READ: John 3:1-21
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. – John 3:7
Being born again is one of the distinctive features of the Christian faith. There is no religion that requires you to be born again. There is no religion that claims an inner new birth. Christianity stands alone in this claim!
The word “born” means “to be produced or created”. Therefore, to be “born again” means “to be produced or created again”. Joining a church is not the same as being born again. You can join a church and still not be born again!
In a “religious” country such as Ghana, only a few people would say they do not want to belong to a church. So you could easily be a member of a church, (because you want to be buried by that church) and not be born again.
It is very possible to play a prominent role in church without being born again. For instance, choristers may dutifully sing in church without being born again. Once, during an altar call in our church, some choristers responded to the call to give their lives to Christ. This means they were members of the choir, but were not born again. A person who is not born again may join a church, get involved in church activities and even become a priest.
There are priests standing behind the “sacred desks” in many churches who are not even born again! Jesus says to the priests and the choristers, “Marvel not that I say unto thee, ye must be born again.”