Please explain John 1:12 when it says we cannot be born again by blood when Romans 5:9 says we are justified by blood.
You are so correct in pointing out that we are justified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, for Romans 5:9 says, “Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” To justify means to be declared just or be declared innocent. We also read in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” It is clear here that our redemption comes through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus. We cannot over-emphasize the importance of the blood of the Lord Jesus being shed. We learn in Hebrews 9:22 that, “…without shedding of blood is no remission.” Prior to His crucifixion, the Lord sat with His disciples and instituted what we know as the Lord’s Supper. There He said, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28).
To answer your good question, let’s read John 1:10-13, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” It is a sad statement that tells us that Christ was in the world, but the world did not know Him. This is speaking of the world at large, and more precisely it is speaking of the Gentile world.
We next learn that Christ “came into his own, and his own received him not.” This is speaking of the Jewish world…His own earthly people. They refused Him as their Messiah. In a parable concerning Himself coming into the world, we read of the attitude of the people in Luke 19:14, “But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.” This was the state of the Jewish people then and remains the state of the Jewish people (at large) today. They would not have the Lord, their rightful king, to reign over them.
Verse 12 assures us that any that receive Him will become a child of God. The Lord refuses no one who comes to Him in faith that “…he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6). Those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the savior from their sins are born again as we read in 1 Peter 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
So, now in John 1:13 tells that those who are born again are not born of blood, the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. What does that mean? Simply it shows that there is no way to be saved, but by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- We cannot be born of blood means we do not inherit our salvation from our parents. Salvation does not follow a blood line. Just because our parents are saved, that doesn’t mean that we are also saved. One has said that God has many, many children, but no grandchildren.
- We cannot be born of the flesh simply means we cannot do anything to save ourselves. Titus 3:5 states clearly, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”
- We cannot be born by the will of man means that no one else can save us. I once heard a speaker announce that he had “prayed someone into salvation.” He was saying that this man was saved through the prayers this speaker was praying. This is impossible! Only by exercising our individual faith in the Lord can we be saved.
I hope this clears up the matter for you and I do pray that if you have never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior, that you will see your need of being saved from the penalty of your sins (Romans 6:23) and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved (Acts 16:31). (CC) (638.2)