“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…. “
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:3,5)
A new life in Christ begins when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour in an intentional step. It is often called being “born again”. This concept of “new birth” is an important element in Christian theology. It describes a spiritual rebirth, the significant spiritual transformation that occurs when an individual truly accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
Many members of the different denominations today believe firmly that they are true Christians. In many of these denominations being “born again” is taken to be a prerequisite. A lot of members point to a defining experience that leads them to feel that they have been converted and accepted in the family of God. They may have read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation many times and believe all the espoused biblical doctrines. They are regular congregants in their Churches and participants in various church programmes. These are all signs that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts and has been drawing them to God the Father and his only begotten Son Jesus Christ.
However, the “new birth” experience to which Jesus refers is not an emotional concept. It is not based on emotions or intellectual knowledge. The belief that Jesus is the Son of God and God the Son is not evidence that we have had the experience. We must not forget that the devil himself believes that God is the ruler of the universe: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble!” (James 2:19).
The Bible teaches the new birth as a Christian doctrine: the supernatural and sovereign act of God regenerating the heart and mind of a fallen person through the power of the Holy Spirit, resulting in a new life and spiritual connection with Jesus Christ. The new birth is a process of spiritual transformation for believers, marking their entry into a new life to be characterized by spiritual renewal, identity, and purpose. This unique experience is not merely a one-time event but the beginning of a lifelong journey of growth and deepening relationship with God. Believers being rooted and grounded in the word of God through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are also empowered to live out their faith in reflecting the love of Christ to a world in need.
We may wonder why a “new birth” is necessary at all. It goes back to the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 2: 8-17, we read that God gave Adam the responsibility of dressing and keeping the beautiful garden. Every tree in the Garden was available for Adam and Eve’s sustenance and pleasure, except one - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was forbidden, the only commandment given. The penalty for eating the fruit of this forbidden tree was death. God said to Adam: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:17). The Bible records that Adam and Eve, our forebears and first parents, enjoyed a close relationship with God until they disobeyed and sinned against him. They both ate the forbidden fruit! Their intimate spiritual bond with God was destroyed, resulting in consequences of spiritual deadness for their succeeding generations (Gen. 3:1-8).
The world created by God was without death, and it was good. Adam and Eve fell from grace into sin when they disobeyed God. As a result of their transgressions death was brought into the world “until you return to the ground since from it you were taken.” (Gen. 3:19). God coursed the serpent, the woman, the ground, and destined Adam to life-long hard work (v. 14-19). The consequences of the sin of Adam and Eve were not merely physical, they most importantly resulted in spiritual death, separation from God,
manifesting in the degeneration of the soul. Human life has since been filled with sin, corruption, and death (Rom. 5:12--14). “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23). Human relationship with a righteous and just God has been damaged and that keeps man from experiencing the abundant life God according to God’s plan (Gen. 6:5-6; Isaiah 59:2; Rom. 3:23). the demons believe - and tremble!” (James 2:19).
God in his purity and holiness cannot tolerate sin, He cannot be at peace with a sinner, but He wants our relationship with Him to be restored. We have come to the earth through physical birth; but only spiritual rebirth can take us to heaven when we die (Eph. 2:1; John 1:13). Therefore, regeneration or new birth becomes essential for humanity.
This new life in Christ presupposes the death of our old nature and way of life and the birth of a new life in the Spirit. Without this newness of life, humans will be living an old life disconnected from God and characterized by its adamic and sinful nature and limitations. The Apostle Paul rightly described our old nature thus: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live.” (Eph. 2:1).
To restore our damaged relationship with God we must address the issue of sin, confessing known sins and mentioning them to the Lord. It is a recognition that we have disobeyed God’s law. However, our confession must be from a sincere heart that is truly sorry. There are situations where we also need to confess to people we have wronged and ask for their forgiveness (James 5:16; Matt. 5:23-24; 1 John 4:20). We must have a godly sorrow, show regret and remorse for our sins and decide to adjust attitudes and habits. In the Bible we find some specific instructions that we are to follow to be a new creature in Christ: “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom. 10:8-10).
Those who genuinely repent of their sins will gradually move away from it as much as is humanly possible. Repentance of sin means turning away from wrongdoings. It is not a one-time thing, but an everyday task. It is a daily commitment to work by the power of the Holy Spirit to remove all forms of sin from our lives and be conformed to the image of Christ. In short, we must be ready to commit to a new way of life in Christ after salvation. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the Presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19; Luke 13:3; Eze. 18:30-32).
God himself has provided through Jesus Christ the only solution for man to receive forgiveness and a new nature. It starts with a new birth and leads to the new life in Jesus Christ. This new life was pioneered by Christ through his life, death and resurrection. In the new birth, God in His mercies devised a way of rescuing repented sinners from the penalty and consequences of their sins. Not only are sinners saved from their sins, but also from the power and dominance of sin. It is the life of the Spirit which Christ eternally possesses that He graciously shares with those who accept Him.
It is however important to note is that we cannot free ourselves from sin because we do not have the power to change our nature. God has made the provision through His Son Jesus Christ for every repentant sinner to experience the spiritual rebirth to be “made alive” and to leave behind the family of Satan.
To experience the new life in Christ we must truly believe in the salvation work of God and that Jesus Christ died for our sins. We read in the Bible: “But as many as received Him, to them gave He Power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” (John 1:12). When we acknowledge that it is our sinful life that separates us from God and that none of us is righteous before our holy God, we will become a new creation. It is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Rom. 3:20; Isa. 53:6; 1 Pet. 3:18; 2 Cor. 5:21). No amount of good works or keeping of the law can regenerate the fallen heart of man. By works of the law no human being will be justified in God’s sight. “Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God’s Sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”(Rom. 3:20). It is our acceptance of the Lord Jesus as our Saviour that is opening the door for our appeal to Him to henceforth take charge, take control of our life. After being born-again, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit and be led, guided and empowered by Him (Matt. 5:6; John 7:37-39).
Before we discuss any further, let us first seek some vital clarifications: Is there any difference between the new birth and salvation? The answer is no. The new birth and salvation are the same thing, referring to the spiritual process of being accepted into God’s family. The “new birth”, also known as “regeneration”, is a spiritual rebirth that occurs when the Holy Spirit takes control of a person’s spirit. It is the work of God’s grace that cleanses a believer from sin and gives spiritual life.
“Salvation” is a process that fundamentally changes a person at their core, and it is achieved through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification.
The new life in Christ is a Christian concept that revolves round the idea of sinners being forgiven their sins through the death of Jesus and being saved through his resurrection. It is also based on the idea that in the new life, people receive new minds, hearts and are freed from their old nature. It is the idea that a person who has been born again is a new creation in Christ, and that their old lives have passed away. This concept is summarized thus: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17).
In our new life in Christ, we must daily seek the presence of God. Faith and trust in God grow stronger and deeper as the Spirit guides us into His mind and causes us to do His will. We are being groomed to rejuvenate our spiritual lives, to live and grow in the likeness of Christ. It is a gradual process that requires discipline, humility, patience, self-effort, and time. It calls for regular practices such as prayer, worship studying the Bible, meditating and appropriating the word of God daily. The mind will be renewed (Rom. 12:2) and we experience a deeper intimacy with God.
One benefit of being a new creation in Christ is that our repentance of sins and appeal for forgiveness (1 John 1:9) will be granted by God in his mercy, compassion and grace. That declares us being righteous in Christ, being justified by faith; we have the perfect peace of God in our hearts, peace that transcends the wisdom and understanding of man. “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 3:24). It is an inner state of calm that comes with satisfaction, contentment and safety because of our intimate relationship with God “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:1; 2 Cor. 5:18-19).
The new birth gives us membership in God’s kingdom and an eternal relationship with him. “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” (1 John 3:1).
The greatest benefit of our personal relationship with God is that, through our love for him, our relationship transcends this earthly life and extends to eternity. The gift of eternal life is meant for those who believe in Jesus Christ, who is “the Resurrection and the Life” (Rom. 6:23, John 11:25). “And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this Life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; and he who does not have the Son of God does not have Life.” (1 John 5:11-13).
Our new birth enables us to grow in the way of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit works in us and transforms our hearts and minds every day (Rom. 12:2). Our characters, words, thoughts and deeds have been conformed to those of Christ, and our will are aligned with the will of God. The empowerment enables us to face life’s challenges and complexities and live out our faith courageously with confidence and trust in God (Acts 1:8).
The Holy Spirit gives each redeemed of God diverse spiritual gifts and fruits. These fruits - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control make us conformable to the image of Christ (Gal. 5:22-23). These gifts equip us to serve the Lord and believers in the Christian community and introduce others to Christ (1 Cor. 12:4-7).
Having a closer relationship with and serve others is one of the things we can do to express our love to God, it is the likeness of the love and unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Meaningful relationships, community service, and good fellowship is God’s blessing to believers. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25).
Christian fellowship began in New Testament times, then the Greek word “koinonia” was used to mean “fellowship,”. It is the participation of believers in a close relationship with other believers in union with Christ. One of the great examples of koinonia is the early Church as recorded in Acts 2:42. The apostle Paul says in 1 Cor. 1:9: “You were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Regular fellowship with other believers is an essential component of Christian growth (Acts 2:42 -46; 4:32-35; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Thess. 4:9) and reflects the glory of God (1 Cor. 14:26; Rom. 12:4-6; Heb. 10:24-25). Coming together in fellowship provides a good meeting platform, motivation and encouragement for participants and empowers us each day. (Matt. 18:19-20; 1 Cor. 14:26; Heb. 10:24-25). It is also a testimony to our implicit obedience to Christ’s great commission (Matt. 28:18-20).
We read in the Bible that God created man in His own image so that He could have fellowship with him (Genesis 1:28), and for us to be conformed to the image of his Son. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the Image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom 8:29). It is important for believers to know that Jesus Christ is the express image of the invisible God. (Col. 1:15; John 1:18; Hebrews 1:3).
Having surrendered our lives to Christ and turned from sin to God, we must pray to Him to grant us the will to follow Jesus as obedient servants. By following Him, we will get to know His footsteps. The Bible says: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” (1 Pet. 2:21).
The scriptures admonish us to become more like Jesus Christ and “to walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:6). In His life and teachings, Jesus exemplified wisdom, bravery and resilience, encouraging us to follow in His footsteps (John 13.15; 1 Peter 2.21). In Luke 9:23 Jesus tells us that if anyone wants to follow Him, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” With that He referred to our willingness to sacrifice our time, energy, rights, position, possessions, reputation, status, privileges, comforts, and even our very life for His sake. God’s word reminds us: “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matt. 10:39; John 12:24–26; 2 Cor. 6:4–5).
Jesus the Son of God understood the importance of private prayer. He always prayed alone with God before starting a day. He allowed the word of God to fill His mind instead of things of the world. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” (Mark 1:35). He did this to maintain the heavenly life in His soul.
We know that the surest way to create and maintain a relationship with anyone, including God, is through communication. We all talk face-to -face with others, but since we cannot see God physically, we resort to using prayer, praise and worship to communicate with Him. There are many practical ways of spending quality time with God but starting the day with prayer in His presence as Jesus used to do and consciously walking with Him throughout the day is most fruitful practice for a Christian living a new life in Christ. Another way to conform to the Image of Jesus is in our prayer. It should not be like a list of requests from God, but a time to enjoy Him, worship Him, and be with Him in spirit.
Jesus encouraged us to love ourselves correctly, reminding us that we do not allow ourselves to be defined by the world, but only by God. Dependence on the word of God should be the medium to shape our thoughts and character and the biblical view to determine our worldview. Importantly, we must love others as we love ourselves. Denying ourselves in our service to others means seeking the good of others before ours (1 Cor. 10:24).
Jesus’ life while on earth was a service to mankind (Matt. 4:23; 8:14-16; 14:14; Mark 6:34; Luke 7:13). The scriptures admonish us to love our neighbours as we love ourselves and be compassionate and forgiving to others, always show kindness and goodwill to people around us, treat them well, live with integrity and honesty and be patient with our neighbours. When we render selfless and loving service to people around us, we frequently receive the joy of the Lord in our hearts as much as they do. It takes strong commitment and courage freely given by the Holy Spirit for us to step in the footprints of Jesus.
Jesus, throughout his life on earth took the Gospel to public spaces. Unfortunately, today we seem to be sharing the Gospel only inside the church and other buildings. This is contrary to what Jesus did with the Gospel. He shared the love of God and good tidings in marketplaces, on beaches, in Temple courts, on the roads, in town centres, and many more public places. Jesus commissioned us to take the Gospel to all the nations of the world.