" Born Twice, Die Only Once "

 

John 3:1-7  "There was a man of the Pharisees, name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to JESUS by night, and said unto HIM, RABBI, we know that THOU art a teacher come from GOD: for no man can do these miracles that THOU doest, except GOD be with HIM. JESUS answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of GOD. 

Nicodemus saith unto HIM, How can a man be born when he is old ? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born ? JESUS answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee Except a man be born of water (the first birth) and the SPIRIT (the 2nd.birth), he cannot enter into the kingdom of GOD. That which is born of the flesh (the first birth) is flesh; and that which is born of the SPIRIT (the 2nd. birth) is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."

     "If you are born only once, you will die twice; but if you are born twice, you will die only once." That is an expression I heard my father use many times. But some might say, "I don't understand. What does it mean ?" It really is not that difficult to understand. When GOD created man, it was with the capacity for reproduction. You came into this world through physical birth, and you will some day die just as the writer of Hebrews states: "It is appointed unto men once to die" (Hebrews 9:27 pictured above). However, the verse just quoted continues with "but after this the judgment." GOD will bring us into judgment for our sins UNLESS we have come to HIM through faith in JESUS CHRIST and HIS shed blood. As a result of GOD's judgment, the unsaved will experience what the Bible calls "the second death" when "Death and Hell [are] cast into the Lake of Fire" (Revelation 20:14 pictured below) --eternal separation from GOD in eternal suffering. Yes, if we are born once (physically), we will die twice (both physically and eternally).

     But take heart ! JESUS told Nicodemus he needed to be "born again" (V.3) --He needed a second birth, a spiritual birth into GOD's family. It is in the context of that conversation with Nicodemus that JESUS promised, "Whosoever believes in HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 pictured below) -- born twice, die once (physically but not eternally).

If you have trusted JESUS as your own personal LORD and SAVIOR, then you have the blessed assurance of being "absent from the body, and . . . present with the LORD" (2nd.Corinthians 5:8 pictured below) when your time comes to die physically. If you have never come to CHRIST for salvation, I urge you to trust HIM today while there is still time -- "ye must be born again" (v.7 pictured at the top of the post). JED

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Copyright, FEATURE: A Daily Bible Study Guide.

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