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Are you born again or adopted?

Could Nicodemus been born again if he had understood and wished to?

Nicodemus was a ruler of Israel and Jesus was sent to Israel, so he was talking to Israel, not to the Body of Christ. Jesus was on earth and he was offering the kingdom to Israel if they would receive Him as their King.

John 3:1  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a  ruler of the Jews:

Matt 15:24   But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again in order to see the kingdom.

John 3:3    Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  

Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born of water and of the Spirit.

John 3:5   Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.

John 3:7    Marvel not that I say unto thee, Ye must be born again. 

John 3:8   The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

John 3:9    Nicodemus answered and said unto him, how can these things be?

John 3:10  Jesus answered and said unto him, art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 

Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:10 that he should know all the things about being born again since he was a ruler of Israel.

Nicodemus only had the Old Testament. He should have been able to find  out how Israel would live on earth during the kingdom. Israel will live on this earth in a natural body and will be born again and go into the kingdom with Him. We, in the body of Christ, will receive a glorified body and live in heaven. Compare the scripture in Ezekiel 36 & 37 with John 3.

Ezk 36:25   Then will sprinkle clean water upon you,

Ezk 36:26   A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Ezk 36:27   And I will put my Spirit with in you,

Ezk 36:28   And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers:           

Ezk 37:11   Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the the whole house of Israel:

Ezk 37:14   And shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land.

How can we go to the Book of John for the doctrine of salvation?

In the Book of John, Jesus had not died for our sins. He was on earth and trying to get the Nation of Israel to accept him as their king. He was preaching the gospel of the kingdom. This is not what we must believe in order to be saved. We must believe that Christ died for our sins and rose again the third day. (I Corinthians 15:1-4)

How can we say to the Body of Christ today, ye must be born again? Why can we not tell the truth? When we hear God’s word and the Holy Spirit convicts us that we are lost and on the way to hell, then we can believe what Christ did on the cross for us.

Then the Holy Spirit comes into our body and we are circumcised with circumcision made without hands. ( Col 2:11)

Then we are baptized by one Spirit into one body. (I Corinthians 12:13)

Then we are sealed by the Spirit until the day of redemption: (Eph 4:30)

Then we become a new creature in Christ. Old things are passed away and all things become new: (II Corinthians 5:17)

Then we become the temple of God because the Holy Spirit dwells in us. (I Corinthians 3:17)

Then we are adopted into the family of God not born again. (Romans 8:15)

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