Born Again

Jesus spoke to a perplexed Nicodemus. saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3: 3)

Being “born again” is the theological concept that when a person believes on Jesus Christ, they come into a special spiritual fellowship with God as their Father. They were first born into this world of sin and death but have been given a new life in the spirit as a child of God. Born again, into the light of truth, they are now possessed by God’s divine and Holy Spirit which with their will subject to that of God the father, will grow and mature them.

A born again Christian is said to be freed from the condemnation of being a sinner, not because they are inherently worthy of such grace, or somehow perfect in and of themselves, but because God in Christ forgave their sin, and set them free. They are sure and secure in the hope of eternal life, not because they have attained sainthood or perfection, but because the King of Glory made a way that is otherwise impossible and unknown. A sinner saved, is not saved by works or simply because they think they are, but because god gave us his word and then he kept it. We are saved by God’s kindness, and we call this kindness towards us, grace.

Many modern doctors and psychologists do not believe in, nor are they trained in the biblical concept of spiritual rebirth, and when they come across it in their practices they happily apply what might be called a secular viewpoint to such an experience. They may even concede that the religious concept of being “born again” might be analogous to what they associate with, a "perceptual change of personal reality" or "a renewed sense of self,” but that is all. A prime example of this secular viewpoint and misapplication of the Christian understanding of being “born again,”is might very well be the self-proclaimed abortion expert, Dr. William Harrison of Arkansas.

Appearing on ABC Nightline, January 11, 2005, Harrison unashamedly used the term “born again” to describe what happens to his patients after they have an abortion. He told the host, Martin Bashir what he meant by saying that women who had an abortion were somehow “born again.” He misapplied the term when he further explained, "When you end what the woman considers a disastrous pregnancy, she has literally been given her life back.”

What Harrison didn't understand about being born again is that being “born again” is not getting your old life back, it's being given a whole new life, one that is very different from anything you even knew before.