Answers

Q:

A friend of mine talks a lot about being a born-again Christian. I'm not sure exactly what she means. What is your definition of a born-again Christian?


A:

A born-again Christian is someone who has repented of their sins and turned to Christ for their salvation, and as a result has become part of God’s family forever. All this takes place as God’s Spirit works in our lives.

You see, by nature we aren’t members of God’s family, and we don’t have any right to inherit eternal life. The reason is because of our sin. We have rebelled against God, and because of that, the Bible says, we are “separated from the life of God … due to the hardening of (our) hearts” (Ephesians 4:18). No, you may not see yourself as a bad person (and you probably aren’t)—but in God’s eyes even one sin is enough to keep you out of heaven.

But Jesus Christ came to save us and to make us part of His family forever! He did this by dying for our sins on the cross and by conquering death through His resurrection. You see, as a human being you were born into a family—and nothing can ever change that. But when we come to Christ we are spiritually reborn into another family—the family of God. The Bible says to Christ’s followers, “You have been born again … through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).

My prayer is that you too may be born again and become part of God’s family. By a simple prayer of faith, tell God that you know you are a sinner, and you are sorry for your sins. Then ask Christ to come into your life and save you. When you do, God will come to live within you by His Spirit, and you will be born again.

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