Would You Like to Be Born Again?
Have you ever honestly considered the whole "born again" thing? Jesus said it is the only way to enter the kingdom of God. (see John 3:3) So what is the kingdom of God? And why would anyone want to be "born again" in the first place?
To understand the kingdom of God, one must grasp what Jesus meant when He said, "The kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:2) This is why the apostle Paul wrote, "The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17)
A person enters the kingdom of God when the kingdom of God enters him. The new birth takes place at that moment. And nothing this world has to offer can even come close to the significance of being born again.
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There are many changes and benefits associated with the new birth. Here are 10 of them:
1. God takes up residence inside your body.
2. Your sins are forgiven.
3. The peace of God begins to fill your soul.
4. You have a relationship with your Creator which will never end.
5. You understand Christianity as an "insider."
6. Some of your preconceived notions about Christianity are blown out of the water.
7. You have Christ's love in your heart for other people.
8. You receive satisfaction and spiritual strength from the Word of God.
9. You feel uncomfortable and convicted when you sin.
10. You have Christian friends who are available to help you grow in your faith.
Did anyone ask you if you wanted to be born before God created you in the womb of your mother? Of course not. So why ask a person if he wants to be born again?
Well, here are 5 reasons to ask this question:
1. It can motivate a person to start thinking about spiritual matters.
2. It can help a person begin to process the message of salvation through faith in Christ.
3. It can lead a person to think about life beyond the grave.
4. It can help a person look at life on earth through a new paradigm.
5. It can be used by the Holy Spirit as He works the miracle of the new birth within a person.
So would you like to be born again? Would you like to know you are in God's family? As a human being, you consist of body, soul and spirit. Would you like your spirit to come alive through faith in Jesus Christ?
Here is how it happens. Repent of your sin. Turn away from it. Accept Jesus as your Savior. Believe that He died for your sins on the cross. Hand over control of your life to Him. Trust Christ as the promised Messiah and as the Way, the Truth and the Life. (see John 14:6) Jesus said, "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12)
If you place your faith in Christ, you will never regret it. And to prove that point, try to find even one person who has ever regretted trusting Jesus, loving Jesus, and following Jesus. You can find plenty of people who have become disenchanted with religion, but try to find even one person who has become disenchanted with Jesus after truly walking with Him.
Here is why you won't find such a person. It's because Christ changes your life and your attitudes once you actually know Him as your Savior and friend. You want to follow Him as your Lord because of the marvelous gift of salvation He has given you. It is a supernatural experience with a holy love from God that just keeps on giving.
In our day where people chase after various mystical experiences and spiritual highs, there is still only One person who can meet the deepest needs of your soul. His name is Jesus. All the other religious experiments are counterfeits. Only Christ can bring you into God's family and grant you the forgiveness of your sins.
One of the mysteries of salvation is that the Holy Spirit works this miracle within the soul of a believer after you begin to hear about Jesus. In other words, you get to consider being born again before this "spiritual makeover" ever happens in your life. That is a far cry from your first birth years ago. You were not around to be asked if you wanted to be born the first time.
But this birth is different. It involves someone who is already walking around here on earth, namely you. Or at least it could if you were to accept the truth of God's love for you. This love was demonstrated on the cross where Jesus gave His life for your sins. And believe it or not, that is exactly what the Messiah did for you 2000 years ago.
Christ then rose from the dead so that you too could rise from the grave of your lost condition. Sin makes a person "lost." Forgiveness causes a person to be "found." And only Jesus can forgive sins because only Jesus, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is God. It was Jesus who said, "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John 3:6) It is the Holy Spirit who breathes new life into man's spirit through the miracle of the new birth.
So would you like to be born again? Or was your physical birth the only birth you ever want to experience? The clock is ticking. And the day will come for every man when he no longer has the opportunity to be born again.
You still have time, at least in this moment. Will you beat the biological clock as your body ages ever closer to its final day on this planet? Or instead, will you choose to remain spiritually dead? You see, the choice to discard Jesus is a choice to remain dead in your spirit, whereas being alive in the Lord is a much better option. You can take God's Word for it.
No wonder Jesus spoke these extraordinary words which apply to all people everywhere: "You must be born again." (John 3:7) And yes, He was actually referring to you.
