We have established beyond any shadow of doubt in the previous article that life is about making choices - whether good or bad. In determining which way to go in life we are guided by one great compass, the Word of God. Whether we would use it to chart our course in life is also another matter of choice. Nothing has defined life so clearly than the Word of God which encourages us to choose life in order to live. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
When we make informed choices, in accordance with God's precepts, it is unlikely that we would step out of line or make grievous mistakes that could cost us our lives. Rather we should operate with a firm conviction and assurance that what God has declared he is able to deliver. These informed choices result from a relationship that we have knit with the Father through the Son. God wants to shower love on his children if only they would let him.
God has set clear and definite ways for us to follow; and all of this is written in the Bible, the Word of God. The Bible teaches that; "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these days he has spoken to us by his Son ...." (Hebrews 1:2) It is intended for us to stand tall and not stumble or falter.
Being born again
Jesus in one of his teachings told a doctor of philosophy named Nicodemus that he had to be born again. The latter thought Jesus meant going back into his mother's womb. All human beings are born into this world by a woman and nobody has come into existence by request or choice. We cannot choose our parents either. But one thing is certain when we become born again, we can choose where we want to be born. It is a choice we make in order to be transformed through and through. It means deciding to be a faithful follower of Jesus; someone whose spirit has not been corrupted by the deeds of the flesh. "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the
To be born of the Spirit means putting aside our fleshy desires and being prepared to hold fast to God's Word for victory in our lives; victory over sin.
How does one become born again? By receiving Jesus as a gift from God and believing that he died for our sins on the cross. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3.16)
Being born of the spirit is not just an attitude or some religious fashion; it is a way of life. It is a deliberate move, a conscious step to accept the Word of God as "the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6) A person who is born again is willing to set aside any obstacle that would come in his/her way to coming closer and being with Christ. It is an appropriate sacrifice to do away with life as it is lived in the flesh, to abandon our carnal instincts and live by the code of conduct designed by Christ for a longer and everlasting life which begins on earth but is prolonged in heaven.
Being born again is an inner cleansing process operated by the Spirit of God that brings about a complete change in the life of a person. God himself pronounced through the prophet Ezekiel "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh: And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." (Ezekiel 36:25-27) Being born again is the passport for entry into the
When Christ lives in us there is hope for glory. (Colossians 1:27) There is hope that we would live worthy lives and derive joy from it. Paul in his writings stated: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Entrance to the
May we have our eyes set on things eternal, for eternity is our final destination! "You must be born again" - the sure way to heaven.
