What does New birth mean in the Bible?

Answer 1

The new birth refers to the necessary spiritual rebirth which must occur for a person to become a Christian, hence the term 'born again believer.' This is outlined by Jesus in His conversation with Nicodemus in John 3.

Jesus points not just to the fact of the possibility of the new birth but to its absolute necessity when He states 'ye mustbe born again.'

The reason for this is that people by nature are opposed to God and need to be radically changed and to accept they need to repent and turn around their lives from darkness to light. It is not merely a 'turning over a new leaf' or a 'new years resolution' which may be broken on January 2, but a complete change of heart and life akin to physical birth (by divine analogy) in that a completely different world is entered with a completely different way of 'living and breathing'.

1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The 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. 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus 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? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.