and its battle against my flesh, to see if I am living and walking by the Spirit, and if my life is growing this wonderful fruit for me and for those around me.

Jesus, I pray that you will grow my spirit and help me crucify my fleshly passions and desires. I want to be a tree that people can come to over and over to receive life-giving fruit. I want to be a source of your life to my family, to my friends, to my work-associates. Thank you for bringing your spirit alive in me, and making me more than this bag of flesh. Help me to live by the Spirit and walk by your Spirit daily.