Question: What does it mean to be Born Again?

Answer: Jesus said that we must be born again (John 3:3). That means in order for us to enter God’s kingdom, we must be born from above, given new life by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus came to give us that new life, a new beginning. Through His sacrifice our sins are removed which enables us to receive God’s Holy Spirit that births us into the family of God. That means there is nothing we can do in our own strength, or through our own efforts that can give us that new life. It can only be given to us through faith in the Messiah Jesus.

When you have a child, what does that child have to do in order to become a member of your family? You know the answer to that question – absolutely nothing. The child automatically becomes a member of the family just because he is born into it.

So it is with those who believe and are given new life by the Spirit. There is nothing a believer can do to become part of God’s family; there is no work or ritual he must perform. It is a free gift that is bestowed upon Him by God through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection from the dead.

All we are required to do to receive the gift is believe. Then as the child grows, the Holy Spirit works within the believer to mature us, creating in us a holy character and a reformed life.

We read God’s word in order to help furnish our characters with the things that please our heavenly Father. Some look at God’s word as a book of rules, or we can instead view it another way; as a wonderful guide for successful living.

It is not a self-help book, but a God helps-you-book. The Holy Spirit works with God’s word to form a newly born- from-above believer into a mature reflection of the first Son of God, Jesus the Messiah, who is the first born of many children of God.

If you would like to receive God’s free gift of eternal life and become a born from above believer, just believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that he died to remove your sins and that He rose from the dead. Then ask Him to forgive you of your sins, come into your heart and be the Lord of your life. It’s that simple. God makes it simple so anyone who believes can become a member of His family.

Welcome to the family of God!

Copyright 2022 by H.D. Shively

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