You Must Be Born Again - John 3:7 Meaning

10/29/2025

by Mr. Whitney V. Myers

Download a printable PDF of this lesson.

"You must be born again" - Jesus speaking with Nicodemus - John 3:7 - Shutterstock image - Used under license

"Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3:7)

This lesson explains the meaning of Jesus' statement, "You must be born again," in John 3:7.

The Bible verse quotations in this lesson are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless noted otherwise (Ref. 1).

Read: John 3:1-8

Consider. What does it mean to be "born again"? Why did Jesus say we must be born again?

1. Who is included in "You must be born again"?

The first "you" in John 3:7 is singular (Ref. 2), referring to Nicodemus. Jesus said, "Do not marvel that I said to you ..."

The second "you" in John 3:7 is plural, meaning you all (Ref. 2). Jesus said, "You [all] must be born again" (John 3:7). Nicodemus may have understood the plural you as referring to himself and the rulers and Pharisees (John 3:1). However, the plural "you" in "You must be born again" is universal and applies to all people because all need to be born again to see [spiritually perceive] the kingdom of God (John 3:3, Ref. 3). That includes all of us who are reading this message.

2. Why must we be born again?

"Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." (Romans 5:12)

Romans 5:12 tells us that because of Adam's sin, sin and death spread to all people (Greek anthrópos - all humans - men, women, and children) (Ref. 3; Genesis 2:16-17, 3:6-7). There are no exemptions. That is why we must be born again.

3. What does "born again" mean?

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

"Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3:7)

The words "born again" in John 3:3 and 3:7 in the Greek mean to be regenerated anew (Ref. 4, Ref. 5). The work of regenerating us anew spiritually is entirely the work of God's Holy Spirit, not our own works (Ezekiel 36:25-27, Titus 3:4-5). God's work of regenerating us anew spiritually (making us born of God) is different in nature and timing from our natural human birth (being born of earthly parents) (John 1:12-13, John 3:6).

Becoming "born again" in John 3:3 and 3:7 is synonymous with becoming "born of God" in John 1:13. John, the disciple of Christ and the gospel writer says, "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:11-13). Further, John gives three characteristics of a person who is born of God:

Does not practice [continue to do] sin (1 John 3:9, Ref. 6)
Loves [agapaó] others (1 John 4:7, Ref. 7). Christlike love for others is the primary evidence of our regeneration (John 13:34, Ref. 7).
Overcomes the world through faith (1 John 5:4)

In Ezekiel 36:25, God's action of cleansing us from sin (symbolized by water) is part of the inner transformation God does in us when God regenerates us anew and puts a new spirit within us (Ezekiel 36:26-27, Psalm 51:1-2, 10, Hebrews 10:22, 1 John 1:9).

To sum up, becoming born again means being regenerated anew by God's Holy Spirit (John 3:3, 7). God cleanses us from our sin. God puts a new spirit -- the Holy Spirit -- within us, and transforms us into a new person, born of God (Ezekiel 36:25-27, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 John 5:1).

4. How do I become born again?

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)

John says quite clearly that to be born of God, we are to "receive him" and "believe in his name." "Him" refers to Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh, the only Son from the Father (John 1:1, 14, 17). To "receive" him means to accept him and not to reject him (John 1:11, Ref. 8, John 13:20). To "believe" in him means to have faith in him and to trust him (Ref. 9). The Lexical Summary in Ref. 9 adds that "believe" means to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ).

Once you receive Jesus as your Savior and believe in (entrust your life to) him, the Holy Spirit will dwell in you to help you on an ongoing basis daily throughout the rest of your life (John 14:16-17, Colossians 1:27). The Holy Spirit will help you:

Know that you are a child of God (Romans 8:16)
Study, learn, and practice the word of God (John 14:26, John 16:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB)
Mature as a child of God (1 Peter 2:1-2)
Love others with Christ-like love (John 13:34; 1 John 4:7, 5:1-2)
Serve God in the world (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20)
Build up the body of Christ using spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has given you (Ephesians 4:11-12 NASB, Romans 12:6-8 NIV, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NIV)

Prayer. Lord Jesus, I am sorry for my sins. Thank you for dying on the cross to forgive my sins. Come and live in my heart. I yield control of my life to you. Teach me, and make me into the person you want me to be. Help me to love you and to serve others in your name. Amen.

Related Lessons
"11 Bible Verses About Being Born Again" - John 3:7 and others
"Becoming a Child of God" - John 1:12-13

References
1.  https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/English-Standard-Version-ESV-Bible/
2.  https://biblehub.com/interlinear/john/3-7.htm
3.  https://biblehub.com/greek/3708.htm
4.  https://biblehub.com/greek/1080.htm
5.  https://biblehub.com/greek/509.htm
6.  https://biblehub.com/greek/4160.htm
7.  https://biblehub.com/greek/25.htm
8.  https://biblehub.com/greek/2983.htm
9.  https://biblehub.com/greek/4100.htm

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What Does "To Be Saved" Mean in the New Testament?

8/29/2021

2 Comments

by Mr. Whitney V. Myers

Download a printable PDF of this post.

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved" - Acts 16:31 - Photo by Whitney V. Myers

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." (Acts 16:31)

This lesson is the second in a series on what "to be saved" means in the Bible. The first lesson described what "to be saved" means in the Old Testament (Ref. 1). This lesson describes what "to be saved" means in the New Testament.

This lesson uses scripture quotations from the English Standard Version (ESV) and the New American Standard Bible (NASB) (Ref. 2).

Consider. What do the words, "to be saved," mean to you? How does a person become saved?

1. "To be saved" in the New Testament means "to be delivered out of danger into safety" and "to be made well or whole."

The Greek word, sózó, translated as saved in Acts 16:31 occurs over 100 times in the New Testament (Ref. 3). Sózó (pronounced sode'-zo) means to deliver, heal, make whole, preserve, and save (Ref. 3). When God saves us, God delivers us out of danger into his provisions (safety).

Items "a," "b," "c," and "d" below provide examples from the New Testament for what it means to be saved.

a. Jesus saves people through storms

(1). Jesus saved his disciples when they were afraid

Matthew 8:25-26 -- "And they went and woke him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing.' 26 And he said to them, 'Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?' Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm." (Read the entire account: Matthew 8:23-27.)

(2). Jesus saved Peter when he doubted

Matthew 14:30-31, brackets added -- "But when he [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me.' 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' " (Read the entire account: Matthew 14:22-33.)

Notice in these examples that Jesus saved them even when they had little faith. Let that thought encourage you and calm you in whatever storm you are going through.

b. Jesus saves people when they are lost

Luke 19:8-10 -- "And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, 'Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.' 9 And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'" (Read the entire account: Luke 19:1-10).

In Luke 19:10, the Greek word for lost, apollumi (ap-ol'-loo-mee), has a more severe meaning than just needing directions to point the way. Apollumi (being lost) implies to die with the implication of ruin and permanent (absolute) destruction by experiencing a miserable end (Ref. 4). Jesus Christ came to save Zaccheus, you, and me from experiencing ruin, permanent destruction, and a miserable end.

c. Jesus saves suffering people and makes them well (healed and whole)

The Greek word sózó which means save also means make well, heal, and restore to health (Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Ref. 3). The New Testament strongly teaches the healing nature of being saved.

(1). Jesus healed the woman with a hemorrhage

Mark 5:33-34, brackets added -- "But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well [saved you]; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.'" (Read the entire account: Mark 5:25-34.)

(2). Jesus healed Bartimaeus from blindness

Mark 10:51-52, brackets added -- "And Jesus said to him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' And the blind man said to him, 'Rabbi, let me recover my sight.' 52 And Jesus said to him, 'Go your way; your faith has made you well [saved you].' And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way." (Read the entire account: Mark 10:46-52.)

(3). Church elders are to pray for the sick to be restored (saved)

James 5:14-15, brackets added -- "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save [restore] the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."

When you are suffering and need healing, seek the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer and faith, and trust him for the results.

d. God will save people who call on him from the day of the Lord and from the wrath of God against sin

(1). People who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved from the day of the Lord

The prophet Joel describes the day of the Lord in Joel 2:30-32. In Joel 2:31, he describes the day of the Lord as "great and awesome [where awesome means to be feared]" (Ref. 5). Then, Joel adds "And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved [delivered, escape]" (Joel 2:32, brackets added; Ref. 6). On Pentecost, the Apostle Peter quoted Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2:17-21.

"Calling on the name of the Lord" means "to adore and worship" the Lord and "to invoke" [petition, appeal to, and make an earnest request to] the Lord in prayer (Ref. 7, Ref. 8).

God has promised -- people who call on him (adore, worship, appeal to, and pray to him) will be saved. When you believe in Christ, the time of his return will be a time of salvation, not a time of fear. Thank God and rejoice in that promise.

(2). God will save believers in Christ from the wrath of God against sin

Romans 5:8-10 -- "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life."

According to HELPS Word-studies, the wrath of God refers to God's fixed, controlled, passionate feeling against sin (Ref. 9). As believers in Christ, we are justified [made righteous] by the blood of Christ (Ref. 10, Romans 5:9). That is why we who believe in Christ will be saved by him from the wrath of God against sin (Romans 5:9-10).

2. Biblical Principles about Being Saved

a. God was so moved by his love for the world that he has already provided the way for the world to be saved

John 3:16 -- "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

b. God sent his Son not to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him

John 3:17 -- Jesus said to Nicodemus, "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him." Nicodemus, a Pharisee (John 3:1), may have been expecting a Messiah that would destroy Israel's Gentile enemies (Ellicott's Commentary on John 3:17, Ref. 11). Jesus came at that time not to initiate the final judgment of the world, but to provide the way for the people of the world -- Gentiles and Jews -- to be saved.

c. For those who believe in Christ, God has saved us from our former life of sin

Romans 5:8 -- "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Ephesians 2:4-5 -- "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."

d. God has provided his Son, Jesus Christ, as the only way by which people are saved

Acts 4:10,12 -- The Apostle Peter referred to Jesus Christ of Nazareth when he said, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

e. Our only "to do" to become saved is to believe in Jesus Christ, God's Son

Acts 16:30-31, brackets added -- "Then he [the Philippian jailer] brought them [Paul and Silas] out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' 31 And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.'"

The Greek word for believe means trust in, have faith in, and have confidence in (Ref.12).

3. Salvation Prayer

   Apply. If you are not yet a believer in Jesus Christ, tell him you are sorry for all the sins in your life (1 John 1:9), and put your faith and trust in him. Tell Jesus that you believe in him and that you believe he died for you (Romans 5:8). Tell Jesus that you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). Thank Jesus for being your Savior and Lord.

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).

Related Lessons
"What Does 'To Be Saved' Mean in the Old Testament?" (Psalm 18:3)
"God's Offer of Salvation and Eternal Life" (John 3:16)
"Faith Comes from Hearing" (Romans 10:17)