Have You Experienced the New Birth?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

The birth of a child is a wonderful, amazing, and unforgettable event for a family. It’s not something you can miss or ignore. It changes the course and the life of the family – and of course, the life of the one who was born! A person is either born and alive, or not. There is no middle ground between life and death.

In the spiritual realm, Jesus speaks of something similar when a person turns to God in faith. This is the new birth. It is the work of the Holy Spirit upon a person, and it is so tangible, so radical, so undeniable, that where was once death, no there is life! That is why, out of all the images Jesus could have chosen to describe the salvation of a soul, He chose the image of the new birth!

However, among Christians, recently there has been a shift away from such clear and compelling description of salvation toward softer, more convenient phrases like: “accepting Jesus into your heart,” “believing in God,” or “praying to God.” As a result, more and more people begin to associate themselves with the family of God, though they have never actually experienced a true “new birth” – a birth by the Holy Spirit!

This work of God is so radical, so powerful, so undeniable, that those who experience it don’t need to go searching to figure out who they are – where there was death, now there is life! And this life can be traced, evaluated, seen, and experienced!

Below are a few simple but absolutely essential texts that describe what the life of a person born of God looks like. Don’t rush – pray and examine yourself in light of these biblical passages:

“If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.” (1 John 2:29)

“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9)

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.” (1 John 5:1–2)

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” (1 John 5:18)

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? ³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.