You Must Be Born Again...Born from Above

Christ uses an interesting word when he tells Nicodemus that he must be born again in John 3.3. He says γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν The word ἄνωθεν can mean either again or from above. Which does he mean here? Most translations take it as meaning again. I'm wondering if he means both again and from above, because it is a new birth that happens from above.

At any rate, the most important thing, the thing we must not miss is that something has to happen to us. We must be born again, or born from above, or born again from above. Unless this happens we will not see the kingdom of God.

How then, can we make it happen. We cannot. Christ makes this very clear. He compares the movement of the Spirit of God to the movement of physical wind. Just like we cannot tell where the wind comes from or where it is going, but we can feel it on our cheek and see its operation on trees and clouds, so is the Spirit of God. We cannot force him to work. We do not know how he is going to work. We do not know where he is going to work next. We can only witness it in action. In other words, salvation is from God, not from our own efforts.

Don't miss this verse! You must be born again.