Photo by Michal Bar Haim on Unsplash

By Tom Shanklin

Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.” (John 3:7 MEV)

The new birth is a radical transformation of who you are. It’s allowing Jesus to come into your life as Lord and Savior. It’s a miracle! It’s the power of God in action! 

When you are born again, it is like someone has turned on the lights. The world is different. Joy is flowing from the throne of God. There is peace like a river. There is new hope, a new beginning, a new nature. You are not the same old person that you used to be. 

The new birth is not “getting religion” or joining the church. It’s a miracle in your heart. You will still have temptations, trials, problems, and challenges. But somehow, down on the inside, you know things are different. You want to do right. You want to live for God, and you have hope for the future. And when you are born again, the Holy Spirit lets you know that you are a child of God, and you have eternal life.

This is WHY Jesus came to earth 2,000 years ago—to give us a second birth. Without the new birth, He said, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:5) He came to make us new, to change us, and to open unto us the gates of heaven. Like the old Christmas hymn, Hark the Herald Angels Sing…

Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth;
Born to give them second birth.

Without the new birth, you will experience separation from God now and throughout eternity. Jesus did not say, “It would be nice if you were born again.” He did not say, “It’s one of the many ways to come to God.” He did not say, “Just get a little religion in your life, and you’ll be okay.” No, He said, “You must be born again!”

I had an experience with God when I was nine years old … but I was not born again. Sitting in a church service, I heard the Gospel message. I heard that Jesus died for my sins and rose again and that I could be forgiven of my sins. The Holy Spirit drew me. I felt God calling me. I answered the altar call and went forward and prayed the sinner’s prayer. And yet, I was not born again, because I did not receive Jesus as Lord of my life. 

I thank God for the experience I had when I was nine years old. I believe a seed was planted, but it was not enough to save me, because I was not changed. I left the church the same way that I came. I was not born again. 

Later, when I was 27 years old, after many years of living in sin and rebellion to God, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Turn from the things of the world.” When I responded to His voice and said from my heart, “Yes, Lord!” everything changed. I became brand new! The Lord then spoke to me, saying, “I give you a new life, free from the bonds of iniquity.” My life has never been the same since that day. Drugs and alcohol went out of my life, but even more importantly, the love of God came into my heart.

To be born again, you must have a change of heart. You have to be willing to let Jesus come into your life and rule. You cannot go to heaven with sin and rebellion in your heart.

To be born again, you must have a change of heart. You have to be willing to let Jesus come into your life and rule. You cannot go to heaven with sin and rebellion in your heart. You must be born again!

Cursing God, hurting people, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, stealing, drunkenness, and lying are sins. These acts dishonor God. But the problem we have is deeper than these acts. It is a sin nature. The Bible says that we are “by nature children of wrath.” We are living under the wrath of God because our nature is completely contrary to the nature of God. Before we come to Jesus, we are “without Christ we are without hope and without God in this world.”

Yet, there is hope! There is hope because God sent Jesus. He came not to condemn you but to save you from your sins. Before Jesus was born, the angel told Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather, “… you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” 

He came to deliver us FROM our sin, not to leave us in our sin. He didn’t say he would forgive us so we could keep on sinning. We are no longer slaves to sin.

He came to deliver us FROM our sin, not to leave us in our sin. He didn’t say he would forgive us so we could keep on sinning. We are no longer slaves to sin. We need to lay hold of that truth and walk in our freedom. Through Jesus Christ, we are made a holy people. We can live for the Lord!

How does He make us holy? By the new birth. We cannot make ourselves holy. We cannot change ourselves. We need a new nature. Through the new birth, we can bring forth love, joy, peace, and all the fruits of the Spirit. We honor God, and we treat people right. This is because the new nature produces godly fruit in us. 

 Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. Will you let Him in? He will forgive every sin and make you new!

Pray this prayer from your heart:

Dear Father, I know I have sinned. I need a Savior. Today, It receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe He died for me and rose again. I turn from the things of the world and chose to follow Jesus. Today, I say, “Yes Lord!” Thank you for changing my heart and making me new, in Jesus’ name. Amen.