Seeking Jesus First Jan. 21, 2026
You Must Be Born Again
Today’s Reading: John 3:1–21
(Read the full passage before reflecting below.)
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” (John 3:3, NKJV)
Nicodemus comes to Jesus as a sincere seeker. He recognizes truth. He acknowledges that Jesus is a teacher sent from God. Yet Jesus immediately says something that stops Nicodemus in his tracks: “You must be born again.” Not advised. Not improved. Not educated further. Born again.
This statement challenges a common assumption—both then and now—that spiritual life can be attained through knowledge, morality, or sincere belief alone. Nicodemus was devout, disciplined, and deeply familiar with Scripture. Yet Jesus tells him that none of that grants entrance into the kingdom of God. Something entirely new must happen.
In our time, this teaching stands in contrast to ideas that suggest everyone is already accepted simply because God is love. While Scripture clearly affirms that God is love, it also reveals that His love is holy, not permissive. Love does not ignore truth; it transforms us by it. Love does not erase the need for rebirth; it provides the way.
Jesus does not tell Nicodemus that he merely needs reassurance or affirmation. He tells him he needs new life from above. The phrase “born again” also means “born from above.” This is not a human achievement—it is a divine act. Entry into the kingdom is not granted by heritage, effort, or good intention. It comes through spiritual rebirth.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” We seek God precisely because we lack something we cannot produce on our own. We come empty so that He may fill us. When God answers that seeking, He does not merely improve us—He recreates us.
This rebirth involves the Holy Spirit. Jesus later explains that what is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. When a person is born again, God’s Spirit becomes united with their inner man. This is not symbolic. It is real. Scripture calls it becoming a new creation. Old things pass away; something new begins.
Universalism often falters here—not because it wants God to be loving, but because it misunderstands what love accomplishes. Love does not simply declare everyone whole; it heals those who receive it. Love does not bypass transformation; it provides it through Christ. Jesus does not say, “Everyone already sees the kingdom.” He says, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see it.”
This is not exclusion—it is invitation. The door is open, but entry requires new birth. And that birth is a gift, not a wage.
Nicodemus’ confusion is understandable. New birth cannot be explained by human logic alone. But Jesus is not asking Nicodemus to figure it out—He is inviting him to receive it.
Today, let this truth settle gently in your heart. God’s love is not permissive; it is powerful. It does not leave us as we are—it makes us new. To be born again is not to be rejected, but to be welcomed into the life of God Himself.
As you continue reading John 3, ask honestly: am I seeking affirmation—or transformation? Jesus offers both truth and love, and in Him, they always work together.