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MAY 14
DAY 13:What does it mean to be “born again”?
In John 3:3,Jesus answered a question that Nicodemus does not even ask.He read Nicodemus’s
heart and came to the very core of his problem, i.e., the need for spiritual transformation or regen-
eration produced by the Holy Spirit. He tells Nicodemus that he must be “born again.”The phrase
literally means “born from above.”New birth is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the
believer (2 Cor.5:17;Titus 3:5; 1 Pet.1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18).Chapter 1:12,13 indicates that
“born again” also carries the idea “to become children of God” through trust in the name of the
incarnate Word.
Unless one is born again,he “cannot see the kingdom of God.”In context,this is primarily a ref-
erence to participation in the millennial kingdom at the end of the age,fervently anticipated by the
Pharisees and other Jews. Since the Pharisees were supernaturalists, they naturally and eagerly
expected the coming of the prophesied resurrection of the saints and institution of the messianic
kingdom (Is. 11:1–16; Dan. 12:2). Their problem was that they thought that mere physical lineage
and keeping of religious externals qualified them for entrance into the kingdom rather than the
needed spiritual transformation which Jesus emphasized (see 8:33–39;Gal.6:15).The coming of the
kingdom at the end of the age can be described as the “regeneration”of the world (Matt.19:28),but
regeneration of the individual is required before the end of the world in order to enter the kingdom.
Restating it, Jesus said that one must be “born of water and the Spirit”(v.5).Jesus referred not
to literal water here but to the need for “cleansing”(Ezek. 36:24–27).When water is used figuratively
in the Old Testament,it consistently refers to renewal or spiritual cleansing,especially when used in
conjunction with “spirit”(Num. 19:17–19; Ps. 51:9,10; Is. 32:15; 44:3–5; 55:1–3; Jer. 2:13; Joel 2:28,29).
Thus,Jesus made reference to the spiritual washing or purification of the soul,accomplished by the
Holy Spirit through the Word of God at the moment of salvation (Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5), required for
belonging to His kingdom.

“Surely, as the LORD lives, you have been
May 14 upright, and your going out and your coming
in with me in the army is good in my sight. For
to this day I have not found evil in you since
the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless
1 Samuel 29:1–31:13
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the lords do not favor you. Therefore return
Then the Philistines gathered together now, and go in peace, that you may not dis-
29 all their armies at Aphek, and the please the lords of the Philistines.”
Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in 8 So David said to Achish, “But what have I
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Jezreel. And the lords of the Philistines passed done? And to this day what have you found in
in review by hundreds and by thousands, but your servant as long as I have been with you,
David and his men passed in review at the rear that I may not go and fight against the ene-
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with Achish. Then the princes of the Philistines mies of my lord the king?”
said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” 9 Then Achish answered and said to David,
And Achish said to the princes of the “I know that you are as good in my sight as an
Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the
Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with
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days, or these years? And to this day I have us to the battle.’ Now therefore, rise early in
found no fault in him since he defected to me.” the morning with your master’s servants who
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But the princes of the Philistines were angry have come with you. And as soon as you are up
with him; so the princes of the Philistines said early in the morning and have light, depart.”
to him, “Make this fellow return, that he may 11 So David and his men rose early to depart
go back to the place which you have appoint- in the morning, to return to the land of the
ed for him, and do not let him go down with us Philistines. And the Philistines went up to
to battle, lest in the battle he become our Jezreel.
adversary. For with what could he reconcile Now it happened, when David and his
himself to his master, if not with the heads of 30 men came to Ziklag, on the third day,
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these men? Is this not David, of whom they that the Amalekites had invaded the South and
sang to one another in dances, saying: Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,
2 and had taken captive the women and those
‘Saul has slain his thousands, who were there, from small to great; they did
And David his ten thousands’?”
not kill anyone, but carried them away and
Then Achish called David and said to him, went their way. So David and his men came to
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