The birth of our children was amazing! Wrapped up in those little bundles was all the potential for growth that came with each new day! But as amazing as the “first” birth is, nothing compares to the greatness of the new birth whereby we become God’s children. Being born again gives us mighty potential power wrapped up in the gift of holy spirit. We are changed. Each day as we learn more about what we have in the new birth, we can grow and make an impact!
Why would anyone need to be born again? At birth, a baby has a body and soul: a body, which is flesh, and soul, or breath life, which represents the basis of one’s personality, thoughts, capacity of will. As a two-part being, with only body and soul, a child lives and grows by the five senses. As wonderful as the five senses are, they are limited. In order to go beyond those limitations, one must be born again.
What changes when someone is born again? In His infinite wisdom, God made a plan by which an individual becomes a three-part being. When one is born again, God’s spiritual seed is born within. That person is born again of God’s spirit and becomes a three-part being of body, soul, and spirit. This born-again believer has a spiritual connection with God and can receive information from Him and manifest power by God’s gift of holy spirit within.
So how does one get born again? Our heavenly Father made it easy to become His son or daughter.
Romans 10:9,10:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord in your life, and believe in your heart (the innermost part of your being) that God raised Jesus from the dead. That’s it! You ARE absolutely saved, born again of God’s spirit! When you were born the first time, you got your earthly father’s seed. You are a child of your earthly father. When you are born again, you get your heavenly Father’s seed—the seed of God in Christ in you. You are now a child of God.
Before we were saved, we were only body and soul; but now we are body, soul, and spirit. With this spirit, this gift of holy spirit from God to us, we have a whole new avenue of learning available. We are not limited to learning only by our five senses because we have the spirit of God that works in us! And not only that, but we can also tap into the power of holy spirit because of that seed of God in Christ within. Understanding what God has given us in the new birth gives us holy boldness and confidence in life!
When we understand and operate our spiritual power, we grow and change. When we got born again, we were indeed changed from body and soul to body, soul, and spirit. But what does that change look like? We can’t see spirit, but we can see the effects of spiritual power manifested in people’s lives.
One Biblical example of a man whose life changed after he was born again is Peter. He changed from being afraid of the Judean religious authorities to manifesting great boldness and confidence and impacting others.
John 20:19 says that “…the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews [Judeans]….” These were difficult times. The Judean religious authorities had just crucified Jesus. Peter and Jesus’ other disciples were afraid of these men who crucified their lord, and so they were behind closed doors. But fear would soon lose its hold. What changed? Before his ascension, Jesus instructed his apostles that they would be baptized in holy spirit and receive spiritual power (Acts 1:8). Then, when the day of Pentecost was fully come (Acts 2:1-4), Peter and the other apostles with him were filled with the gift of holy spirit. They were born again of God’s spirit and became sons of God with power!
Knowing what he had received, Peter was changed. He was not the same man who had relied upon his body-and-soul limitations and hidden behind closed doors. Now facing these Judean religious authorities of whom he had previously been afraid, Peter stood up and preached Christ and didn’t hesitate in identifying them as those who crucified Jesus.
Acts 2:36:
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Peter changed! He was a new man—confident and bold. Isn’t that the way we all want to be?
As we continue to know and understand and use the power we have in the new birth, we too can live confidently and boldly for God. We are changed, and we can continue to grow each day and make a difference to others around us!