Four: A New Birth
When you trusted in jesus…
One obvious thing we all have in common is that we were born. There was a moment in time when we entered this world, opened our eyes for the first time and took our first breath. We came into this world with almost no knowledge or understanding of it, completely dependent on our parents to help us grow, mature and even survive. Our life was new, and our task was to grow and develop physically, mentally and emotionally, to learn how to navigate this world into which we were suddenly born. At this early stage, we needed our parents and other important caregivers to help us navigate the most basic things, as we learned to speak, walk and start doing things on our own. When you trusted in Jesus, you experienced a New Birth. You were spiritually “born again.”
In Jesus, not only were your sins forgiven, but you were also made new. In John 1:12-13, the Bible says:
“Yet to all who did receive him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God —children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Part of being made new is being “born again,” not physically but spiritually, by an act of God. This newness is also described as you being a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are all descended and part of the original creation of God in the beginning, but when we trusted in Jesus, we became something new, something different. The Bible also says that when you trusted in Jesus, you received God’s Spirit—truly God Himself— to live permanently inside of you. The Holy Spirit is there, even now, to lead, guide, teach, empower and comfort you as you grow to be more like Jesus. In all these ways, you were made new. New Birth. New Creation. New Spirit.
This doesn’t mean you will always live out of this new reality, as there will be times when you get pulled back into your old way of living, acting and being. God knows this struggle for us is real and that just like newborns, you will experience growing pains along the way. Yet His hand will guide and protect you the entire time. Also like infants, we start with simple truths and reality— the equivalent of “spiritual milk”—before progressing to a more significant and mature diet of “spiritual meat” (Hebrews 5:12-14). We also have spiritual mothers and fathers, people whom God brings alongside us to help us grow, mature and navigate our new reality. So don’t get discouraged. At times it may feel like you are learning to live all over again, but remember and rejoice that God has made you new, changed your heart and dwells inside you!