“You must be born again“
What!!!
These inscrutable words spoken by Jesus (John 3:7) to a fully grown adult makes us wonder if He was being ludicrously nonsensical beyond our apperception, or was he being incomprehensibly profound beyond our imagination!
The imperative embedded in this statement troubled Nicodemus as we shall see below and as you may expect it has indeed been a stumbling block to many over the ages.
For some musical relief from this stupefaction, here below you can watch Marcia Barrett enunciate each word clearly.
And the words are: I’m Born Again!
Well we know from Wikipedia that she was born in 1948 and in the year 1979 she sings: “I’m Born Again”. Was she crazy?
Now let us check out the narrative that includes that extraordinary statement by Jesus:
John 3:1-8
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus[a] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again[b] he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c] 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[d] must be born again.’ 8 The wind[e] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
If any thing, this narrative appears to complicate matters and it does not really shed much light on the subject. Yet, we have heard of people – traditional Christians and traditional non-Christians alike – who claim that they are born again; President Jimmy Carter for one ( usually described in media as a born-again peanut farmer!)
By further reading on the subject or by talking to those who claim to have the experience, we understand that “The phrase “Born Again Christian” applies to people who have accepted Jesus as their Savior or Redeemer (from the consequences of their sin). To be born again in this sense is not an actual physical rebirth (which it cannot be), but it indicates a spiritual rebirth.”
No wonder Jesus emphasizes the work of the Spirit in this process. Yes, it is Om ஓம் but this usage is somewhat archaic and you will rarely find “born again” people using this term today.
The broader implication is that this process is a must for entering the kingdom of God (மோட்சம் / சொர்க்கம்). This means that traditional, church going Christianity (as a religion) is of no avail and these folks also need to be “born again” just as any one who does not have a Christian upbringing.
It is Billy Sunday who is credited with a colourful quote that illustrates this: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.”
What? Does this mean that all non-born again people – traditional church going Christians and non-Christians alike – are sailing in the same boat?
Yes, it is so.
This is a fact which is not at all recognized in common parlance as well as in national discourse. Every church going Christian or indeed anybody with a biblical or Western name is branded a Christian and recorded as such in statistics. Inevitably forms used for sundry purposes also compel one to categorize him/her self in this fashion. Strangely this information is used to deprive an economically poor Christian from the benefits available to such people of other faith. But that is a different story!
Therefore the bogey of conversion (always said to be forced) and baptism resorted to by unscrupulous preachers funded by rather naive and gullible western missionary organizations, is also completely devoid of meaning.
In this context, it is good to recall that Jesus said” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” in that oft quoted verse (John 3:16). This amplification is an extension of the same incident narrated above. The crucial words here are: “whoever believes in him” .
Whoever, means just that – whosoever! No matter what his/her religious background is!! (notably it could be Christianity as well)
The evangelical Christians (presumably those who claim to be born again and heaven bound!) refer to the other (merely church going or non-church going traditional / generational) Christians as nominal Christians.
So let us not categorize Christianity as just another religion. In reality it means nothing. Belief or Faith is what counts.
Now let us see what PY says:
A rather long sentence, but isn’t he talking about Faith?
Further, he says “Christ did not go through the sublime drama of his life merely to provide sermon material for generations of preachers and their Sunday audiences.”
Wow! That was beautifully put!!
“Christ is disappointed because many are the churches and temples founded in his name, often prosperous and powerful, but where is the communion that he stressed – actual contact with God? Jesus wants temples to be established in human souls, first and foremost…” (Bible reference:.”We are the temple of the living God” (1 Cor.3:16))
PY goes on.……….. “instead, there are countless huge edifices with vast congregations being indoctrinated in churchianity, but few souls who are really in touch with Christ through the prayer and meditation. ” (Comparison with the Bible: “Many are called, but few are chosen. ” (Matthew 22:1))
Earlier, we mentioned Jesus emphasizing the work of the Spirit in this process of rebirth. And what does PY say in this regard?: “Through the blessing of communion with the Holy Ghost (archaic for Spirit), the cup of human consciousness is expanded to receive the ocean of Christ consciousness.”
We should also note that in titling the work “The Second Coming of Christ”, PY is not referring to the literal return of Jesus to earth, though that is something that is foretold in the Bible and looked forward to by the born again (He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev.22:20)).
As he puts it ” what is necessary is for the cosmic wisdom and divine perception of Jesus to speak again through each one’s own experience and understanding of the infinite Christ consciousness that was incarnate in Jesus. That will be his true second coming!
I should interject here that there are notable variances between PY’s interpretation of the Bible as given in this book – which includes many extra-biblical elements – and a Christian’s (born-again) illumination of the Scriptures. We should not overlook that. And that includes PY’s notion of the Second Coming.
Be that as it may, in the relevant passages in the introduction to the book PY categorically states that “Christ will thus appear a second time in the consciousness of every devout adept who masters the technique of contacting the Holy Spirit.”
This is pretty close to “being born again“. Is it not?
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