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What is a Born Again Christian?
There are several terms people use in the language they speak becoming not only popular but also fashionable. This happens to every language and in all nations. You may even recall some fashionable expressions of your younger days (if you are now say in your 40s at least) that are no longer in vogue. In the Christian world has happened the same. In later days you can hear the term “born again” used in several ways. A person may ask you if you are a born again Christian, or if you have already born again or someone may tell you that he/she born again in September 7 of the year 2007, etc. This expression has gain popularity mainly within the protestant denominations of today US Christianity. Although Catholics are also call to born again, in most cases a Catholic has not read the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church in its entirety and in general they cannot care less. Although the expression is popular these days, most ‘Bible at hand churchgoers’ may not have a clear understanding or may not be able to offer us a clear explanation about this expression. Now, there are two fundamental questions around this subject or this concept if you will, first question is: What is a Born Again Christian? And the second question is: What is to be Saved? I am addressing the first question only in this article. Please have your bible at hand; we will go through several passages to answer the question.
I will begin answering this question by telling you that the subject or better yet, the act known as “born again” is important to a Christian. This importance comes from what Jesus told Nicodemus during a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus described in the gospel of John chapter 3, here you have the text.
John 3:1 Now there was a man from the Pharisees, a leader of the Jews, whose name was Nicodemus. John 3:2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher, for no one can perform these signs that you are doing unless God is with him." John 3:3 Jesus replied to him, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless a person is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a person be born when he is old? He can't go back into his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?" John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless a person is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
In 3:3 Jesus is saying that he who born again, this is, he who has born of water and Spirit can (at some point) enter the Kingdome of God. Based on this statement we can conclude that those who have not born of water and Spirit are not allowed to enter the kingdom of God.
In 3:5 the word translated WATER from the Greek word υδωρ, υδατος hudōr  hudatos Pronunciation - hoo'-dor, hoo'-dat-os, etc. From the base of G5205; water (as if rainy) literally or figuratively: - water - drop This word was in use to signify biological birth
Now, in John 3:3 we have a word that deserves a comment. In the day and in the language this text was written, the word AGAIN or AnōThen meant from above. See the following note.
ανωθεν anōthen Pronunciation - an'-o-then From G507; from above; by analogy from the first; by implication anew: - from above, again, from the beginning (very first), the top.
This could render the following John 3:3 John 3:3 Jesus replied to him, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless a person is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God." This carries that meaning of a Spiritual birth and not a first or second physical birth of a person. Based on the previous explanation, born again represents the path for all followers of Jesus Christ to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus offered you and I, actually to humanity a path to enter the kingdom of God. Now the natural questions one may ask are these: What is the kingdom of God and what should one do to actually born again?
The Kingdome of God!  The kingdom of God like any other kingdom we have on earth is the place where a king resides, where the king and all the many different levels of authority representing the king are. A kingdom has a structure, a form of operation, etc. The kingdom of God is not a physical kingdom like the ones we have and have had on earth. It is a spiritual kingdom, God is not a physical God, He is Spirit. As said in John 3:3 Jesus replied to him, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless a person is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God." This carries that meaning of a Spiritual birth and not a first or second physical birth of a person. A spiritual birth that allows us to enter to a spiritual kingdom! What should one do to actually born again? We must repent. Please see the article I offered by the title Repent – The Kingdom of God. Repentance is the first call from the kingdom of God and the first call requested by John the Baptist. When a person truly repents that person renounces to follow his/her own will and promise to live according and following the will of Jesus Christ. In a way this is like spiritually dying. We are to be baptized in water (not with water). See the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
We take on His burial by baptism in water (by immersion) into his name.
Romans 6:4 When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father.
We participate in His resurrection by receiving and in-filling us with the Holy Ghost. The presence of the Holy Ghost in us is what makes us a new individual, what gives us a new life and what gives us the capacity of living the way a Christian person should live. Stating again. Being born again means: To spiritually die, this is, to repent, Symbolically be buried, this is, be baptized, and, Receive the Holy Ghost. In plain English, a person must repent of his sins, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ by immersion, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Now, please observe that by being allowed to enter the kingdom of God really means to be saved. In addition to this, it means that Jesus cleared our dirt; our sin by his dead at the cross. Consequently we can be inside the kingdom of God, otherwise no one with sins could be allowed to be near God’s presence.
When you hear the expression “Calvary”, it represents three things: The death of Jesus, The burial of Jesus, and The resurrection of Jesus. This is clearly established by Jesus in John 3:1-5 and explained by Paul in the letter to the Corinthians. See the following.
1 Corinthians 15:1  Now I'm making known to you, brothers, the gospel that I proclaimed to you, which you accepted, on which you have taken your stand, 1 Corinthians 15:2  and by which you are also being saved if you hold firmly to the message I proclaimed to you-unless, of course, your faith was worthless. 1 Corinthians 15:3  For I passed on to you the most important points of what I received: Christ died for our sins in keeping with the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:4  he was buried, he was raised on the third day in keeping with the Scriptures-and is still alive!-
It is easy now to see that these three events make up the act of being born again spoken of by Jesus (John 3:1-5); this is, to die, to be buried, and to rise again. In doing these three events is to be born again. Allow me to be redundant; now, we see that Jesus, through His death, burial, and resurrection, instituted for us the plan of being born again spoken of in John 3:3. Through this plan is that we receive salvation. The fact that Jesus actually offered you and I and humanity a plan of salvation is the greatest news we can find and we can proclaim! What other thing is greater or has more importance than our resurrection and salvation? Please read the opening text of this website as I offered you a final view of what God said to Daniel. Pay attention to the concept that dead is not the end of the end, as God promised Daniel that he will wake up at the end of time. Equally to Daniel, we will wakeup and the end of times and we will receive life like no one has seen, provided we have accepted Jesus’ plan of salvation.