Saturday, April 28, 2012

Entering the Kingdom of God

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8 (NLT).

Believers are “born of God” when the Holy Spirit lives in them and brings Jesus Christ’s new life (Galatians 3:9). Being “born again” is more than a new and fresh start, but rather a rebirth and a receipt of a new family name based on Jesus Christ’s death. With this rebirth, God forgives believers and accepts them. Even more, the Holy Spirit gives new believers new minds and hearts, lives in us, and changes believers from the inside out to become like Jesus Christ. Further, the Holy Spirit changes believers’ perspectives; their hearts and minds are renewed day by day by God’s Holy Spirit (see Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:22-24). As part of God’s family, believers must start to think and act differently (see John 3:1-21).

Just as Jesus Christ was born of the Holy Spirit, believers are also born of the Holy Spirit when they accept and trust in Jesus Christ. A believers’ old life dies with faith in Jesus Christ, and they rise anew through the Holy Spirit’s transforming power (Romans 6:3-14). The Holy Spirit leads a person’s heart and mind to become more like those of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:2) and to reflect the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Moreover, believers become adopted children of God through faith and trust in Jesus Christ that is built through the heart (Galatians 3:26). As adopted children of God, believers share with Jesus all rights to God’s resources, rights, and blessings. Moreover, believers can call God Father, just as Jesus Christ did (Mark 14:36; cp. Matt 6:9). As children of God, believers are joined to Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Spirit. Simply put, believers become new people in Jesus Christ, with a new Father and new family (Romans 8:14-17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 3:26-27; Galatians 4:6-7).

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