In the last hundred years, there have been many attempts to make the message of Jesus so easy that everyone will be willing to accept it. Unfortunately, that's not what Jesus taught. If you research the teachings of Jesus ( it's in red in most Bibles ) you find the very first teaching, chronologically, was the one He gave to Nicodemus in John 3:3-8.Jesus makes a number of astounding statements. The first one, is in verse 3. He said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
This brings about two questions. What does it mean to be born again? And, what is meant by the term Kingdom of God?
In verse 5, Jesus explains that there are two births, a birth from water ( the bag of water where the infant has lived for about 9 months ) and another birth, that He calls being born of the Spirit. Since Spirit is capitalized here, we know that He is talking about the Holy Spirit.
The Kingdom of God is where God rules. He's already ruling in heaven, and we are supposed to pray that His will, will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. ( Matthew 6:10 - part of the Lord's prayer )
Every living human being, including, you and I, have been born of water.
In verse 6, Jesus says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh ( the birth from your mother ), and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." ( the birth from God, the Holy Spirit, producing a new human spirit). We each were born with a human spirit, but according to the New Covenant, which Jesus instituted, and talked about in the Lord's Supper, we need that new human spirit, a spirit that desires to serve Him.
We are told about the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jeremiah 32:38-40, Ezekiel 11:18-20, Ezekiel 18:30-32, and Ezekiel 36:24-27. It is also found in Hebrews 8:6-13.
Once you understand how this works, you will want everyone that you know to understand it, also.
Jesus summed this up in John 3:7, by saying, " Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again." This passage is the only passage where Jesus said that something MUST happen to a person.
This is not a matter of choice, or opinion. Jesus said this new birth is a requirement. It MUST happen to a person, for the person to become a part of the Kingdom of God.
Blessings to all, who read this, and heed this message !
