A New Birth for a New Life

By: Constancio C Ada, MD, President & CEO

When Nicodemus came to Jesus at night (John 3), he came as a respected religious leader, a Pharisee, and a teacher of Israel. Yet Jesus met him with a startling declaration:

“Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus had spent his entire life believing that his first birth—his lineage, his training, his religious devotion—was enough. Jesus gently but firmly corrected him. The kingdom of God requires something deeper, something only God can give: a new birth from above.

Why the First Birth Is Not Enough

Nothing is wrong with our first birth. It is God’s gift. But it is incomplete.

Our natural birth gives us:

• Life in the flesh
• A nature that is fallen and self-centered
• A heart unable to fully obey God
• A life shaped by Adam, not yet reshaped by Christ

This is not natural. It is supernatural. It reflects the very heart of God, who “is kind to the unthankful and evil” (Luke 6:35). When we love our enemies, we reveal the family resemblance we show that we are truly children of our Father in heaven.

As Jesus said:

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh.”

The first birth gives us physical life, but not the spiritual life needed to know God, love God, or enter His kingdom. This is why every person—religious or irreligious, moral or immoral—needs the new birth.

Born of Water and the Spirit

Jesus continued:

“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus, a teacher of Scripture, should have recognized this language from Ezekiel 36:25–27:

• Water — cleansing from sin
• Spirit — a new heart and new power

This is not a physical rebirth but a spiritual transformation. It is God doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

What the New Birth Produces

The new birth is not merely a change of behavior; it is a change of nature.

It gives us:

• A new heart

• A new spirit

• New desires

• New power to obey

• A new identity as children of God

• A new destiny in God’s kingdom

The new birth is the miracle of God’s Spirit creating a new life within us—life that reflects Christ.

Nicodemus: A Picture of Hope

Nicodemus began in confusion, but he did not stay there. Later, he defended Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Finally, he helped bury Jesus with reverence and courage. The man who came by night stepped into the light.This is the journey of every person who is born again.

A Simple Summary:

• The first birth gives physical life but leaves us spiritually dead.

• The second birth gives spiritual life and makes us children of God.

• The first birth makes us part of Adam’s family

• The second birth makes us part of Christ’s kingdom.

• Jesus’ message to Nicodemus is His message to us:“You must be born again.”

Reflection for the Week

Are you living from the strength of your first birth, or the power of your second?

The new birth is not a one-time event to remember—it is a new life to live.

Shared by:

Adventist International Ministries

(Constancio C Ada, MD, President & CEO)