Only born-again persons will be in God's Kingdom; in terms of salvation, it is an absolute necessity for this to have occurred. Understanding the born-again doctrine clearly is helpful for fully appreciating the awesome, divinely given gift we have received. It establishes more firmly our conversion and our faith in God. This doctrine shows how we come to know God, how God perceives us, and how we should perceive ourselves following our conversion. It clarifies our responsibilities before God after we have been set free from bondage to satan, sin, and death. Being born again is entirely a spiritual matter, and following this event, an entirely new chapter of life opens before us. This new chapter emphasizes being spiritually minded, growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and maturing to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. A person becomes part of God's Kingdom by being born again, and those who are born again become sons of God. God's Kingdom, as presently configured, consists of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and all the children of God who have entered the Family of God by means of God's calling, being born again, and receiving God's Holy Spirit. God considers these sons as in Christ, and surely, Jesus Christ is in the Kingdom of God. We have already been conveyed into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, and we do not have to wait for the resurrection at Christ's return to be considered by God as part of His Kingdom. Scripture clearly states that we are in Christ, and because we are perceived by God as in Him, we are in God's Kingdom as well.

Among all of the Bible's teachings, the instruction in John 3 regarding being born again is often misunderstood. Jesus uses imagery to convey essential spiritual principles, and in John 3, He introduces the concept of the new birth. He tells Nicodemus, 'You must be born again,' emphasizing that this is not a moral duty one can achieve on their own. Instead, Jesus intends for us to understand that the Father, by an act of His will, must implant His Spirit in an individual's heart for this spiritual birth to occur. Just as no one can bring about their own human birth, spiritual birth and life are gifts from our Father in heaven. He is sovereign over His creation, engineering the salvation of His Family Kingdom from the birth of each child to their glorification. The metaphor of eating and drinking, as used by the apostles, only works if we are considered already born spiritually. We have progressed beyond a mere begetting to a spiritual birth long before the resurrection of the dead. The presence of born-again elements in pagan religions does not negate its godly significance, as satan often counterfeits God's truths in his perversions to confuse. The practical application to Christian life remains unchanged, impressing upon us the responsibility and urgency to bring glory to our God, as there is much yet to do.

The concept of being born again was not entirely new when Jesus Christ taught it, as it had roots in the Old Testament, and the Jews had some knowledge of it. Jesus expressed surprise to Nicodemus, a man of stature in the community, for not grasping this doctrine, indicating that it should have been familiar to him. The idea of a radical change of heart, as seen in Ezekiel and David's prayer for a clean heart in Psalm 51, was present in earlier scriptures, showing that the need for spiritual transformation was understood, even if not widely practiced. Jesus emphasized that being born again signifies a significant spiritual change in an already living person, akin to the Israelites' transition from slavery to freedom in Egypt. This change marks the beginning of a journey, not the end, requiring continuous growth and overcoming to fulfill God's purpose of creating one in the image of Jesus Christ. The process of regeneration, synonymous with being born again, encompasses the entire journey from God's calling to the resurrection, indicating a new birth that starts at conversion and continues through spiritual renewal. Regeneration and new birth refer to the same event, viewed from different angles, and cover the whole process of spiritual transformation. This renewal, as described in Titus and Romans, involves adjusting one's moral and spiritual vision to the mind of God, requiring a willing response from the believer to transform their life. Upon repentance and conversion, we are considered by God as a brand new person with a new heart, new family, new values, and new possessions, already born and functioning as a spiritually-minded human being. Immediately upon receiving the Holy Spirit from God, we are sons of God, not waiting for a birth that has already occurred. We are full-blown sons of God, needing time to grow into the maturity He desires. Jesus consistently used the male figure of the Father in teaching about being born again, emphasizing that there is no mother or womb involved in this spiritual birth. We are not in the womb of the church; we are the church, an assembly of people, not a building, and we are already in the Kingdom of God as citizens upon receiving God's Spirit. We have already been born again when called and repented, and through faith in Christ, we were given God's Spirit, made sons of God, and became a new creation as part of the body of Christ, which is the New Covenant spiritual temple of God. As part of this spiritual temple, we are functionaries under Jesus Christ, the High Priest, schooled, tested, and judged to prepare for glorification and continued service at a higher level when He returns.

Being born again is an entirely spiritual operation, central to understanding how God perceives us and how we should perceive ourselves. It clarifies our responsibility before God after being freed from bondage to satan, sin, and death, and it prepares us for what we are to expect when Christ returns. The born again doctrine is not a salvation issue in itself, nor is it as critical as faith, law, sin, justification by faith in Jesus Christ, or sanctification through life experiences in a relationship with Him. However, it helps to elucidate how God views us, emphasizing a new start in life upon conversion, focusing on growing in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and maturing to the fullness of His stature. Under the New Covenant, which is predominantly spiritual, being born again aligns with the shift from a physical to a spiritual focus, as seen in the transition from the physical Temple to a spiritual one in Christ. Jesus teaches in John 3 that one must be born from above, indicating a miraculous spiritual transformation engineered by God. This transformation cannot be understood through physical analogies like begettal or womb birth, as it pertains to a spiritual reality where converts are seen as fully grown adults in the faith, already part of God's family and house, though not in its fullness. The born again experience is evidenced by a changed life, where the convert begins to see God with greater respect, fears Him, bows to His will, seriously seeks Him, and obeys Him. This spiritual change, initiated by God's Spirit, is a new beginning, not hidden as in a womb, but visible through the fruit of a new creation in the person's life. Scriptures such as II Corinthians 3 highlight this miraculous intervention, showing that the Holy Spirit gives life, transforming a heart of stone to flesh, aligning with the spiritual nature of the New Covenant. Being born again represents a significant spiritual change, a new creation underway, detached from anything physical. It is best understood as being born from above, indicating a real transformation in a person's heart through God's calling. This places major responsibility on us as adult children of God, capable of making choices through His Word and Spirit, directly accountable to Christ as our Savior and government.

Jesus Christ's teaching on being born again, first introduced in John 3, holds significant weight, as emphasized by His words, "Most assuredly, I say to you." This pivotal discourse reveals that God sees us as His children, part of His Family Kingdom, able to function as adults before Him in this world. It shows we are a new creation, embarking on a spiritual journey to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and transform into His image. Once converted, we are no longer spiritually dead to God but alive in Christ, heirs of salvation, free from spiritual bondage, and able to pursue the holy, righteous character of our Savior. This teaching underscores that we are special to God, responsible for what we have been given, and under judgment, distinct from the rest of the world. Jesus explains in John 3:5 that unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God, equating this to being born again or born from above. Both water and Spirit, as used here, are spiritual entities. Every born-again person instantly becomes a child of God, a member of His Family, and a citizen of His Kingdom. God addresses His children as adults, fully capable of carrying out His commands, with no gestation period in this spiritual birth, just as there was none when God created Adam and Eve. The new spiritual child possesses two natures, the old carnal nature and the new spiritual one, which are at war with each other. The born-again person must choose to overcome the old nature, striving for dominance in conduct and life, as urged in Revelation 2 and 3 to overcome and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus further instructs in John 3:6 that what is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit, emphasizing a spiritual transformation rather than a physical one. Flesh represents the carnal inclination that generates sinful acts, while the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, and more. Thus, a change must occur from a life dominated by the natural heart to one motivated by God's Spirit to prepare for the Kingdom of God.

The concept of being born again, or born from above, is not a simple matter to grasp, as God's Word is deep and complex. The truth regarding whether God intends us to understand being born again as a birth, being born from above, or merely as an impregnation within the womb of the church cannot be determined solely from a single definition or chapter. We must look at the whole picture, and as more understanding is added, the depth of this subject becomes clearer. The critical question is: How does God address His children? The way He addresses us reflects how He perceives us. God does not view us as fetuses in a womb but as adult sons and children of God. Biblically and spiritually, this is not a human physical birth process but a supernatural, spiritual birth initiated and driven by God Himself. God calls things that do not exist as though they already do, speaking with confidence in His ability to bring His purposes to pass. He uses words technically to fit the purpose of the creation He is working out, often in ways that differ from common understanding. Being born again is a divine intervention, a new creation as described by Paul, where we are created as spirit beings by God, not born through natural processes. The term "born" indicates a beginning, a new start. Jesus rejected Nicodemus' physically-oriented reply to the statement, "You must be born again," because Nicodemus interpreted it as a birth, a new beginning, rather than a mere begettal. This spiritual birth occurs following baptism and the laying on of hands, marking the beginning of a changed mind, with the body to be transformed to spirit at the resurrection. God perceives us as already adult children, fully part of His Family Kingdom, even as flesh and blood. We are adopted into His family, not as fetuses but as functioning sons of God, capable of judgment and making choices. A fetus cannot fulfill the commands God gives, such as walking in love, being humble, kind, merciful, hungering for righteousness, or working out salvation. These responsibilities require an already-born adult child of God, living His way of life through the sanctification process. The born again transaction is entirely spiritual, a circumcision of the heart done by God Himself to an already out-of-the-womb adult, making the person a participant in the New Covenant. This spiritual birth from above involves no physical process; it is a new creation in the mind. Jesus was surprised that Nicodemus, a rabbi, did not understand being born again, as the term was already in use within the Jewish religion for Gentiles converting to the Old Covenant, signifying the start of a new spiritual life. We are already in the Kingdom of God as sons, adopted into His family, despite being flesh and blood, because God calls things that are not as though they already exist. We are inheritors, awaiting the full inheritance alongside Jesus Christ when He comes as King. Being born again does not excuse us from the trials of sanctification, the process of growth toward godly purity. God looks at us as already born, adult children in His family, going through sanctification to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, with the responsibility to yield to His commands and grow in grace and knowledge.