Born Again

From: Doctrinal Definitions: A Handbook of Doctrinal Terms & Expressions in the New Testament By: Stanley Bruce Anstey

• 10 min. read • grade level: 10

New birth (being born again) is a sovereign act of God of imparting divine life to men (John 1:13; 3:1-8¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13)
¹There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: ²The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. ³Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ⁴Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? ⁵Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. ⁸The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:1‑8); James 1:18¹⁸Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:18); 1 Peter 1:23²³Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:23); 1 John 2:29²⁹If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2:29)). It is, essentially, the same thing as quickening (Eph. 2:1, 5¹And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephesians 2:1)
⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:5); Col. 2:13¹³And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; (Colossians 2:13)) for both terms refer to the initial action of God in communicating divine life to the soul. New birth is not an exclusively Christian blessing; all the children of God in all ages have been, and will be, born of God.

As a result of being born again men have their spiritual faculties awakened and they are thereby made conscious of their having to do with God. Having been given life and faith through this action of God, they have the capacity to understand the gospel and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, which when they do, they are saved. Without this initial work of God in men, no one would ever repent and come to Christ for salvation. (See Freewill.)

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There are four common misconceptions among Christians regarding new birth (being born again):

The first has to do with how and when a person is born again. Most Christians will say that a person is born again when he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. However, Scripture does not teach this. It is putting “the cart before the horse,” so to speak. A person does not believe on the Lord Jesus to get born again, but rather, he believes because he has been born again (John 1:12-13¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12‑13); 1 John 5:1¹Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (1 John 5:1)). As to the order of these things, God goes before and sovereignly imparts life through new birth, whereby the person is given faith and thus is enabled to believe and be saved, when the gospel is presented to him. Hence, new birth is not the result of a person’s turning to God and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, but the result of God communicating divine life to his soul, enabling him to turn to God in repentance and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.

Commenting on John 1:12-13¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12‑13), W. Scott said, "Only the born of God are capable of receiving Him" (Bible Handbook, New Testament, p. 191). C. Stanley explained it similarly: "The new birth explains how many received Him" (Election, p. 17). F. G. Patterson also said, "Most assuredly it is the unbeliever who is quickened, otherwise he would be a believer of his own act. Where then would be the truth of John 1:10-13¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:10‑13) and James 1:18¹⁸Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:18)? If God did not quicken us by the Word, we never would be saved" (Scripture Notes and Queries, p. 122).

Secondly, Christians confuse new birth with salvation, but these terms are not synonymous in Scripture. Taking these two things to mean the same thing leads to confusion. W. Potter emphasized this: "'Canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth,' refers to the Spirit of God, not to salvation. It refers to being born again; 'so is every one that is born of the Spirit.' We must keep Scriptural truths in their Scriptural connection; when it speaks about being born again, it is not speaking about salvation. That is where we get into such confusion" (Gathering Up the Fragments, p. 226).

J. N. Darby said, "We must not confound manifested salvation and being born of God" (Letters, vol. 3, p. 118). He also said, "The Church has lost the thought of being saved. People think that it is enough to be born anew" (Collected Writings, vol. 28, p. 368).

W. Kelly said, "We must not confound, as popular preachers and teachers do, the reception of life and salvation....It is a great mistake therefore to talk of 'salvation in a moment,' 'deliverance on the spot' or any other of the stock phrases of superficial revivalism which ignore the Word of God and spring from the confusion of life with salvation" (An Exposition of the Acts, pp. 131-132).

The distinction between these two operations of God has been lost for centuries. W. Kelly reported, "The fact is that theology in all schools, Popish or Protestant, Calvinistic or Arminian, has somehow lost, and ignores, this most momentous truth of the Spirit's primary setting apart of a renewed soul to God before, and in order to, justification" (Epistles of Peter, p. 12).

The truth is that God begins the work in a soul by new birth (quickening), and then when the person rests in faith on what Christ has accomplished on the cross, he is saved and sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)). These are two distinct actions of the Spirit: one is the beginning of God's work in a soul and the other is the completion of it. There will be an interval of time between these two actions—it could be a few minutes, or in some cases, it could be years. When a person is born again he is safe from judgment, but when he receives Christ he is saved and sealed with the Holy Spirit. The following passages show that new birth precedes a person’s believing on Christ for salvation:

• John 1:12-13¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12‑13)—Those who “believe on His name” are they “which were” born of God.

• John 3:3-8, 14-17³Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ⁴Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? ⁵Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. ⁸The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:3‑8)
¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:14‑17)—Concerning the order of God’s work in souls, the Lord spoke of being “born again” by the Word of God and the Spirit of God first before speaking of being “saved” through believing on the Son of God.

• John 5:21, 24²¹For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. (John 5:21)
²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)—Again, the Lord spoke of God’s work of quickening souls before going on to speak of their believing on Him for life eternal.

• John 6:44-47⁴⁴No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁴⁵It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. ⁴⁶Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. ⁴⁷Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:44‑47)—The Lord spoke of His Father’s work of drawing people, which is the effect of being born again, before speaking of those who were drawn believing on Him.

• Ephesians 2:1-5, 8¹And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ²Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:1‑5)
⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)—In delineating the activity of God’s love and mercy toward us, the Apostle Paul referred to His work of quickening souls first, and then went on to speak of those whom God had quickened being “saved by grace” through faith.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14¹³But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: ¹⁴Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13‑14)—Paul speaks of the “sanctification of the Spirit” which is the result of new birth, before a person’s belief of the truth of the gospel.

• 1 Peter 1:2²Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2)—Peter speaks of the “sanctification of the Spirit” (the result of new birth) as that which precedes “obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (which is the appropriating by faith the work of Christ on the cross for salvation).

• 1 Peter 1:22-23²²Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: ²³Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:22‑23)—Peter speaks of the purification of the soul through obeying the truth of the gospel, and this being a result of “having been begotten again” (W. Kelly Trans.).

• Leviticus 8:1-35¹And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ²Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; ³And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. ⁴And Moses did as the Lord commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. ⁵And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the Lord commanded to be done. ⁶And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. ⁷And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith. ⁸And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim. ⁹And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹⁰And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them. ¹¹And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them. ¹²And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. ¹³And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets upon them; as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹⁴And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering. ¹⁵And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it. ¹⁶And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it upon the altar. ¹⁷But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹⁸And he brought the ram for the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. ¹⁹And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. ²⁰And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat. ²¹And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savor, and an offering made by fire unto the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses. ²²And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. ²³And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. ²⁴And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. ²⁵And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder: ²⁶And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder: ²⁷And he put all upon Aaron's hands, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the Lord. ²⁸And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savor: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord. ²⁹And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part; as the Lord commanded Moses. ³⁰And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him. ³¹And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it. ³²And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire. ³³And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you. ³⁴As he hath done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you. ³⁵Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not: for so I am commanded. (Leviticus 8:1‑35)—This is a type of new birth, salvation, and sealing of the Spirit. Aaron’s sons were first “washed with water” (new birth), then they were brought to the altar to witness and be identified with the death of an animal that was sacrificed. The blood of the victim was put on their right ear, right thumb, and the big toe of the right foot (symbolizing the appropriating by faith of the work of Christ in atonement for the salvation of the soul). Lastly, they were anointed with oil, which is a picture of the sealing of the Spirit.

J. N. Darby said, "The indwelling of the Holy Ghost is a very different thing from the quickening power of the Spirit....Instances given in the Acts, where there is an interval of time make us sensible of the distinction of the two" (Collected Writings, vol. 26, p. 89).

Similarly, A. P. Cecil said, "I believe Scripture plainly teaches not only a distinction between new birth and sealing with the Spirit, but also an interval between the two things. It may be long or short; but the interval of time is there, in the same way as when a man first builds a house, and afterward dwells in it" (Helps By the Way, vol. 3, NS, p. 175).

Thirdly, Christians, almost universally, confuse new birth with regeneration—but these things are also not the same. Both refer to a new beginning, but they are different new beginnings. New birth is a new beginning inwardly through a person receiving a divine life. Regeneration, on the other hand, is a new beginning in a believer’s life outwardly, through the person cleaning up his life practically. Men cannot see the new life imparted in new birth, but they should be able to see the outward change in the person’s life when he gets saved. There will be an observable break with the unholy and worldly things that he once pursued. (See Regeneration.)

Fourthly, Christians often confuse new birth with eternal life, but they too are not synonymous. They both have to do with the possession of divine life, but in a different way. Being born again is to have divine life in embryo, so to speak; whereas life eternal has to do with possessing divine life in the consciousness of our relationship with the Father and the Son (John 17:3³And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)), on the ground of redemption (John 3:14-15¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14‑15)), and in the power of the indwelling Spirit (John 4:14¹⁴But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)). Possessing this character of life is called, “life eternal.” It necessitated the coming of the Son of God into the world (John 10:10¹⁰The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)).

Believers who lived before Christ came could not have had this character of divine life, though they were surely born again. J. N. Darby said, “As to Old Testament saints, eternal life formed no part of the Old Testament revelation, even supposing that the Old Testament saints had it (Notes and Jottings, p. 351). We do not say that there are two kinds of divine life—there is only one kind of divine life, the life of Christ (John 1:4⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)). Old Testament saints had the same divine life as Christians, but they did not have the revelation of truth concerning the Father and the Son and the work of redemption and the seal of the Spirit. Therefore, Scripture does not call the divine life that they had eternal life.