Yesterday we learned what “born again” means, but do we know how it comes about? Is it something we choose or something God does to us? And are Jesus’ words in John 3:7— “You must be born again”—a command or a factual statement?
Actually, the new birth requires both the work of God and the response of man. The Father is the one who took the initiative by sending His Son to bear divine wrath for our sins. In that way, God could forgive us while remaining just. Then His Spirit opens our hearts to understand this: The perfect Son of God died in our place so we wouldn’t perish but instead would have eternal life.
Our role in this relationship is to respond in faith, believing in who Jesus is and what He did on our behalf. This isn’t just intellectual acknowledgment but complete abandonment of ourselves to Him. We see our sin as a great offense against God, recognize that Jesus is our only hope, and rely fully on Him for our forgiveness and salvation. He is now our Lord and Master, and our desire is to no longer live for ourselves but for Christ alone.
