Born Again - a word everyone uses and no one defines

Language is dynamic. Over time, some words even lose meaning or fall out of popular use, or change meaning. The word "BOMA" (which refered to British Overseas Administration offices, or something like that) has come to mean something else. Strictly speaking there was no BOMA after independence, but we use the word anyway.

If you went into the street and randomly asked a few Zambians what "Born Again" means, you may come up with as many different answers as the people you interview! Some would say "people who attend a church with loud music that can be heard down the road". Others would say, "people who go for crusades" or "people who speak in tongues (charismatic  - but there are some charismatic groups who are not 'born again' but purport to have the same gifts)". Still others might say "those who listen to loud American preachers". Within the church some will say "a person who has repented" or "someone who has faith" or even "anyone who is baptized". How can such a common term have so many different interpretations?

It presupposes a radical diagnosis of human condition. It proposes that, what we need is not simply new resolutions or new attitude or even positive thinking or more self esteem. This view says what we need is so radical, it is called new life. We are naturally unconscious to the wonder of the Creator. We are naturally rule breakers with an attitude of apathy to our maker. We are masters of making excuses (while we are quick to point fingers when others do the same wrong we just excused ourselves from doing). Our spiritual compass cannot pick the true north. Going by this diagnosis, we do not just need a new record (forgiveness) but a new vital principle (spiritual life, regeneration). We don't just need the heavenly courtroom to cancel the record, we need a new condition in our hearts and mind. We need our spritual compass to come alive, to sense the true 'north' and gravitate towards it, to find satisfaction in Him who is greater than we can think or imagine.

In the book Titus 2:3-8 (simplified message version), we have a description of this change:

^3-8 It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

 This tells us that our condition, not just our position (status) needs a change. It tells us about a change so great, that only God can do this to us, we are powerless to bring it about. But unless you accept the radical diagnosis, you will not see the necessity of the cure. But your natural eagerness to make excuses should be a clue that maybe this state of spiritual lifelessness is a reality after all.

As for the use of the term "born again", no doubt many who use it have no clue what it means at all. It is time we pay attention to defining our church terminology. Otherwise it may be just another public secret, like the word BOMA.