Birthed Through the Gospel

Last week, I opened the series Gospel Facets letting you know that for the next several weeks, we are going to look at different "facets" of the gospel. This week, we jump into possibly one of the most well-known "facets."

Even if you are not a follower of Jesus yet, I suspect you might be familiar with this week's "facet". For it is heard in our cultural and Christian nomenclature to refer to certain types of Christians. The facet I am referring to is the idea of "birth."

In his conversation with a religious leader named Nicodemus in John 3, Jesus said a person must be "born-again" in order to see the kingdom of God. This really confused Nicodemus, causing him to ask Jesus if he has to climb back into his mother's womb. Jesus responded:

"Truly truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)

I have heard some people say the phrase "born of water" is baptism. Perhaps, but to me, that doesn't make sense when Jesus says someone must be "born again." Hear me out: I believe Jesus is referring to physical birth when he uses the phrase "born of water." After all, when a woman goes into labor and the amniotic sac breaks, releasing the amniotic fluid, we say her "water broke." This is what I think Jesus is referring to when he says someone must be "born of water."

But a person can't just be born physically of water. To enter God's kingdom, they must also be born of Spirit. They have their first birth - physical birth. Then they can go through the second birth, being "born again" by the Spirit.

The cool thing about this image is that if you follow Jesus and have been "born again" through the Gospel, God is your Father - your Heavenly Daddy! And just as new parents love their helpless newborn, God the Father loves you passionately. You don't have to do anything to impress Him. He simply loves you because He has created you. His image is in you, marking you as His.

So may you contemplate today and this next week just how much God loves you if you have been "born again" through the gospel, letting this thought lead you to rejoice!