Short answer

To be born again is to receive a brand-new life from God. It is not a religious ritual but a real change worked by the Holy Spirit the moment a person turns to Jesus and trusts Him. Jesus said no one can see God’s kingdom without it.

Where the phrase comes from

A respected religious leader called Nicodemus came to Jesus at night with questions. Jesus told him plainly: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Nicodemus was puzzled; Jesus explained that He meant a birth John 3:5-6 brought about by the Spirit, not a physical one.

The point is striking. Nicodemus was moral, educated and devout, yet Jesus said he needed to start again from the beginning. Religion, background and good behaviour cannot produce spiritual life. Only God can.

What actually happens

When someone hears the gospel and believes, the Holy Spirit does something inside them that they could never do for themselves. Peter says we have been born again not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God (1 Peter 1:23). Paul describes it as becoming a new creation: The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This is instant and complete on God’s side, even though growing up in that new life takes a lifetime. A newborn baby is fully alive on day one; it simply has a lot of growing to do.

How you can tell

New birth shows. There is a new love for God, a new hunger for His Word, a new desire to turn from sin and a new love for God’s people. John writes that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God (1 John 5:1). If you believe, you have been born again.

How this connects across the Bible

The Bible is one story. Here is how this theme runs from the Old Testament to Jesus:

  • God promised through Ezekiel to give His people a new heart and to put His Spirit within them (Ezekiel 36:26-27); Jesus expects Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel, to recognise this promise (John 3:10).
  • Moses spoke of God circumcising the heart so that people would love Him (Deuteronomy 30:6); Paul calls this inward change the work of the Spirit (Romans 2:29).
  • Isaiah’s vision of a new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17) starts in people now: whoever is in Christ is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
  • James says God chose to bring us forth by the word of truth as the first fruits of His new creation (James 1:18), the beginning of the renewal of all things (Revelation 21:5).

What we believe at Spring Valley

We believe the new birth is an instantaneous and complete work of the Holy Spirit upon initial faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Spring Valley is a born-again church: every member has a story of being made new, and we would love to hear yours.

Our full Statement of Faith

Your next step

If you are not sure whether you have been born again, the simplest thing is to turn to Jesus today and ask Him. Then read How do I start following Jesus today?

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Read the Bible free in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, English and many more languages at bible.com.