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Day One
Born Again
Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:6; John 1:12–13; 1 John 5:1
Have you ever wondered why the Bible uses the phrase “born again” to describe the time when someone commits their life to Jesus Christ? No truth is more important to understand than what God does when someone enters His kingdom. Rather than just a slight shift in the heart, rebirth is a complete spiritual overhaul of the soul. Instead of a mere addition to someone’s life, rebirth means a person possesses an entirely new life.
Being born again means that God implants divine life within our spiritually dead heart. It means that by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, we are dramatically transformed in the core of our being. In the new birth, God gives us new life that only He can give.
In order to better grasp what the new birth is, I want us to begin by considering the first passage in the Bible that actually records the words “born of God.” It is found in the opening chapter of the Gospel of John: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12–13).
John is describing what takes place when anyone enters into the kingdom of God. This new birth enables a person to become a believer in Jesus as Lord and Savior. It gives a new beginning with God, the new start that everyone needs. This divine intervention is the radical and complete transformation of a person’s life that is performed by God.
This is not the earliest mention in Scripture of this spiritual reality. Throughout the Old Testament the new birth is represented by other metaphors such as a heart circumcision (Deut. 30:6), a heart transplant (Ezek. 36:25–27), and a spiritual resurrection (Ezek. 37:1–10). Many other passages in the New Testament also use this metaphor of birth (John 3:3, 5–6; 1 John 3:9; 5:1, 4–5, 18).
No other image quite captures the dramatic truth of how God changes us from the inside out.
Have you ever known someone before and after they committed their life to Christ? What difference did you see in them?
About this Plan
We often hear the phrase “born again,” but what does that mean? Does being born again last forever or do we have to be born another time if we fail? Whether you have been a Christ-follower for many years or are simply curious about what spiritual rebirth means, you’ll discover enriching truths in this week’s exploration of finding new life in Christ.
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