The Evangelical Lynchpin
who, according to His great mercy, has caused us to be born again to a living hope. 1 Peter 1:3 NASB
Born again – The Greek word here is anagennesas. This word comes from ana (again) and gennao (to beget). This is a word that Peter made up. It is not found anywhere else in the New Testament. But this does not mean that it is an idea unique to Peter. Peter simply captures in a new word what Yeshua intimated in His phrase “born from above” in John 3 (yes, that’s right, the words “born again” do not appear in the famous John 3 passage).
There are two important ideas in this word. The first is that the verb is passive. It is not something that I do for myself. It is something done to me. Of course, that makes perfect sense. No one chooses to be born. As Heidegger remarks, we are all thrown in to the world.
The second important idea is that this is a word of participation, not of an experience, a state of being or a kind of power. It describes the beginning of a new life, not a mystical experience. To be “born again” means to be regenerated into a new life. When I am generated again, I am a participant in new living. This new life actually increases the tension between our old way of living and this new way of living. I feel this tension as my new way of living works itself out in the process of becoming like God’s Son.
“Born again” is shorthand way of describing the moment when you yielded control of your life to God and recognized that Yeshua removed the barrier that stood between you and God. In fact, Peter tells us that God was instrumental in calling us to Himself, causing us to confront our need for reconciliation. But it is not the end of a process. It is the beginning of being animated by God and being transformed into a new way of living.
I can point to the day this happened to me. I was sitting in the middle of a soccer field on the island of Nuku’alofa in the South Pacific. I knew my life needed something that I could not find. I knew God had His hand on me, pressing me to open my eyes to Him. And I knew that Yeshua took the punishment I deserved. That moment started a long journey, full of wandering, wrestling, wishing and willing. That moment made me a participant in God’s work in progress. It was not the conclusion. It was the prologue. It was the turning point in a road that has seen lots of poor decisions, deliberate disobedience and downright obstinacy. But God never let go. He is still “re-making” me, every day, every minute, on my pathway toward the goal He has in mind. Now I can look back on that moment and say, “Thank you, Lord, for my second birth. Thank you for allowing me to grow up all over again. Twice blessed.”
Christian evangelicals tend to make this event the most important event of life, expecting that the relationship we have with God depends entirely on some moment of awareness. But I wonder if the proper perspective isn’t about the beginning of a long journey that will take the rest of our lives to complete. Perhaps the second birthday is not accompanied by blood and cries as much as it is accompanied by waking up and getting up.
What was your second birthday like?
Topical Index: anagennesas, born again, born from above, 1 Peter 1:3
I guess I knew Him all along – of hearsay. But, as Job says:now my eyes have seen you! That moment happened when He plunged me in a sever burn out to teach me to let go of everything….
“Perhaps the second birthday is not accompanied by blood and cries as much as it is accompanied by waking up and getting up.”
I heard a sermon yesterday on the importance of “Remembering.” In Deuteronomy, we are told many times to “remember.” Remember what G-d has done for us and who we were before we felt His hand of mercy on our lives. That theme carries through to the New Testament as well.
The “waking up and getting up” is certainly a big part of our walk with the Lord, but, I suspect that if we did a lot more “Remembering” there would be a lot less tears, poor decisions and deliberate disobedience.
That’s certainly true for MY life. I was quite convicted by that sermon as I’ve been guilty of “not remembering,” many times over the years.
Our sermon Yesterday was also on “Remembering” for the sake of walking taken from Matt. 24.
The the message was that the entire point of Matt. 24 is all about “remembering what Yeshuah was telling them so that they would have the chutzpah to stand firm in their walk of faith no matter what comes. It was brilliant!
–As Heidegger remarks, we are all thrown in to the world.–
Oh really? So we are all “accidents?” random freaks of nature? Random chance or Providence? How about it Heidegger? Yes, Michael, I’m thinking of the Doors also- “into this world we’re thrown..” NOT. I am fearfully and wonderfully made- intentionally and by design, my friend- His design, – The Master Architect and Artist. Random chance or Providence- we report.. you decide. Oh, I almost forgot to mention ~the very hairs of your head are numbered and not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s notice ~. Nothing, (zero with the edges trimmed off) occurs “randomly,”- not since God said “let there be..” The LORD is (still) my (ever watchful, caring, compassionate) Shepherd, sir..- (and) I shall not want.
Call me an evangelical (please)- I will take that as the utmost compliment and thank you. Nicodemus (the original “Nick at nite”) whose very name means “superior”- another (just like Rabbi Sha’ul) ruler of the Jews- keeper (no doubt) of every Torah tradition, and without question a fine, upstanding “moral” man, well-known, well-respected- “all of the above”- even this stellar citizen had to “kneel before the LORD His Maker, and say “Yeshua- Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” As our own Savior has said, “no man (no, not one) comes to the Father, but by Me.” Try Christianity without the cross and let me know how that works out for you. – It ain’t gonna happen. “You” sir, “You” m’am, MUST be born twice.
Born once,- die twice. Born twice, die once. In the very words of one willing to believe- “sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Salvation, friends, is not spelled “do”- it is spelled “done.” Jesus paid it all- all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.
Salvation? A crisis. (being born don’t come easy) Sanctification? A process. The (yes, sometimes painful) process of growth. It get’s easier as we learn to co-operate with our Master/Teacher.
Would this activity, thought, motivation, deed, word- be pleasing to Your Father? Is your heart right with God? If not,- why not?
“thrown” is not the same as “accident.” Don’t confuse them. “thrown” is the sense of not having a choice about when and where we are born. When and where we are born may be God’s design but it isn’t OUR choice. That does not mean it’s an accident. Read Heidegger first. The concept is quite insightful and helps explains a lot about our real choices and real responsibility.
How about it Heidegger? Yes, Michael, I’m thinking of the Doors also- “into this world we’re thrown..” NOT.
Hi Carl,
Don’t know Heidegger as well as the Doors, but think they were speaking “ontologically”
In terms of our subjective experience, it sometimes seems like we were thrown into this world
But “theologically” speaking we weren’t (as I understand it)
~ As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby ~ ( 1 Peter 2.2)
Whether a puppy, a tree or a Christian- anything living is growing and growth is a miraculous birth followed by a life-long process. Fitness (it has been said) is 80% diet. What have we been feeding on?
~ But He answered and said, “It is written:” (love those three words!) ~ A man (any man) does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.~ (Matthew 4.4)
~ There is salvation in no one else! For there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by whom we (all) must be saved! ~ (Acts 4.12)
The new birth,.. then comes development and maturation.
I like some of what Dallas Willard wrote in “Spirit of the Disciplines”. He speaks well to the problems of trying to act like Jesus in the moment, without following His general lifestyle.
O’ God!! For the sake of my family and those around me – don’t let me remain as I am!
I’ve been studying the history of the understanding of the phrase “born again” in Christian denominations over the years. It’s fascinating. Thanks for the great post, Skip. I’m wondering about the Jewish/Hebraic understanding of the idea of regeneration/rebirth. Does it appear in the OT? Is repentance (in the sense of “turning”) similar to the idea of rebirth?
“What was your second birthday like?” A day of amazing revelation!