The first part of Piper's book is composed of two chapters examining what it means to be born again. Piper reminds us of the assumption that the need to be born again makes, that we are dead before God, which he unpacks more in a later chapter. He then goes on to show us what happens at new birth: new life not new religion, experiencing the supernatural. He also helpfully shows that the spiritual life the Holy Spirit brings is by connecting us with Jesus Christ through faith.
In the second chapter he continues to examine what happens at new birth. We are made a new creation. He helpfully examines why he believes it is wrong to equate water in John 3 with baptism as so many do by taking us back to the text of John 3. Key to it is Jesus assumption (v10) that Nicodemus ought to know what he is talking about, therefore the answer must be in the Hebrew scriptures of which Nicodemus is a teacher. In Ezekiel 36 we see that water and the spirit are closely linked in the new covenant promise, as God promises to cleanse his people and give them new hearts. It is a helpful chapter which examines what it means to be born again and the changes that should be apparent as a result of being reborn by water and the spirit.
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