Mission Venture Ministries

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) 

In order to serve the Lord, we must be born again of the Divine Spirit; it literally means “born from above.” 

So how does this come about? The Bible tells us that our faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). 

So why does a person need to be born again? 

The apostle Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sinners are spiritually “dead”; and when they receive spiritual life through faith in Christ, the Bible likens it to a rebirth. Only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God. 

Once a person hears the Word of God and is truthfully instructed in it, they will be given a new awareness and capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give them willing obedience to all His directives and it will give them a true desire to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. 

True worship must be “in spirit,” that is, engaging the whole heart. Unless there’s a real passion for God, there is no worship in spirit. At the same time, worship must be “in truth,” that is, we need to be properly informed. Unless we have knowledge of the God we worship, there is no worship in truth. Both are necessary for God-honoring worship. 

A spirit without truth leads to a shallow, overly emotional experience where as soon as the emotion is over, the fervor cools and the worship ends. 

However, the more a person knows about God, the more they appreciate Him. The more we appreciate, the deeper our worship. The deeper our worship, the more God is glorified. 

So what happens once we are saved? 1 John 3:9 describes a person who has been born of God: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning because they have been born of God.” God our Father is Holy, and He desires that His children become Holy like He is (1 Peter 1:15–16). 

When we are born of God, we have a new heart, one that wants to please God and walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10); and we begin to experience a sense of freedom and peace in the soul. 

Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2); we start to display the fruits of the spirit: “Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). 

When the heart is renewed by divine grace, love is the ruling principle of action and we love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Hate disappears and we start to experience love for others, and we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren… (1 John 3:14). 

We turn our mind and heart away from the world and do not love the world or the things in the world; because we understand that if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him… (1 John 2:15). 

We experience victory where there had been defeat because we trust and obey our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25) 

And as we grow, we start understanding that divine power, combined with human obedience gives us victory, and we find out that, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). 

We develop an increase desire to pray as the psalmist wrote: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalms 42:1-2) 

And Paul wrote: pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17); meaning an attitude of being conscious of God that we carry with us all the time; knowing that God is with us and that He is actively involved and engaged in our thoughts and actions at all times. 

The born again person, will enjoy reading the Word of God. It may have been uninteresting before their conversion, but now the Word of God is their best friend. It is their standard for living. A person is able grasps its promises and to realize that: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). And “When I received your words, I ate them. They filled me with joy. My heart took delight in them. Lord God who rules over all, I belong to you.” (Jeremiah 15:16). 

There will be a growing sensitivity to sin. The closer we come to Jesus, the more closely we will see the purity of His character. Also, the closer we come to Him, the more we will see the terrible sinfulness of sin. The born again person will have new thoughts, feelings and motives. The mind will be changed and an attitude of willing obedience to God is awakened in our soul. “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart” (Psalms 40:8). 

We will also have a desire to witness to others. As Jesus told His disciples before ascending into heaven; “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

The reason is that when we are born again and understand what Christ did for us and what awaits us for all eternity, witnessing to others becomes our passion and delight. We eagerly want to let others know what a precious Friend we have found in Jesus and we are unable to keep silent. 

The power of Christ alone can work the transformation in each heart and mind. But remember that: “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). 

Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” When a person is saved, he is born again, spiritually renewed, they now become a child of God by right of new birth. 

Because, as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13). 

Trusting in Jesus Christ, the One who paid the penalty of sin when He died on the cross is the means to be born again. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and be born again, here is an example of what you might pray. 

– God, I know that I have sinned against You and am deserving of punishment. I now understand that Jesus Christ took the penalty that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank you for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness; and the gift of eternal life. Amen! – 

You need to understand though, that simply repeating this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only by trusting in Christ that can save you from sin. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your salvation. To truly be born again you must accept Jesus Christ as the absolute Lord of your life and be willing to obey His commands for holy living that He has described in the Bible. 

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame” (Romans 10:9-11). 

So please remember that there is no real Christian who is not a “born-again Christian.” As Jesus said: “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. . . . You must be born again” (John 3:3, 7).

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