What does it mean to be “born again”?
Opnieuw geboren worden betekent nieuw geestelijk leven van God ontvangen — een begin zo diep dat Jezus het vergeleek met een tweede geboorte. Het is geen zelfverbetering, maar een verandering die God bewerkt in wie op Christus vertrouwt.
Het korte antwoord is met behulp van AI vertaald en in beoordeling. De volledige uitleg staat in het Engels.
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.”