The Necessity of the New Birth

When we say that we “must” do something it shows absolute necessity that something has to be done. In verse seven, Jesus declares that we must be born again. He makes this birth a prerequisite for heaven. We cannot see, much less enter, the kingdom of God unless we have been born again. Romans 8:8 teaches us that our fleshly nature cannot please God. Therefore, we must be given a new nature to enter His Holy presence.

And, contrary to popular opinion, verse seven is not a command of something for us to do but a simple statement of fact: the new birth must occur. Jesus is not instructing Nicodemus on something he needs to do but that regeneration is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit (discussed in the next section). Along with the necessity is the surety of the new birth for all of God’s chosen. Romans 8:28-29 shows the wonderful unbreakable chain of salvation. God fore-knew His people and will “call,” or regenerate them sometime during their life.