When Jesus talked with Nicodemus about the new birth. Jesus gave the reason why a person must be born again and how to be born again. Although Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a scholar and teacher in the scriptures and a ruler, a master of Israel, Nicodemus was still the old man, which means Nicodemus was carnal. He had a deep understanding of the scriptures, but Nicodemus didn’t understand what Jesus meant by becoming born again and how a person be born again?
Sumagot si Jesus at sinabi sa kanya, Katotohanan, sa totoo lang, sinasabi ko sa iyo, Maliban sa isang tao ay ipinanganak na muli, hindi niya nakikita ang kaharian ng Diyos. Nicodemus saith unto him, Paano maipanganak ang isang tao kung siya ay matanda na? Maaari ba siyang pumasok sa pangalawang pagkakataon sa sinapupunan ng kanyang ina, at ipanganak? Sumagot si Hesus, Katotohanan, sa totoo lang, sinasabi ko sa iyo, Maliban na ang tao ay ipanganak ng tubig at ng Espiritu, hindi siya makakapasok sa kaharian ng Diyos. Ang ipinanganak ng laman ay laman; at yaong ipinanganak ng Espiritu ay espiritu (John 3:3-6)
What does regeneration mean?
Regeneration means: (espirituwal) muling pagsilang (estado o kilos), yan ay, (matalinhaga) espirituwal na pagbabago; partikular na ang Messianic restoration: – pagbabagong-buhay (G 3824 paliggenesis)
You will not enter the Kingdom of God by your own works, but you can only enter by the work of Jesus Christ and through the process of regeneration.
Hindi sa pamamagitan ng mga gawa ng katuwiran na ating ginawa, ngunit ayon sa Kanyang habag ay iniligtas Niya tayo, sa pamamagitan ng paghuhugas ng pagbabagong-buhay, at pagpapanibago ng Espiritu Santo; Na saganang ibinuhos Niya sa atin sa pamamagitan ni Hesukristo na ating Tagapagligtas (Titus 3:5-6)
Regeneration or being born again does not mean a reformation of lifestyle, nor does it stop with sorrow for sin, nor by becoming religious or by attending church, church membership, humanitarian works etc.
Someone can be a good person according to the world; a humanist and a faithful member of the church, doing good (kawanggawa) gumagana, knowing all the scriptures in the Bible and still be unregenerate.
Nicodemus is the perfect example of this.
Nicodemus was a religious man. He was serious about the things of God, ngunit si Nicodemo ay hindi ipinanganak na muli. Walang sinuman ang makapapasok sa Kaharian ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ng mabubuting gawa, Personal na mga kasanayan, effort or goodness.
How can a person be born again and enter the Kingdom of God?
There is only isang daanan to enter the Kingdom of God and that is through the process of regeneration or in others words: by becoming born again. This process is the spiritual counterpart of the natural birth. Walang ibang paraan para mga makasalanan to enter the Kingdom of God and be reconciled with God, then through regeneration.
When Nicodemus asked Jesus how a person can be born again, Jesus gave an illustration of the wind.
No man can really understand where the winds come from and the ways of the wind. But while we may not understand the wind, we feel the force of the wind.
It is the same with the new birth. No one is able to understand with the carnal mind how a person be born again, but we all experience the power of regeneration, when you become born again.
When Jesus spoke about the new birth and gave the illustration of the wind, Jesus expected Nicodemus to connect His words with the words of the prophet Ezekiel:
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Diyos; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army (Ezekiel 37:9,10)
The five components for the new birth?
- Pananampalataya
- Cleansing
- Resurrection
- Bagong Paglikha
- Quickening