耶穌基督在世的時候，曾經告訴一位名叫尼哥底母，“人若不重生，就不能見神的國”（約翰福音 3:3）。當時，尼哥底母聽不懂耶穌在講什麼，但是以後，“重生”變成基督教很重要的基本教義。
《聖經》的羅馬書六章四至五節形容基督教“重生”這件事情，如下：“所以我們藉着洗禮歸入死，和他一同埋葬，原是叫我們一舉一動，有新生的樣式，像基督藉着父的榮耀從死里復活一樣。” 換句話說，張三想要“重生，”他就要受洗。這句話假設張三明白耶穌基督的真理，相信耶穌，已經閉門思過而下了決心要改邪歸正，轉向耶穌。下一步，張三要受洗。受洗就讓張三與耶穌一同埋葬，所以當他從水裡上來，他就“重生”了。
從水裡上來以後呢？我們的經文說的很清楚：叫我們一舉一動，有新生的樣式，像基督藉着父的榮耀從死里復活一樣。”受洗重生以後，張三就要有新的生活方式。過去罵人；現在不罵人。過去偷懶；現在用功。過去過一個以自己為中心的生活；現在過一個以神為中心，以別人為中心的生活。以前他誇講自己；受洗重生歸入耶穌以後，榮耀神。所以《聖經》給張三立下既新又高的標準；是什麼呢？“是叫我們一舉一動，有新生的樣式。”換句話說，成為基督徒以後，就要開始活出耶穌的真理來，活出耶穌的愛來，要改過自新。
耶穌所說的一個比喻，浪子回頭的故事，浪子醒悟過來了，想到父親家有糧食，有愛，他就回家了。沒想到父親在門口等待着他。一見到他就擁抱他，為他開了宴會，請客加菜，歡迎兒子回了家。兒子完全改過自新，接受了父親的愛和原諒。
今天，您和我，轉向耶穌，閉門思過，悔改。我們接受洗禮，與耶穌基督一同埋葬復活，讓神的恩典拯救我們，賜給我們新的生命。在此我們就重生。重生以後，生命要改變，“叫我們一舉一動，有新生的樣式。”朋友，歡迎您如此行。
【洗禮】三：重生
“Baptism” 03: Rebirth
作者：謝德華 ©By Edward Short
Reborn In Baptism
Romans 6:4; John 3:3
While Jesus was on earth he spoke with a man named Nicodemus and told him, “…no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” [John 3:3, NIV]. Nicodemus didn’t understand what Jesus meant but years later “rebirth” became an important element of Christian teaching.
The book of Romans describes the concept of “rebirth” as it is used in Christianity. “Or don’t you know that all of us who were bap¬tized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ Jesus was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” [Romans 6:3-5, NIV]. In other words, if someone wants to be “reborn” he should be baptized. My statement assumes that the person understands the truths of Jesus Christ, believes in Jesus, has done a lot of introspection and has decided to turn toward Jesus by giving up evil and doing good. The next step is that he should be baptized. In baptism he will be bur¬ied with Jesus and so when he comes up out of the water he will have been “reborn.”
What about after baptism? Our Scripture is quite clear: just as Christ Jesus was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” After a person is baptized (re-born), he should live a different kind of life. He used to speak unkindly to people; now he doesn’t. He used to be lazy; now he’s industrious. He used to think the world revolved around him; now he knows it re¬volves around God. He sees that the world has people in it other than himself. He used to brag about what he had done; after baptism into Jesus, he lives for and praises God. The Bible gives this person a high purpose for himself, what the Bible simply calls “a new life.” In other words, after he becomes a Christian he starts all over and the teach¬ings and love of Jesus will be evident in everything he does.
Remember the parable of Jesus, the one about the sinful son who turned his life around? When this prodigal son came to himself and thought about his father’s home, he knew there was food there and he re¬membered there was love there; so he went home. What he didn’t realize was that his father would be standing at the door waiting for him. His father greeted him with a hug and threw a party in his honor, invited guests and had a feast and welcomed his son back home. The son changed completely and he accepted his father’s love and forgive¬ness.
Today, in the privacy of our hearts, you and I turn toward Jesus; we think about our lives and repent of our sins. Then we want to be baptized. In baptism we participate in the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and allow the grace of God to save us and give us new life. We’re reborn. After our new birth, everything changes and we “live a new life.”
I hope you’ll take this step very soon.