During Sunday School today we were reading John 3:2-6. The discussion came up of what the Lord meant by being “born again”. The typical answer of being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and other comments where made. As everyone was speaking and quotes were read from various Latter-day Prophets and Apostles I had a though come to mind.
Recall that the Lord is speaking to a member of the pharisees – nicodemus to be exact. I believe that the Savior is trying to expand the mind of Nicodemus and, by extension the Jews then and the readers today. The Jews in the days of the Savior thought that being born through the lineage of Abraham was enough for them to be saved in the Kingdom of Heaven, yet the Lord is trying to let them know that being a descendant of Abraham simply isn’t enough. We are “born of water” when we are first born, however we must be born again “of the spirit” which is a process that includes faith, repentance, and baptism.
This is a great parallel for us. Just being Christians and members of His church isn’t enough. We must become converted, increase our faith, receive the necessary ordinances (including baptism), and endure to the end.
