What does it mean to be “born again”?
Naître de nouveau, c'est recevoir une vie spirituelle nouvelle de Dieu — un recommencement si profond que Jésus l'a comparé à une seconde naissance. Ce n'est pas une amélioration de soi, mais un changement que Dieu opère en celui qui se confie au Christ.
Réponse rapide traduite avec l'aide de l'IA et en cours de révision. L'explication complète est affichée en anglais.
The phrase comes from Jesus’ night-time conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. When Nicodemus, a respected religious teacher, came with questions, Jesus told him, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Nicodemus took it literally and was confused — how can a grown person be born twice?
Jesus explained that he meant a second, spiritual birth: “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The first birth gives physical life; the second, worked by the Holy Spirit, gives spiritual life and a restored relationship with God.
Being born again is therefore something God does, not something we manufacture. It happens as a person turns from self-reliance and trusts in Jesus. The result is a new heart, new desires, and the beginning of eternal life — the very life John 3:16 promises to “whoever believes.”