Five Bible Verses on Being Reborn

1. John 3:3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

This passage from John is Jesus himself speaking to the Pharisee Nicodemus. Nicodemus was confused, and questioned Jesus about this. Jesus told him that humans are born physically of a mother and father, but born spiritually of water. Many have speculated as to what he meant by this, but most seem to think he was referring to baptism. So from this popular passage we see that we must reinvent ourselves, and become born again taking on a new life in communion and contact with God.

2. Matthew 18:3 And said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

This passage from Matthew is most likely a reinterpretation of what Jesus said to Nicodemus. In this passage it says that we must become like children. I take this as to mean that we must have open minds, and shut down our pride. That way we can walk with an open heart to the new truths that we find in Christ.

3. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Corinthians in this passage explains that once we accept Christ into our lives, we become a new person. The old person fades away and the new takes over. Does this mean that it stays this way without work on our end? No! We have to actively seek out truth from God and Christ to continue on this path or we can end up backsliding.

4. 1 Peter 1:22-25 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

This passage from Peter says that once we have purified our souls by obedience we are no longer temporary. We are commanded to love one another with pure intentions. This passage says that we are born again, not of anything perishable, but of the living word of God. The metaphor of the grass and the flower is used to demonstrate earthly things being temporary. So we are born again through scripture, and Jesus Christ.

5. Romans 6:1-23 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

This passage in Romans is really interesting. It asks how can we who died to sin still live in it? Yes! Not only were we sinners, but we died in our sin. This passage makes clear that by accepting Christ our old selves died with him in the ground, and as Jesus rose, we rose to new life. Since our life was full of pain and misery before Christ, this compares to Christ's suffering. And we shall be with him resurrected similarly. This lines up well with the idea of living a Jesus like life.