Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - You Must Be Born Again

Jesus explicitly commands that "You must be born again" for anyone to "see the kingdom of God" and "enter the kingdom of God." This foundational command was given to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and expert in Jewish Scriptures, who was confused by the idea of a second birth, interpreting it physically. Jesus expressed astonishment at Nicodemus's bafflement, suggesting the concept should have been clear from his understanding of the Old Testament.

The teaching of being born again is deeply rooted in prophecy, particularly Ezekiel 36:25-27. Jesus linked this spiritual rebirth to being "born of water and the Spirit," reflecting Ezekiel's promise of cleansing from sin and the impartation of a "new heart" and "new spirit" by God's own divine Spirit. This transformation replaces a "heart of stone" with a "heart of flesh," enabling a desire to obey God.

By our first birth, humanity is described as "only flesh" and "spiritually dead." This means people are born without a natural love for God and are incapable of truly perceiving God's kingdom as desirable, often finding it foolish or boring. Examples like "the dead to bury their own dead" and the prodigal son who "was dead, and is alive again" illustrate this state of spiritual lifelessness. This spiritual blindness prevents anyone from seeing or entering God's kingdom.

The new birth is a "radical and supernatural" act, "outside our control," and not a result of human effort or will. It is emphasized that "The Spirit does that," operating mysteriously like the wind. This spiritual rebirth is a "gift of God," universally required for "everyone in the world," as all are spiritually dead regardless of background. Mere moral improvement is insufficient; what is needed is this new life, which can only come from God.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

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