You Must Be Born Again

Segun prayed before we left for Wilsonville. Arriving, we walked down the storefronts greeting the few passerbys that walked past, including an employee of a store. As we walked, Segun shared that as part of their family Bible study time, they listened to a preacher, the founder of the church they were a part of, preaching on prophesy and the power of the Word of God spoken in isolation from interpretation of opinion. “God does even more than we can think of with his word,” Segun shared, connecting that the early disciples experienced signs and wonders as confirmation of the Word of God being preached.

As we walked, Samuel was feeling the coldness of the Oregon ‘drizzle’ and opted for a piggy back ride from his dad, while I continued to push Joel in his stroller. We greeted a man who was entering his car in front of us, Segun asking for a minute before he left, which he openly gave. Segun began by sharing that we were out sharing the love of God, and asked whether he knew about God’s love. The young man shared that yes, he was catholic, and so he was baptized at birth. Segun proceeded to ask if he had ever been born again. The young man blankly looked at us, shaking his head. I clarified that being born again is when someone experiences relationship with God through faith in Jesus’ atonement and the indwelling Spirit inside someone, explaining my own experience of also having been baptized as a baby but being completely disconnected from God until I had a conversion ‘rebirth’ experience that completely transformed me, where I explicitly turned to Jesus. “I think that’s the difference between religion and a relationship, where the Bible says we are reconciled to God through faith in what Jesus has done on the cross for us and with his indwelling Spirit living inside us. Do you have this relationship, do you feel God’s presence inside you?” The young man, Danny, reported that he did not. “But, like, it’s fine,” he said, somewhat regrettably but accepting the reality. I reflected the regret and the sadness of willingness to settle for less than eternal life and the indwelling presence of the God of Life.

I explained that this rebirth experience that Segun first asked about is for anyone, old or young, here or across the world in another country, and how accessing it by faith in Jesus can be done even by kids who understand and desire God’s forgiveness and relationship. “As a kids pastor, I get to teach this to kids,” I shared. I went on: “Because he’s actually alive right now, He hears our prayers and can live inside us, and it’s amazing. If I could ask, on what basis do you think you’ll get to heaven?”

“By whatever means I see fit,” Danny responded.

“So, a pretty wide entry point?” I asked. He affirmed that he believed was the case.

“Well, you run the risk of going against what scripture says in that Jesus describes that the way is wide that leads to destruction and hell but narrow that leads to life. The exclusivity of Jesus may sound restrictive, but it’s actually God’s specific way of people being saved, and the gate isn’t narrowly opened just a jar as if God didn’t want people to enter, but flung wide open because God’s forgiveness is for everybody” I explained, arms wide to reference the openness of the gate and the act of Jesus’ death on the cross.

Danny responded that he would need something to happen to show that it was real. It almost felt tee’d up due to Segun’s reflections just earlier.

“I believe that God is going to speak to you, that he’s going to show you something that will confirm that Jesus really is the way and to confirm what we’ve said is true.”

Danny responded to that with “He might, it’s a 50-50 chance.”

“Keep an eye out,” I advised. We thanked him for his time, and I asked if I could give him a video. “Uhh, sure? How can you do that?” Danny asked laughing, as if I had a holographic display prepared. I handed him a card of the Jesus video. I let him know that it was online, and could be accessed through scanning the QR code on the card. We bid him farewell.

We spoke to a few more people briefly before we returned to the car, including a Korean mother with her young son and her dog, Amber, as well as another lady with a dog who I felt like God merely wanted me to share “God loves you” with her. And, a bus driver who, on his break, was willing to receive a Jesus video card as well. Pray with us for Danny and for those who do have not experienced being born again, as Jesus describes in John 3:

iBible Jesus Video

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.’The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.