The phrase “born again” gets thrown around a lot. But what does it actually mean? 

The original context was John 3 when Jesus was speaking with Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).*

Nicodemus struggled to understand. How can a person enter into his mother’s womb a second time? (Verse 4). Jesus went on to explain that he was speaking figuratively. We must be born of water and the Spirit, he said (Verse 5). 

In the ancient world, your identity, status and purpose were very closely connected to your father, your father’s profession, and the status and reputation of your family. It was rare to ‘break out’ of predetermined circumstances. 

So to be “born again” meant a reorientation of your life and foundational loyalties. Now, in Christ, your identity, status and purpose, would centre around your heavenly Father, not your biological one.

We live in a time when our identity can feel very uncertain, when our status with others can go up and down like a jack-in-the-box, and when our purpose can seen unclear or weak. But it doesn’t need to be that way. We are always well-grounded when grounded in God. If we ground our identity, status or purpose in anything else, we are signing up to be tumbleweed.

To be truly “born again” is to radically reorient your life and your foundational loyalties. It is about centring your identity, status and purpose in the spiritual realities of the gospel. 

“Truly, truly,” Jesus said, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Let’s centre our lives on the glory and greatness of the Lord. We are always well-grounded when grounded in God.

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Notes:

-*The apostle Peter also uses the phrase twice in 1 Peter 1. We are “born again to a living hope” through the resurrection of Christ (verse 3). We have also been born again “through the living and abiding word of God” (verse 23).
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.