What does it mean to be saved or born again?
Being "born again" signifies a spiritual rebirth from the spiritual death that resulted from humanity's Fall and separation from God. It means becoming spiritually alive in God's love, fulfilling His original purpose for creation: individual maturity, forming God-centered families, and establishing His dominion on Earth. This transformation restores one's true connection to God, enabling individuals to embody His divine nature and contribute to building His Kingdom.
The concept of being "born again" is foundational to Christian theology, articulated by Jesus Christ in His encounter with Nicodemus: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Nicodemus, a respected Jewish leader, questioned how an old man could be reborn (John 3:4), to which Jesus clarified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:5-6). This passage underscores a profound spiritual transformation essential for salvation, moving beyond mere intellectual belief or ritual.
Biblical texts further illuminate aspects of this rebirth. Paul states in Romans 10:9-10, "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." However, the "water and Spirit" imagery points to a deeper change than simply mental affirmation or even physical baptism, as seen in passages like Acts 2:38, which calls for repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins and receiving the Holy Spirit. The core message is a radical spiritual reorientation, a fundamental shift in one's core identity and connection to God. For "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Divine Principle's Clarification: Spiritual Death and Rebirth
The Divine Principle clarifies the meaning of "born again" by defining life and death from a spiritual perspective. The Bible presents two concepts of death: physical death and spiritual death. While physical death is a natural part of human existence (Luke 9:60), the death brought about by the Fall of Adam and Eve was not physical. Humans were created physically as part of the natural world, and to grow old and die physically is natural. The body sheds itself when old, while the spirit continues to live eternally. Therefore, the death resulting from the Fall was spiritual death, meaning separation from God and cleaving to Satan. As Revelation 3:1 states to the unfaithful church, "you have the name of being alive, and you are dead." Conversely, spiritual life means being in God's love through Jesus, as John 11:25 says, "The ones who believe in me will live even when they die."
To be "born again" is to be resurrected from this state of spiritual death and become spiritually alive. It is a return to life, meaning to come out from under Satan's dominion and restore one's connection to God's love. Jesus came to achieve this, becoming the "reborn Adam" or the "living Adam" (1 Corinthians 15:22). He represents the "rock of our salvation" that brings forth the "water of life." This rebirth signifies overcoming the spiritual death caused by the Fall and inheriting a pure, God-centered spiritual life. When Jesus said one must be "born of water and the Spirit," "water" symbolizes the cleansing of the spiritually dead state, and "Spirit" represents the new life imparted through unity with God. As John 3:6 states, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
God's Providential Purpose: Restoration of the Ideal
God's original purpose for creation was for humanity to become His true children, resembling Him completely and embodying His divine nature and character (Genesis 1:27). This involved fulfilling three blessings: to be fruitful, meaning to complete one's individual maturity centered on God's love, aligning mind and body in give-and-receive action; to increase in number, meaning for matured individuals to marry, have children, and expand God's family (Genesis 1:28); and to subdue the earth and rule over creation, creating a world of God's dominion. Humanity's spiritual death disrupted this purpose, leading to a fallen world.
God's providence of salvation is a history of restoring humanity to this original ideal. Jesus, as the Son of God, fulfilled the first blessing, becoming one with God and giving immense joy to God, His Father. He exemplified individual maturity. The "born again" experience is the means by which fallen individuals can re-establish their spiritual connection with God and begin the process of fulfilling these three blessings. This restoration is not merely individual but extends to the family level, as the family is where the four loves (parental, conjugal, children's, and sibling love) are realized, reflecting God's image (Genesis 2:24). Being "born again" ultimately means becoming a true child of God, capable of living according to His original purpose and contributing to the establishment of His Kingdom on Earth, where spiritual life and true love can flourish. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22).
Rebirth Requires Parents
Being born again is not a metaphor loosely borrowed from birth; it follows the same order as physical birth, which is why Jesus insisted on the word to Nicodemus and why Nicodemus was right to ask "how can a man be born when he is old?" (John 3:4). No one is born without parents. Fallen people inherited life from parents joined to the false lineage, so a second birth requires spiritual parents standing in God's lineage: Jesus in the position of True Father, called "the last Adam" who was "made a quickening spirit" (1 Corinthians 15:45), and the Holy Spirit working in the position of the mother who gives new life and comfort. This is why Isaiah names the Messiah "The everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6), and why believers are described as "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). Salvation is therefore not merely forgiveness of past acts but engrafting into a new lineage (Romans 11:17), which is what makes the change permanent rather than sentimental.
Living the Principle
Living as someone "born again" involves actively embodying a new spiritual life:
1. Seek Spiritual Awakening: Recognize and repent of spiritual deadness, turning towards God's love and seeking new life through spiritual transformation (Luke 9:60, Revelation 3:1). 2. Strive for Individual Perfection: Align mind and body centered on God's love, completing individual maturity by embodying God's nature and character (Genesis 1:28). 3. Build God-centered Families: For those who have reached maturity, marry and establish families rooted in God's love, expanding His lineage of true children (Genesis 1:28, Matthew 19). 4. Participate in God's Kingdom: Actively work to transform the world by subduing creation, caring for the environment, and establishing God's dominion on Earth, reflecting His purposes.
These answers explain the Bible in the light of the Divine Principle, the teachings of Reverend Sun Myung Moon. Read about the author, Sun Myung Moon.
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Sources and further reading
- The Holy Bible, King James Version — Scripture quoted and referenced throughout the answers.
- The Divine Principle (full text) — The complete text of the Divine Principle, the teaching of Reverend Sun Myung Moon that these answers explain.
- Unification texts library (tparents.org) — Large online library of Unification texts, sermons and collected speeches, including the Cheon Seong Gyeong.
- Short video lectures in English — Playlist of short English video lectures presenting these same principles.