Mike,

Very interesting about the cross, the blood, and the resurrection not being in John 3:16, that is an important point.

I had a question about, "born again".

Before we were saved, we were dead in trespasses and sins.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

When we were saved by grace through faith, believing the gospel, we were also then adopted by the Father.

Clearly, then, he was not our Father before adopting us, but he is now, if we are saved.

Galatians 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

  6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

But now we are sons of God.

Yet we were not born again?

We were born once, from our mother, but with the fallen nature of Adam.

We were dead, but now we are alive:

Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

And we are born after the Spirit:

I Corinthians 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Galatians 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

So, we were dead, yet only alive in the flesh, but when we were saved, we were born after the Spirit, and are now alive, and adopted sons of God.

Yet, we were not born again?

It could be a case of semantics, but it kind of looks like we were born again.

Maybe not with the same meaning that Jesus was teaching Nicodemus, for the Jews, before the cross.

But, it sure seems like we had something happen which could be described with the two words, "born again".

Why would it be wrong to describe what happened to us, by using, "born again"?

.