Tragic ignorance underlying the maligning of “Born Again Christianity”

A clarification in the context of Easter 2023

By Professor A. N. I. Ekanayaka
Emeritus Professor

Amidst much of the irrationality and ignorance that bedevils Sri Lankan society nowadays, the tendency to disparage what is called “born again Christianity” is one of the more prominent examples. The approach of Easter 2023 is an opportune time in which to dispel the ignorance and prejudice underlying this attitude. Across much of society from those in high places to the ordinary man in the street, from prominent politicians to many so-called learned intellectuals, and dominantly amongst some Buddhist clergy and their adherents, there is the notion that while it is perfectly respectable to belong to a mainline Christian denomination, “born again Christianity” is some weird fundamentalist cult that needs to be resisted. Little do they realise that in doing so they are opposing Christianity itself where the need to be “born again” (i. e. spiritually regenerate), is a sine qua non that lies at the very heart of authentic biblical Christian doctrine, as was strongly emphasised by Jesus himself in his earthly ministry.

Opposition to Christianity however is not the issue. Such opposition is as old as the Christian faith. The blood of the martyrs down the running centuries is testimony to that fact. Even in today’s world research shows that Christianity is by far the most persecuted of all religions. That is not surprising. The Christian diagnosis of the human predicament and its prescription of the biblical Gospel as the one and only path of salvation open to mankind is so unique and radical as to invariably evoke the ridicule and hostility of the world. That is the testimony of history through all generations.

Accordingly, that people should be derisive of born again Christianity is to be expected. But let them not delude themselves into thinking that in so doing they are not also opposing Christianity. The truth is that by doing so they are attacking the very foundations of historic bible-based Christianity. True Christianity according to the bible is in and of itself nothing less than ‘born again Christianity”! Christianity is nothing if not “born again Christianity”. Whether people like it or not that is the plain truth. This article is intended to clarify this reality

Ironically, the tendency to disparage “born again Christianity” is not confined to those who are outside the Christian Church. Sadly, many so-called Christians themselves know little or nothing of this fundamental doctrine. Consequently, they live out their entire life as regular church goers comforting themselves with formal religion and empty ritual, and finally go to the grave in darkness without having ever understood the immeasurable riches of the biblical Gospel and what it means to be a born again regenerate Christian enjoying the guarantee of eternal security who can say with the great apostle Paul “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain” !

Many apostate prelates in the mainline churches must bear heavy responsibility for the ignorance of ordinary Christians about the Christian gospel in which being born again (i.e. becoming spiritually regenerate not through human endeavour but through the decisive intervention of God in transforming the human heart), is an essential part. Those to blame for such widespread ignorance include many bishops priests and even popes and cardinals who steeped in the heresies of a spurious liberal theology, wallowing in religious pluralism and denying the absolute authority of scripture, fail to convey to their congregations the whole truth about their faith and what it means to be a Christian. Instead, they promote an unbiblical fallacious lukewarm sentimental Christianity after their own imagination with notions and practices that neither challenge the wisdom of the secular world nor conflict with the teachings of other religions.

No wonder so many unregenerate Christians who have themselves never experienced the miracle of being ‘born again’ feel no sense of outrage when something as basic as born again Christianity is subject to widespread scorn and ridicule in secular society and by those of other faiths. Nor do many apostate bishops and priests feel bad about it either, having neglected to lead their own people within the Church into the experience of being regenerate (born again) Christians. Given their theological devience, ignorance of scripture, doctrinal confusion, and being timid religious pluralists unwilling to say anything that might conflict with the teachings of other religions, it is not surprising that such clergy should maintain a stoic embarrassed silence when born again Christianity is disparaged by those outside the Church.

At the other end of the spectrum are some pastors and evangelists of smaller denominations who though they are not ashamed to proclaim the necessity for Christians to be “born again” do so in a shallow manner that trivialises, cheapens, dilutes and distorts the doctrine of spiritual regeneration in the truly born again Christian as taught by Jesus. Those who are guilty of this include certain charismatic groups and their populist preachers with a shallow and superficial understanding of salvation through the biblical Gospel. Worse the slogan of born again Christianity could be maliciously exploited by opulent politically influential charismatic heretics who lead satanic cults and posing as ‘prophets’ in complete defiance of scripture deceive thousands in gargantuan mega churches where they preach a pernicious ‘prosperity theology’ that is as evil and heretical as the ‘liberal theology’ which makes bishops and priests of the mainline Churches underplay the importance of ‘born again Christianity’.

On the other hand, for people of other faiths especially Buddhists and Hindus to disparage “born again Christianity” is also unfair and inconsistent. The fact is nearly all religions have some concept of rebirth deeply ingrained in their philosophy (however different it may be to the Christian understanding of spiritual regeneration). For example, to deny rebirth would be a violation of one of the most basic tenets of Buddhism.

The Buddha himself accepted the premises and concepts relating to rebirth and there are several references to rebirth in early Buddhist texts including several Suttas. What is rebirth unless it is one particular understanding of being born again? Consequently, it is particularly unkind and illogical that any Buddhist should look down on ‘Born again Christians’. In Hinduism, too, the Bhagavad Gita acknowledges that every human being has a choice to get out of the cycle of rebirth. So, where Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism all in their own way have a doctrine of new birth which goes to the very foundation of these religions, it is perplexing why the peculiarly Christian understanding of regeneration should evoke so much cynicism.

It only in Christianity that being born again is understood hopefully and expectantly as a glorious consummation devoutly to be desired, the gateway to peace joy and victorious living in this life whatever its sufferings, and the passport to the glories of eternal life to come in the heavenly kingdom where the scriptures promise that God will dwell with his people “and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev.21: 3-4)

The glorious optimism of the Christian understanding of being spiritually ‘born again’ here and now and the cast iron guarantee of eternal security that it includes contrasts with the depressing pessimism that surrounds all other conceptions of rebirth/or being ‘born again’ in other religions. So, the cynicism towards ‘born again Christianity’ may in part be the reaction of those whose own conception of new birth according to their belief system amounts to a depressing intangible mystical notion of reincarnation which dependent on the vagaries of human endeavor and being rooted in abstract philosophy is hard to understand and offers little to look forward to. This may also explain the conversion anxiety which drives the continuing hostility towards evangelists who peacefully preach the doctrine of ‘born again Christianity’ in the community.

In the free market of human ideology especially pertaining to matters of life and death, notions of salvation that are grounded in incontrovertible historical events, stand the test of time in the furnace of human experience, are of greater immediate value in coping with the problems of life, and are seen to guarantee the consolation of eternal security beyond death, will inevitably be more attractive. The great hope and eternal truth of the Christian Gospel that lies at the heart of ‘born again Christianity’ has this advantage. Consequently, it is not surprising that those who are alarmed at the prospect of peaceful conversions to the Christian religion should seek to stigmatize the notion of being a born again Christian.

So, what is this doctrine of being ‘born again’ that lies at very heart of the Christian religion ? The concept in one way or another underlies the entire Bible from start to finish where all scripture is the Word of God spoken and the record of God’s historic offensive against human sin in a fallen universe where all human beings in their natural state in every generation find themselves alienated from God, in a state of total depravity and total inability to save themselves by their own meritorious works. In this context, the specific reference to the imperative of being “born again” goes back to a memorable encounter in the life of Jesus, who controversially claimed to be God himself incarnate as the perfect human being, who had come into the world to save sinners. He would achieve this by being their sin bearer and redeemer thereby atoning for their sins through his bitter suffering and death on the cross, before his mighty resurrection three days later as predicted.

One night a distinguished ruler of the Jews and a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin named Nicodemus visited Jesus secretly for fear of being found out by his peers. Nicodemus was curious to know more about Jesus’ identity and the core of his teaching. The scriptures record that to Nicodemus’s astonishment Jesus cut through unessentials and went straight to the point saying “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot (even) see the kingdom of God” ! (Jn 3:3). Unable to make sense of the spiritual metaphor used by Jesus Nicodemus reportedly lapsed into good humoured cynicism exclaiming that such a suggestion was as preposterous as a man “entering a second time into his mother’s womb and being born”. But Jesus was adamant insisting that unless one is born again “he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (Jn 3:5). “You must be born again” (Jn 3:7) he reiterated. It is one of the most explicit warnings Jesus ever issued during his earthly ministry. Let there be no mistake. It is this warning that people belittle nowadays when they make light of born again Christianity.

One of the greatest theologians of the age Dr JI Packer has explained that being “born again” was a picture phrase Jesus used in his conversation with Nicodemus to depict the concept of “Regeneration”. It is “God renovating the heart, the core of a person’s being, by implanting a new principle of desire, purpose and action, a dispositional dynamic that finds expression in a positive response to the (biblical) Gospel and its Christ” : i. e. saving faith. From first to last such regeneration is seen entirely as the work of God, where God raises those whom he has chosen among the spiritually dead to new life in Christ Jesus as Christians. Dr David Martyn Lloyd Jones the brilliant physician who gave up medicine to become the greatest preacher in England last century, in his book “Experiencing the New Birth” explained that Christianity is that which brings a person to a personal knowledge of God. True (born again) Christianity is knowing God he said. “Not just believing a few things about God and having a nice little life. That is not Christianity. That is nothing but morality or mere religion”. The essence of the new birth is beginning to know and have communion with God, a radical conversion that will be publicly reflected in a transformed lifestyle which in every detail of daily life acknowledges the Lordship of Christ.

That in brief is what “born again” means in Christianity. That is the glorious God driven consummation that people disparage when they in their ignorance mock born again Christianity. Hopefully, those who stand corrected by this clarification will cease doing so rather than further imperil their own souls by stigmatising the truth.

Finally, those who presume to write about such matters if they are to be credible witnesses to the truth must themselves be able to lay some claim in all humility to a personal experience of what it means to be born again from a uniquely Christian perspective. True, this may lay them open to a charge of committing intellectual suicide or worse arrogant self-righteous, holier than thou presumption where on the surface they appear to be flawed personalities no better than other people.

But such cynical reactions are themselves an example of the ignorance surrounding born again Christianity. Jesus once said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. For I came not to call the righteous but sinners” (Matt 9:12-13). In the Christian understanding salvation through being born again represents the spiritual liberation of those, even the dregs of society, who lamenting their sins and acknowledging their wretchedness, bemoaning their total depravity and inability to save themselves and putting their faith in Christ, find themselves unworthy recipients of the free gift of God through grace. The great apostle Paul, who himself admitted to being the “very least of all the saints …” (Eph 3:8), writing from a Roman prison about AD 60 put it perfectly: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. Not a result of (meritorious) works so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). So it was with the regenerate John Newton formerly the degenerate wretched captain of a slave ship and an investor in the slave trade (later becoming an evangelical English cleric and slavery abolitionist), who in 1772 wrote this memorable lyric :

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now I’m found,
Was blind but now I see
That is what it means to become a “born again Christian”.