Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of
God unless they are born again.†4 “How can someone be born when
they are old?†Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a sec-
ond time into their mother’s womb to be born! 5 Jesus
answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they
are born of water and the Spirit. John 3:3-5 NIV
One thing we have in common is that we all celebrate a birthday each year. I am
confident that if I asked you all when your birthday is you would be able to tell me
the date and month. I would be tactful though; I wouldn’t expect you to tell me the
year! However, in the context of our reading from John 3, my question would not
refer to your physical birthday but your spiritual one, that special day when you
were “born again†and became a Christian. When this happens, we are in a sense
become like His Majesty King Charles III, who has 2 Birthdays – his official one
marked this month on 17th June and his actual one on 14th November.
Our second birthday marks the special day Jesus is talking about when we are “born again†of
water (through baptism) and by the power of Holy Spirit. From personal experience,
it is an unforgettable life changing experience and believers’ baptism by full immer-
sion is an outward sign of the inward working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the new
believer. This is how we can be “born again†when we are a young person or as an
adult. We do not have re-enter the womb to be born again as a puzzled Nicodemus
had misunderstood. This is what Baptists believe. We have a wonderful saviour in
Jesus and if you believe with all your heart that Jesus died and rose again for you,
you may be baptised. If you are reading this and want to know more, please come,
and speak to me about so we can help you. It would be great to open the baptistry
pool at Whitehouse again and celebrate some new second birthdays. But our
celebrations do not compare to the rejoicing and partying going on in heaven when
someone turns to Jesus and is born again.
Prayers, blessings and love,
Robert