Born Again, Then What?
Most people are taught that being born again is the climatic end to becoming a believer. The term itself indicates it is the beginning of a new life. When a child is born into this world it is the end of one process, being carried by the mother, but just the beginning of another. If we allow the birth of the child to be the crowning end then the child would not learn how to live successfully in this life.
No child is born and then thrown out into the world to fend for himself. A new born baby is born with a natural dependence on his parents and without their nurturing the child’s chance for survival is slim. A child must be taught how to navigate this life, to walk and talk and to accomplish success in the society it was born. So it is spiritually and those who are not connected and in a close relationship with their Heavenly Father. They may be born again but the chances for their success and survival are slim without a true relationship with their Father. We are told we need the milk of the word to grow.
1Peter 2:2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
As the Spirit of God gave life to Jesus, this same Spirit, when we are born again, enters into our lives. We become a living spirit born in the family of God by Christ Jesus. Most people who are born again do not realize their purpose or why they were born again. The enemy tries to keep God’s people in darkness as to their purpose. Being born again is a means to an end. We are to learn how to operate in God’s authority and cultivate His kingdom on earth. The end is being part of a royal family; we have a new culture, and are citizens of a new kingdom. This is eternal life that we should know the true and living God and reflect the glory of God in the earth by doing His will.
John 17:2-4 For you granted him (Jesus) authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.
Religion has reduced being born again down to an empty shell of doing things. Religion want us to stay busy, to do many dutiful acts to perform, or show how many immoral things we can refrain from. The enemy wants us to stay busy doing things so we will not take time to develop a relationship with God or know Him. Jesus said this is eternal life, knowing the only true God and Jesus the One He sent. Jesus brought glory to God on the earth by finishing the work God gave Him. We are to be like Jesus and bring glory to God when we walk in the calling He has for us. The work we are all given is to be ambassadors of God’s heavenly kingdom in this fallen world, to be ministers of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
We are to represent God by showing His love and by being champions of reconciliation to a lost and hurting world. This can only be done when we change the way we think by renewing our minds with the word of God. When we change the way we think, we can change the way we act. This is why we are called to become a living sacrifice, separated from the world’s way of thinking and to live in a way that honors God. We are told to live holy and acceptable unto God, so it must be possible. But the world will try and tell us, it cannot be done. We will continue to conform to the pressures of the world until we transform our minds with the word of God. His Spirit will renew our minds and enable our bodies to live pleasing to God. Practice makes better, while we may never be perfect, we can be better. We can develop our minds and hearts to live a mature life in Christ that is pleasing to God our Father.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will
We have been marred by the fall of mankind and we have let our failures and faults dictate our thoughts and actions and even define who we are. Satan has lied to us from the beginning and he is still lying to those who do not know the truth about themselves and who they are under God’s authority. We are to change the way we think about ourselves and others. Until we get to know God and His heart of love for us, we cannot see ourselves clearly or show His love to the others.
Proverbs 23:7a For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
The more we read God’s word the more His word is planted into our hearts. This is how we learn and cultivate His new culture and kingdom in our daily lives. What we believe in our hearts dictates our actions. Most of us have been defined by life experiences, our families and culture. We let the world and society speak louder in our lives than the word of God. Only God can truly tell us who we are because He is the One who created us.
It takes discipline of mind, body and character to obtain any prize in life. So it is in obtaining the prize of God’s high calling in Jesus. We choose and decide whether we will be spiritually strong in the word or spiritually lazy, when we refuse to put in the effort that is needed to cultivate a relationship with God, to know Him and His ways. The same as in disciplining our minds as it is our bodies, we must choose to control and restraint to cultivate our minds and hearts to grow strong in our relationship with God.
Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Remember when we are born again it is into a royal family. As it is with any family; it is about developing close relationships with parents and siblings. We are born into the household of God so we would know God as our Father and so we may become like our Father and display His love on the earth.
Integrity- People of God 