Two times in three verses....(three individual verses....as the Bible has since been codified into chapter and verse).....twice in the third chapter of John.....Jesus tells Nicodemus that one has to be....born again. That is the meaning but to be more specific in the wordage that our Lord used....and John related....in the third verse Jesus said...."unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God"....and in verse five.....this after Nicodemus questions the language.....Jesus adds...."unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." So...."born again" in one....and "born of water and the Spirit" in the other.....and...."see the kingdom of God" in one.....and "enter the kingdom of God " in the other."
One could look at these verses...three and five....and say that they mean the same thing.....and they do....but one can also point out that 'seeing the kingdom' could mean something....the same but at the same time different than....'entering' the kingdom.There are numerous stories....and books written....and even some movies made....on the testimony of someone.....man or woman....adult or child....who purportedly was taken to heaven.....possibly met with Jesus....and returned. They are all nonsense....at best nonsense....and there are many reasons why they cannot be true....and I have posted on that in the past.....but in this post....I only want to focus on one aspect.
Believers in Jesus Christ may indeed be different in many ways....personality....intellect....and virtues such as humility. So we may not all respond in the same exact way....but....if one has been 'born again'....or....'born from above'....or 'born of water and the Spirit'.....even though still in this life and in this body.....they are going to....to one degree or another....understand or take take joy in the glories and marvelous light of the kingdom of God.
In this respect Jesus was saying that if one has not been overcome with the goodness and righteousness of God.....and knowledge of our own sinfulness and deserving of condemnation....in effect 'seeing' the kingdom of God".....then they have not been born again....or born from above....or born of water and the Spirit.
Give me one more short paragraph please....this to any evangelical who assumes that they are Christian....'saved'....redeemed....name written in the Lamb's Book of Life....if they indeed have been any of these things....then they would see enough of the kingdom of God that they could not just live life without showing the joy....without giving praise daily even hourly....and without acknowledging their deadness having been made alive....saved.....gloriously saved....and all this of nothing of their own.
So no....the person who has been born again cannot have been taken to heaven....and consequently describe the glorious light of righteousness....as if it is new to them....for they would have already known it here on earth! If you cannot understand how one can be overjoyed and every new day humbled and thankful afresh for mercies bestowed....then there is a problem....and that is what Jesus was pointing to....one cannot see or understand or have knowledge of the glory of heaven....unless one has been born again....and unless one has been born of water....and the Spirit....they will not enter into the kingdom of God.
