Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
John 3:3-7
You can only enter the Kingdom of God by being born again. But you cannot enter the Kingdom of God by:
- Being born into a Christian family
- By living well
- By baptism
- Attending church faithfully all your life
Whatever family you come from, whatever you have done, you must be born again!
How do you become born again?
You came into this world by natural birth; you are a child of your father and mother. To become a child of God, there must be a spiritual birth. That is a birth from God, literally the Bible says, "You must be born from above." That is not something you can do yourself; only God can do that. Like natural birth, that is a one-time event.
But when does that happen and to whom?
Immediately after the Fall of Adam and Eve, the contact between God and man was broken. God is holy and pure and cannot have dealings with sinful man. Because God loved man and still wanted them with Himself He gave a way out. For man's sin there had to be a solution, the debt had to be repaid, atoned for. A sinful man can never atone for that debt, which is why God gave His own Son, Jesus Christ. He was without sin and therefore the Only One worthy to stand between God and man. By dying on the Cross, He bore our guilt. He brought with His own life a perfect sacrifice for all people of all times.
You only have to do one thing: Confess your guilt and accept the sacrifice, accept Jesus Himself.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”
John 1:12
Believing alone is not enough. You have to accept it. If someone gives you a gift you don't just believe, "It's for me," and then leave the giver with the gift in their hands. Of course not, you accept it: You say, "Thank you!" You know it's especially for you and you unwrap it.
So it is with the sacrifice Jesus made: It is also for you! Take it and say, "Thank You Jesus, for bearing the punishment in my place.
Speak this out loud. If you mean this with your heart, you are born again, your sins are forgiven. God gives you His Holy Spirit. He will lead you on. Go read the Bible and talk to God daily. You have passed from the kingdom of darkness, into the Kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13).