YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!

"Do not be amazed
that I said to you,
`You must be born again.'
John 3:7
New American Standard

It is very possible to be morally good and even religious and yet not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We see such an instance in the person of Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee and a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish religious and political council. He was educated and a well respected leader, however, he had not experienced the new birth.
The account between Jesus and Nicodemus is quite eye-opening. Knowing that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and part of the Sanhedrin, we see Nicodemus’ problem of conforming to the moral codes of his day and religious rituals for entrance into the kingdom of God rather than sound biblical interpretation.
Simply speaking, the account between Nicodemus and Jesus reflected the vast chasm between the accepted religion of that time (Judaism) with the true gospel of the kingdom. The accepted norms of the day were filled with tradition and religious ritual that resulted in a lot of head knowledge but absolutely no heart experience or change in their lives. They had not been regenerated or born again.
Today, when asked if a person is saved, many respond, ‘I go to church,’ I have been baptized,’ or ‘I am a good person.’ Like Nicodemus, they can become settled and comfortable with the accepted norms of the day. However, Jesus’ statement is still in true today, “You must be born again to enter into the kingdom of God!”
What does it mean to be born again? Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” The word regeneration means ‘renovation, the production of a new life consecrated to God, a radical change of mind for the better.’ Being born again will result in a radical change of thinking which will manifest in a change of behavior and lifestyle. Has there been a radical change in your life for the better concerning being consecrated (set apart) for God? We are not fit to enter into the Kingdom of God unless this radical change in our aims, affections, mind and principles takes place. Have you been born again?