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Response
Jesus stated that to become a Christian, one must be “born again” «Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. », (John 3:3). This statement suggests that merely changing our current lives is insufficient; we need to start anew. Second Corinthians 5:15 and 17 elaborate on the transformation that occurs when we place our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord: “And He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. . . . Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”
Jesus used the analogy of birth because we comprehend that the birth of a baby signifies a new creation. Birth is followed by a gradual transformation from infancy to maturity. Similarly, when we experience spiritual rebirth, we, who were once “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1;cf: Romans 6:18), are brought to life. We become a “new creation” in Christ «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 5:17). God transforms our desires, perspective, and focus as we shift from self-centeredness to God-centeredness.
Many individuals attempt to avoid this transfer of ownership by trying to modify their external behavior or by starting to attend church to simulate being a Christian. However, relying solely on willpower has its limitations. Jesus did not come to reform our sinful nature; He came to eradicate it (Luke 9:23;Romans 6:6–7).
The old and new natures cannot work together, nor can they peacefully coexist (Romans 8:12-14). We must die to self before we can experience the new life Jesus offers us “and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”, (2 Corinthians 5:15).
Every human being is composed of body, soul, and spirit “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”, (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Before we have a relationship with God through new birth, we live primarily controlled by our soul and body. The spirit lies dormant inside us, like a deflated balloon. When we transfer ownership of our lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ, He sends His Holy Spirit to regenerate our deflated spirits. The Holy Spirit is compared to a wind (John 3:8; Acts 2:2). At salvation, He pours into our hearts and inflates the spirit inside us so that we can now communicate with God. Whereas a person was formerly directed by the sin nature, he or she can now be directed by the Holy Spirit who works to transform us into the image of Christ “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”, (Romans 8:29).
We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and to renew our minds so that we begin to think as God thinks (Romans 12:1-2).
As we focus on understanding God, studying His Word, and submitting ourselves daily to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our decisions change. Our hobbies, priorities, and interests shift. The manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) becomes visible where previously only the deeds of the flesh existed (Galatians 5:19-21). Experiencing the new birth is just the start. God continues to transform us to present to Himself a sanctified people on the day we encounter Him in person (Philippians 1:6;Philippians 2:13;2 Corinthians 11:2;Ephesians 5:27).
