You often hear of the term “born again” in Christian circles, and many know the general meaning behind it.

The majority of people know this as someone receiving salvation, getting baptized, and going to Heaven when they pass away. But if that is all that it means, wouldn’t that be a very weird term to use? Why is it even called “born again”, and not just salvation.

In reality, being born again is a much greater process than many understand. Today, I hope to explain what it really means to be born again and give you a greater revelation of your new position in Christ.

Receiving Salvation

The first step in understanding what it means to be born again is to receive salvation. This is the most important thing that you will ever do in life, and this one decision can truly change everything.

The process of receiving salvation can be done in two steps. How great is the Lord to make it so easy!

Those two steps are to confess with your mouth, and believe in your heart that Jesus, the perfect son of God, died for your sins, and was raised up on the third day, so that you may have eternal life (Romans 10:9). Recognize that you need a savior, and that Jesus is your Lord.

Confess with your Mouth

Scripture puts a lot of emphasis on the power of the tongue, and this verse highlights it the most.

“From the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:10).

When you confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, and that you need him to be saved, you will surely be saved. However, only you and the Lord truly know your heart, so you must believe for the confession to mean anything.

Believe in your Heart

In order to receive salvation, you must believe in your heart. This is perhaps the most important step you’ll take in life. It can be difficult to believe in something that you can’t even see and believe in someone that you don’t personally know yet. But that step of faith is one that won’t leave you high and dry, it won’t leave you in despair, or wishing you hadn’t gotten your hopes so high. Truly, it is one that leads to the greatest gift of all, being born again in Christ.

Believe in your heart that Jesus is the Lord of your life, and sacrificed himself for you, and confess it with your mouth. Then surely, you will be saved.

The Old Covenant

Jesus is the greatest gift that we could have ever asked for. He’s better than anything we could have asked for in fact. But it took many years for Jesus to come and be born as man, and then longer yet for him to die on the cross for our sins. So, how did everything work with the old covenant, before Jesus?

In the Old Covenant, or the Old Testament, God had a chosen people, the Israelites or the Jews. This covenant made it that the Jews were under the law and had to live very strict lives to be in right standing with God. Even living very strictly, they were never able to keep the law and had to continuously offer sacrifices. Yet, they were still God’s chosen people, from which the Messiah would come.

These people were often protected and prosperous, when in right standing with God, and had the covering of his favor. Though they went through times of being exiled, enslaved, and persecuted, surely it was a blessing to be an Israelite in the Old Covenant.

The New Covenant

Today, in the New Covenant, everyone that is born again is not only saved, but part of that favorable line.

If you’ve grown up in Church, you surely know who Abraham is. He was the man that started the line of Israel and was given one of the greatest promises in scripture.

““I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.”” (Genesis 17:1-5).

Abraham was promised to have many descendants and that he had. But the line of Abraham didn’t stop with the Israelites, it continued on to us.

Born into the Line

We have not only received salvation when we become born again, but we receive a new line, a new spiritual genealogy, a new history.

“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16).

Abraham is known as the father of many nations, but now, he is known also as the father of our faith. His line led to Jesus, and with Jesus on the inside of all of us, we now have a different history. A different story. We have been born into the line of Abraham, and that is a major blessing.

That is, because in the line of Abraham, we are now of God’s chosen people. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9). What a blessing!

Born into the Family

If being born into a chosen people wasn’t a big enough blessing, there is actually something even greater than that. We are now a part of the family of God.

We all surely know Jesus as the begotten son of God. He is undoubtedly the only one in all creation that could be known by the name. Jesus did many miracles, signs, and wonders as the son of God, and with his perfect nature, saved us all from inevitable death from sin. He truly is the son of God.

But in all his goodness, He not only saved us from our sins, but adopted us as sons and daughters of God too! Let’s look at some scripture.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:14-17).

We have not just been brought into the royal priesthood, or made a holy nation, but we are actually sons and daughters of the Lord! How powerful is that!

That allows us to cry “Abba! Father!” with full assurance that the Lord will not answer as talking to a sinner, but to his child.

How good is our God!

Born into the Promises

Being born into the family of God, and the line of Abraham are awesome things in themselves. But there is something that comes along with those two things that we need to discuss. That is, that we have been born into the promises.

What does that mean? God made many promises over the course of scripture. He made a very important one to Abraham, that he would be the father of many nations. He made many through Jesus. And the thing about the Lord is that he always follows through with his promises.

Looking at scripture, we see an array of promises made to us. We are promised eternal life as long as we believe in Jesus (John 3:16). If we call on him, he answers (Psalm 50:15). Again, that we are children of God (Romans 8:14). If you are interested in seeing more promises you can check them out at Connectusfund.org!

But perhaps my favorite, and one of the most important promises is one that is made to the Israelites in Jeremiah.

“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” (Jeremiah 32:38).

This promise is beautiful, and really cuts straight to the heart. We are God’s people, and He is our God.

Final Thoughts

Being a born-again Christian is the best thing out there. Not only is it entirely necessary for salvation, but there are so many blessings that come along with it that we can really take ahold of.

Jesus didn’t just come to set us free from our eternal punishment. He didn’t come just to do miracles and show everyone how great he is (although he is awesome). Jesus came also, that we may be born again not into a new body or a new household, but into the family of God.

If ever you are in doubt of your spiritual nature, or you are afraid that you aren’t saved, or are not a child of God, take heart. All that you must do to be born again, into salvation, and into adoption as sons, is believe in your heart, and confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, and that you need him in your life, and in your heart.

Have a great week and remind yourself of the promises of God!