BEING BORN AGAIN
Jesus spoke to a religious leader about being born again (John 3:1-21). A Pharisee named Nicodemus believed Jesus was from God because of the great miracles Jesus did. He called Jesus “Rabbi.” In response, Jesus said, you must be “born again” to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus asked–as some may still may wonder–how can anyone be born again.
HOW TO BE BORN AGAIN
Jesus said, “flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6). The Bible tells us how to be born of the Spirit:
- Recognize that you are a sinner, for all have sinned and come short of glorifying God (Romans 3:23).
- Understand that according to God law of justice, everyone who sins deserves death and eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23; John 8:21).
- Believe that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believe in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).
- Repent of your sins and believe in the atoning death of Jesus Christ and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit—making you part of the kingdom of God (Acts 2:38; Romans 14:17; Luke 17:20-21).
GROWING IN THE SPIRIT
After our believing in Jesus Christ and being born of the Spirit, God begins the process of growing us into the likeness of his Son (Romans 8:29). Jesus said he would ask the Father to give us the Holy Spirit as our helper (John 14:16-17). The Spirit which God gives us helps grow us into the likeness of Christ.
- The Spirit guides us into all truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:13-14).
- The Spirit enables us to control sins of the flesh and produce Christ-like fruit of the Spirit (Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:22).
- The Spirit empowers us to be living witnesses of the Lord (Acts 1:8).
- The Spirit helps us to live to please the Father as Jesus did (John 8:29; Luke 22:44
- The Spirit helps us to love God with all our heart; and our neighbors as ourselves )Luke 10:27).
