Born Again

What does it mean to be born again?

For Christians, there is an idea of being born again. This analogy exists to help us understand what it means to be a Christian.

Christians are devoted to Jesus Christ. He is our Lord. Jesus is also the Son of God. If we put our trust in Him, then we will participate in the things of God and we too become God’s sons.

The meaning of life is for the sons of God to come into maturity.

This is the lifelong pursuit of the Christian. We are in an on-going state of death and re-birth as we turn away from destructive behaviors and adopt the teachings of Jesus.

We need Jesus in order to participate in this rebirth.

The punishment for sin is death. To sin is to do things that are contrary to God’s divine nature—the nature of life. If we bring death, it is only natural that death should be our end. We cannot escape it because we have all sinned.

Jesus did not sin. Jesus took the punishment for sin onto Himself when he died on the cross. If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins, then we become saved from death.

As demonstrated by the resurrection, Jesus has the power of life. Through Him and the Holy Spirit, we have the tools we need in order to overcome our dead nature that is contrary to the nature of God and life.

We are told that the Spirit of God provides us with a seed of the divine nature. As we continue seeking Jesus, the Holy Spirit within causes us to grow spiritually into a person who resembles Jesus. This is called bringing forth “fruit of the Spirit.”

We are told that those who walk after the Spirit of God are the sons of God.

If we are “fruitful” then that lets us know that we are on the path of salvation. We learn to trust in Jesus more, we learn more about what it means to be a son of God, and we continue to grow.

Our Rebirth Requires His Death

Our salvation is bought with a great price. If we claim the blood of Jesus for forgiveness of our sins, then we should take that claim very seriously. There are warnings given in the scriptures for those who would take on the blood of Jesus without proper reverence and dedication. They are numbered among the unbelievers.

If Christians take our sin seriously and submit ourselves to the judgment of God, then we will find mercy and forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. In so doing, our sin is revealed to us and we should seek Jesus to help us overcome. We need to be mindful of the resurrection promise. We will be born again, and our present lives will reflect this process of renewal.

There is a lot of enjoyment that comes from living a Christian life, like healing from emotional pain, finding peace in difficult times, and learning how to love more fully. Learning about the things of God can be very exciting and rewarding in general, but there is a lot of difficulty too.

It is not easy to die to sin. It takes time and there is pain involved, which is why we are instructed by Jesus to take up our cross as He did. Although difficult, we take comfort in knowing that Jesus will help us and that our salvation is assured by His promises.

Jesus will raise us from the dead. He will give us everything we need in order to overcome sin and arrange our lives in a righteous manner. The blood of the Son of God covers us as we fail and try again, day by day striving and getting better at achieving the perfection of Jesus Christ that we aim for.

As we continue in the faith, we thank God and know that any goodness that results is the working of Jesus in us. There is always more to learn in this life. We don’t fully know what it means to live perfectly like Jesus, but we know that when Jesus returns and raises us form the dead we will be like Him and we will live forever.

A Note for the Convert

If you’re newly converted or considering Christianity, then you might feel confused about what you should do. You can always pray to Jesus. You can always consider the things you have done wrong in your life to hurt others, ask God to forgive you, and pray to be led to the truth of Jesus Christ and the gospel. Read the scriptures and find dedicated Christians to talk to.

If you don’t feel as if you have taken Christianity seriously enough, then there’s no time like now. Today is the day of your salvation. Pray often, study the scriptures, and connect with people who can help you stay focused on the things of God.

Suggested Scripture for Reading Pertaining to This Article:

• John 3
• 1 Corinthians 15
• 1 Corinthians 11

If you would like to discuss the ideas written in this article or the scriptures above, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a note below.