Spiritual Birth

Have you just been born again? That’s truly wonderful, but please don’t go running off into the wild world out there without sticking around long enough to find out what just happened to you! You also need to know the essentials about how to live this new life, especially how to stay connected to your new Source.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' John 3:6-7

All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.

A Simple Analogy

When a baby is born its former life as a fetus comes to an abrupt, decisive and irrevocable end: There is no going back to the womb! That place of darkness held the seed of life while it grew, but now the child has been brought forth into the light. The darkness of the womb may return in many forms--some comforting, some terrifying—as the infant grows through the cycles of day and night, of love and fear, of clarity and confusion. Such darkness, however, can always be overcome by fresh infusions of light.

The primal "reign" of unrelieved darkness has been shattered, but even that is not the decisive factor: The breath of life has come! Now that the child has breathed the sweet air of freedom, it can never return to an oxygen-less environment. To not see is to be deprived of fullness; to not breath is to be deprived of life.

In the Upper Room on the evening of His Resurrection, Jesus literally breathed on the first disciples and they received the Holy Spirit, the "breath" (ruach) of God's life within themselves.[1] So it is with each one of us who are born again by a living faith in Jesus' life, death and resurrection. We have God's own life within ourselves! Holy Spirit is the One who inspires and empowers our faith, who unites us to God and Jesus, and who raises us and enables us to live the New Life that now is opening wide before us.

Spiritual Birth Initiates Three Relationships

The new life that we receive through spiritual birth ushers us into three intimate, divine relationships:

1. Father Planted the Seed of His Word

He has revealed Jesus to your formerly sin-darkened heart as only He can.[2] By this He is drawing you out of darkness into the glorious light of His Son's kingdom.[3] Your heavenly Father is raising you up through His Son to be His child.

2. Jesus Is the Light of the World

[4] He is God's Word of mercy who saves you, washing away the "filth" of the old ways. He is God's Word of truth who now enlightens your understanding, showing you the true way to walk with your God. He is your Lover, Savior, Master, Lord and Friend.

3. Holy Spirit Is the Breath of Life

You have been brought into a very intimate relationship with, shall we say, the Mystery Person of the Trinity, who is now your Helper, willing to live through you a life you will never be able to live without His help.

Your new top assignment is to know Them, believe in Them, love Them, serve Them and become Their friend! Yes, they are Three In One, but… You need all Three! To be more properly "introduced" to your new spiritual "Parents" we have included a section on Our God. For now there is so much for you to learn about how to get started with this new life! Please explore the following articles.

Keep Growing!

What Just Happened to Me?  You are going to have a hard time believing all of this! If you prayed to receive Jesus as your Savior, then God your Father has been showering you with some very astounding gifts.[5] You may already be aware of some of them, but most were taking place under the radar. It takes “gospel glasses” to see them. Good thing we’ve got a spare pair…

A "Quick Start" Guide  Every power tool comes with one of these nowadays and you’ve just been entrusted with some of the most powerful tools in the universe: the Word of God, the Name of Jesus, the indwelling Spirit, the righteousness of Christ. You could be “armed and dangerous” as a warrior for the Lord, but first you’ve got to figure out how the thing works.

The "Starter Kit"  If you are a new Christian, you need to know that even though you have been given a great “starter kit” of heavenly blessings, it carries no guarantee you will have a happy or wholesome life. Make sure you know what’s in it, but don’t stop there: Put it to good use gaining these three essential “extras.”

New Birth = New Creation  Being “born of the Spirit” means that you are a brand new creation, but don’t apply for sainthood yet. There is a new you, but the old you is still around, looking for ways of overthrowing what the Lord has done—and heading out on his/her own all over again. The old you has to stay knocked down, for the new you to enjoy the sweet air of freedom.

New Creation = New Identity  Unquestionably, you are a new creation! However, you are going to need some deep convincing and some thorough cleansing in order to cease relying on the pre-programmed ways of your old nature. Much progress will be made as you learn to understand and believe the reality of your New Identity and the personality that comes along with it.

The Power of Your Will  Apart from God, your will is the single most powerful thing in your universe. It has the power to choose heaven or hell as your ultimate destination and a heaven-infused life versus a hellish one down here. Like a fire hose under maximum pressure it can send you careening all over the place, unless you learn how to get a good grip on the thing and attach your will to His grace.

Spiritual Growth ABCs  Even babies begin growing as soon as they leave the womb. Now that you’ve left the dark womb of the world behind, you’re going to need a clear idea about which way is up where your growth is concerned. These pages will give you the keys for accelerated growth!

Spiritual Growth Moments  True spiritual growth opportunities are often not what we think. This makes them easy to miss! We need to understand what spiritual growth is not, in order to keep our eyes peeled for the God-orchestrated moments that will help us grow from baby steps to walking and even running with the Lord.

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