What does it mean to be born again?
A certain Jewish ruler, Nicodemus who was a Pharisee was stunned at the words of Jesus when he heard it for the first time. To be born again? He then asked, “How can a man be born when he is old?” He asked again, “Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” We also may have similar questions to ask just as Nicodemus did.
When we say to be born again, we are not talking of being born again like a new baby from the womb, don’t get that wrong! It simply means to be re-born in the mind. In this sense we won’t have to return to the womb to be born into the world for the second time. Being born again is the birth of a-new-you in the heart. This change is supernatural;
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Just as people decide to totally change from one way of doing things to another better way can be likened as being born again from the former way. The word “born again” seems ambiguous! To be born again is repentance from a former bad way to a new good way. Repentance in itself means a change of mind.
To be born again simply means a change of mind from a bad old way to a new good way characterized by a supernatural transformation!
Five (5) reasons why you must be born again
- To establish a good relationship with God, the creator of everything.
- To enter into the kingdom of God and escape from Hell’s destruction.
- To save others from Hell’s destruction.
- To dominate.
- To retain God’s blessing in your life.
Let’s see the above points in detail.
1. To establish a good relationship with God, the creator of everything.
Relationship with God is very crucial for us, it makes God happy. A healthy relationship with God keeps us in the position of Victory, Blessing and Favor from Him and all around us.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee (Job 22:21).
When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7).
God wants us to be close to Him just as Adam was at the beginning.
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…( Genesis 3:8).
As a result of His relationship with Adam, God gave Him the privilege to name all the animals in the garden.
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof (Genesis 2:19).
God could have done this Himself but since we’re made like Him, He’s loving enough to make us feel important, to strengthen the bond and trust between us and Him. Unfortunately, this intimate relationship with God was lost by man at the beginning which could only be restored when man becomes born again. A healthy relationship with God guarantees us whatever we would ever need in life including Happiness, Joy, Peace, Blessings, Victory over all and so much more!
2. To enter into the kingdom of God and escape from Hell’s destruction.
It is important that we have the kingdom of God at heart because everything doesn’t just end here on earth!
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:19).
There’s life after death! Jesus assured those that believed and would believe on Him that He would come back for them to take them to where he would prepare for them.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:1-3).
So, life doesn’t end in physical death, there’s a transition into the realm of eternity. Eternity can either be spent in Heaven with God or in Hell with the devil. We can’t make a choice of where we want to be eternally after death but before death. No one would even want to spend a second in Hell because of its torment. Jesus warns us not to allow anything to deprive us of entering Heaven as a loving father because Hell is a place of great suffering as He described in the scripture below:
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:43-48).
If we can establish a good and healthy relationship with God and obeys what He tells us to do in His Word, we are guaranteed heaven, God’s Kingdom.
3. To save others from Hell’s destruction.
As good ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), we don’t need to get saved just for ourselves, we need to extend this safety to others as a mark of love for humanity and appreciation to God. We need to allow others who are not yet born again to experience the goodness of God towards us. It’s mandated that we should invite those who are not yet saved into the Kingdom.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).
It won’t be good to be selfish, isn’t it? God loves us all and no one in exemption because we’re created after His image and likeness. To truly show we love God, we must join Him to rescue the perishing because it is through us He can get to them. We need to tell our friends and families, who are not aware of this fact so we can help them to enjoy all the blessings of God and save them from hell. Of course, we won’t want anyone we love to end in hell.
4. To dominate.
Man was in total control until he lost his place of authority to the devil. Man was supposed to be the God of this world but the devil is! 1Corinthians 4:4, John 12:31, 14:30. The devil that was called Lucifer one of the chief angels in heaven was sent off because of his pride Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:13-18. As a result, he’s revenging God by making man disobey Him. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, man lost his place of authority and has been subject to the devil and his devices.
This can accounts for one of the reasons why humans learn evil and bad things without being thought, children who were not taught what anger is, knows how to get angry, others learn to steal, take things which are not theirs, it has become an in-born nature Psalm 51:5. The plan of the devil is to Steal, Kill and Destroy man John 10:10. He’s like a roaring lion seeking for whom to destroy 1Peter 5:8. He has no part in heaven, so he’s fully set to turn men away from God Ephesians 5:10-18, 2Corinthians 10:3-4. He’s responsible for poverty, hunger, death, sufferings, sicknesses, diseases and so on. God’s intention is for man was to enjoy always.
There’s Hope!!! You can get your position of authority back right away! As soon as you get born-again, you’re in charge again! It’s as easy as that! Every believer in Christ must be conscious of the fact that they’re in dominion over the devil and his devices Joshua 1:5, Luke 10:19. In fact, the devil is afraid of you as a believer, a born-again! Isaiah 54:17.
5. To retain God’s blessing in your life.
The devil is in constant pursuit, he wants to steal all that God has given to you (John 10:10). For you to secure all your blessings, we must be untouchable! To be untouchable, you must be born-again because, a born-again, you and all what you possess in life is under God’s ownership and protection, Romans 8:31, 1Peter 3:12. We are separated by God and therefore are holy unto Him, God. The devil cannot touch that which is holy! This means anything that the devil cannot touch anything that belongs to you. Psalm 105:15. You are totally secured from the devil and his devices as long as you’re born-again.
Who needs to be born again?
Everyone needs to be born-again because we all deserve the best. Everyone needs to be saved. Those that are not yet born-again are those who are still living in sin (1John 3:8-9). Those that are already born-again only need to continue maintaining their relationship with God by keeping away from sin. It’s only those that are sick that need the attention of the doctor. We should bear in mind that you’re not doing God a favor by repenting from your sins (being born-again), rather it’s for your own good.
How can I be born-again?
All you need do is to confess your sins and forsake them Proverbs 28:13. No amount or gravity of sin is too heavy or hard for God to forgive. You simply have to open your mouth in prayers to confess those sins to Him and He’ll forgive you instantly. We want to ensure you’re totally secured from the forces of life, this is the reason we’ve got to introduce Him to you, for you cannot do well without Him (John 15:5). He wants you to enjoy his abundance, He has more than what you want, He’s more than able to do all you desire (Ephesians 3:20).
SAY THIS PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I confess to you that I’m a sinner
I’m sorry for all the sins I have committed
I promise you never to go back to them anymore from today
Lord Jesus, come into my life
Be my Lord and Savior
Remove my name from the book of death
Write my name in the book of life
Give me the power to sin no more
Give me the grace to follow you forever
In Jesus name, AMEN!
You’re welcome!!!
If you just made this Prayer, you’re totally born again. You will need to study these scriptures personally, 2Corinthians 5:17, John 1:12, 2Corinthians 6:14-18, 1John 3:8-10, John 3:3, 16, 1Corinthians 6:9-10.
God bless you!
Reference:
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Thanks