“Ye must be born again.”

 John 3:7

 

There is a multitude of sinners in this world, who are the objects of God’s everlasting love and grace in Christ, who must be born again. The Lord Jesus did not simply say to Nicodemus, “You really should be born again,” or “You need to be born again,” or “I urge you to be born again.” Our Savior said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again!” And, though he was not here born again, at the appointed time of love and grace, this man was, according to the purpose of God, born again (John 19:38-40).

 

            Taking Nicodemus to be a representative of all God’s elect, the Son of God says, concerning all chosen sinners, “Ye must be born again;” and they shall, every one of them, at God’s appointed time. This is a matter of absolute certainty because it is a matter of absolute necessity. Why must God’s elect be born again? What necessity is there for this? Here are seven things clearly revealed in the Word of God showing us why every chosen sinner must be born again.

 

1.       God’s elect must be born again because we need it.

 

Though chosen and redeemed, though predestinated to eternal salvation, none of God’s elect can ever be saved apart from the new birth. We must be born again because we were all born wrong the first time (Ps. 51:5; 58:3). Because we were born wrong the first time, unless we are born again, we can neither see nor enter into the kingdom of God.

 

2.       Every one of the elect must be born again because God, who cannot lie, promised it before the world began (Jer. 31: 33-34; Tit. 1:2).

 

3.       All the chosen must be born again because election demands it (2 Thess. 2: 13-14; Eph. 1:2-14).

 

If even one of those chosen to salvation should fail to obtain salvation, then God’s election is meaningless, his purpose is useless, his love is worthless, and his Word is comfortless! If God cannot be trusted to do this, to save the people he purposed to save from eternity, he cannot be trusted to do anything!

 

4.       God’s elect must all be born again because predestination arranged it (Rom. 8:28-30).

 

Predestination is God’s appointment and arrangement of all things from eternity to secure the salvation of his chosen. Providence is God’s execution of his eternal purpose of grace in predestination.

 

5.       Every one of God’s elect must, without exception, be born again because the sin-atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has obtained it and demands it (Heb. 9:12).

 

6.       Every chosen, blood-bought sinner in this world must be born again because our God wills it (2 Pet. 3:9; 15).

 

7.       All the chosen, all who were predestinated to eternal life, all the redeemed, all of them must be born again because the Holy Spirit was sent here to do it (John 16:8-11; 6:37-40, 44-45, 63).