Thank you so much for clicking on this article. Perhaps you have heard people talk about being “born again,” and you’ve wondered what it really means. Is it simply becoming religious? Is it joining a church? Is it trying harder to live a good life?
The phrase “born again” did not originate with any church or Christian movement. It came directly from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
In John 3:3, Jesus said:
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Notice that He did not say “it would be good if you were born again.” He did not present it as an option for especially devoted Christians. He spoke of it as an absolute necessity. So what exactly does it mean?
What Does It Mean to Be Born Again?
To understand spiritual birth, let us first think about our natural birth. Every one of us entered this world through our parents. We were formed in our mother’s womb, and at the appointed time, we were born into a world we had never seen before. Whether we went through the birth canal or were brought out from the womb via C-section, we came forth with blood and water into an entirely new environment.
Everything changed. We left one realm and entered another.
Inside the womb, we depended on our mother for everything. It was a completely hidden existence. But once we were born, we entered a completely different reality. It was a brand-new experience. We began to breathe a new atmosphere. We saw things we had never seen. We experienced sounds, light, people, and a whole new way of living.
That is the exact picture Jesus was using. Being born again is not merely changing your behavior. It is not turning over a new leaf. It is not trying to become a better version of yourself.
It is a birth! It is entering an entirely new realm of existence!
Jesus explained this a few verses later:
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”* – John 3:6
The first birth made you physically alive; the second birth makes you spiritually alive.
The first birth introduced you to the physical world; the second birth introduces you into the Kingdom of God.
The first birth gave you human life; the second birth gives you God’s own life.
Halleluyah!
Why Do We Need To Be Born Again?
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We need to be born again because Jesus, our Lord said so!
The Lord Jesus Christ did not present the new birth as one option among many. He did not say it was for especially committed Christians. He said it was absolutely necessary.
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3
He did not merely say that a person who is not born again cannot enter the Kingdom of God; He first said that such a person cannot even see it!
The word translated “see” carries the idea of perceiving, discerning, experiencing, or understanding. In other words, unless you are born again, the Kingdom of God remains invisible to you.
You may hear people talk about God’s presence, His peace, His guidance, His joy, His voice, His power, and His love, but these things remain mysteries until the Holy Spirit opens your eyes through the new birth!
Now, we must also understand what Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God. Many people think the Kingdom of God simply means heaven, the location where believers are believed to go after death. But the Kingdom of God is much more than a future destination. It is the reign and rule of God. It is the realm where God’s will is done. That is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10
Notice that Jesus did not tell us to pray only about going to heaven one day. He taught us to pray that heaven’s rule would come here on earth. God desires His Kingdom to invade our lives now: His peace, His righteousness, His joy, His holiness, His power, His presence, and His government over our hearts.
That Kingdom begins the moment a person is born again.
The new birth is your entrance into an entirely new realm of life. From that moment, you begin to experience heaven’s reality while still living on earth. You begin to walk with God, to hear His voice, to experience His peace, to live under His government, and to manifest His life. This is why Jesus said that unless a person is born again, he cannot even perceive the Kingdom. He is living in another kingdom altogether!
There is another truth that many people misunderstand. Many think that eternal life is something they will receive after they die, but the Bible teaches otherwise!
Eternal life begins the very moment you receive Jesus Christ into your heart.
Jesus said, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life.” – John 3:36.
Notice that He did not say will have eternal life. He said has eternal life.
Again, Jesus defined eternal life in these words:
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” – John 17:3.
Eternal life is not simply living forever. Everyone will exist forever. Eternal life is sharing in the very life of God. In Zoe! It is knowing Him personally, living in fellowship with Him, and having His life dwelling within you.
That life begins here, not after death, and not when Christ returns. It begins now. Your eternity begins the day you are born again.
From that moment onward, you are no longer merely preparing for heaven; heaven has begun preparing you. You have entered God’s Kingdom, you have received His life, and you begin learning, day by day, what it means to live as a citizen of heaven while still walking upon the earth. It is a big deal what happens when Christ comes into your life!
That is why you must be born again. Without the new birth, you cannot perceive the Kingdom. Without the life of God, you cannot participate in the Kingdom. Without eternal life, you cannot dwell with the God who is eternal.
The new birth is not merely your ticket to heaven. It is the beginning of heaven’s life within you.
2. We need to be born again because we were created for God’s life
When God first created man, He never intended for man to exist independently of Him. Man is not an independent entity, he was never made to be an independent entity.
Man was not designed to live on his own wisdom, strength, or ability. He was created to live in constant fellowship with God. God decided that man was going to live with Him, be with Him, and draw life continually from his Creator, just as a branch continually receives life from the vine.
Our greatest purpose was never merely to exist, make money and make a name for ourselves on earth. No! It was to live with God, walk with God, hear God, enjoy God, and express His life upon the earth. That was the original design.
But something tragic happened. Sin entered the world. When Adam disobeyed God, death entered. Not just physical death, but spiritual death. Humanity became separated from the very Source of life. From that moment onward, every human being has been born physically alive but spiritually separated from God.
This is why no amount of education, morality, religion, kindness, or self-improvement can solve mankind’s deepest problem.
Our greatest need is not education. It is not reformation. It is not religion. It is life!
A dead spirit does not need improvement. It needs resurrection. It needs birth. That is why Jesus did not tell Nicodemus, “You must become more religious.” He did not say, “You must try harder.” He simply said, “You must be born again.”
Only a new birth can restore what was lost. Only a new birth brings us back into fellowship with God, giving us the very life of God that Adam forfeited through sin. And this new birth is not something we produce ourselves. It is a work of the Holy Spirit.
The moment a person genuinely believes in Jesus Christ, turns to Him in repentance, and places his trust in His finished work on the cross, the Holy Spirit performs a miracle within. A new life begins. A new heart is given. A new spirit is created. The person does not merely become a better sinner; he becomes a new creation.
“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
3. Another reason is because you are created for eternity
Oh yes! This present world is not permanent!
The earth we are living on right now is passing away. Regardless of what various philosophies, worldviews, or theories may claim, one reality remains undeniable, none of us will live here forever.
Every human being will one day die unless the Lord returns first. We may live eighty years, or perhaps even beyond one hundred, but eventually this earthly life comes to an end.
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” — Hebrews 9:27
Death is not the end. There is another realm. There is another life. The spiritual world is not imaginary. It is more real than the physical world we presently see. Everything around us is temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).
The Scriptures tell us that this present heavens and earth will one day pass away:
“…the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat…” – 2 Peter 3:10
God will create a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13). Why? Because this present creation has been corrupted by sin, death, and the influence of Satan. The beautiful fellowship God intended to have with mankind cannot be fully enjoyed in a world under the curse.
But God has not abandoned His original purpose. He created mankind for His glory:
“Everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory…” – Isaiah 43:7
From the very beginning, His desire has been to have a people who know Him, love Him, and live with Him forever. That is why salvation is so important. That is why you must be born again. Because there is an eternal world ahead of every single one of us, and this present life is where that eternal destiny is decided.
Heaven and Hell: Two Eternal Destinations
The Bible speaks clearly of two eternal destinations: heaven and hell.
Heaven is where God dwells in all His glory. If you are going to live with God forever, you must possess the life that belongs to Him. Just as a fish survives in water because it possesses the nature suited for water, and a bird flies because it possesses the nature suited for the air, no one can dwell eternally in God’s Kingdom without possessing the life of God.
That life is received only through the new birth. This is why Jesus said:
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3
The new birth is not merely your passport to heaven. It is the receiving of heaven’s life into your spirit. You begin living the life of heaven now, and one day you will dwell forever where that life has its fullest expression.
Hell, on the other hand, was never God’s original destination for mankind. Jesus said it was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). It is the place where Satan, sin, death, and every work of evil will receive their final judgment. It is a place of eternal separation from God’s gracious presence and from every blessing that flows from Him. There is no mercy there. No peace. No joy. No hope. No opportunity for repentance. It is not a place anyone should desire to enter.
The heartbreaking truth is this: God never intended for human beings to go there!
The Lord created mankind for fellowship with Himself, not for destruction.
But God has also determined that one day He will completely remove sin from His creation.
Perhaps this illustration will help.
Imagine your home has become infested with dangerous mould. You decide to clean it thoroughly so that your family can live in a healthy environment again.
Among all your belongings is your favourite cup.
You love that cup.
You do not want to throw it away.
But every time you pick it up to wash it, it somehow returns to the mould. You try to clean it again, and again but it refuses the cleansing. You keep giving it opportunities to be cleaned, but it somehow continues to retain the mould!
Eventually, because you are determined to remove every trace of mould from your home, the day comes when everything that remains contaminated is gathered together and discarded.
Not because you hated the cup but because you loved the house enough to remove everything that would continue spreading corruption.
In a far greater way, God is preparing a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness alone will dwell (2 Peter 3:13).
Satan will be judged. Death will be judged. Sin will be judged. Every work of darkness will be judged.
And anyone who continually rejects God’s mercy and chooses to remain united with Satan’s kingdom shares in the judgment of that kingdom.
This is why the issue is not merely, “Where do I want to spend eternity?”
The deeper question is, “Whose life do I want to possess?“
If a person clings to sin, rejects Christ, and refuses God’s repeated invitations to repentance, he is choosing to remain under the kingdom of darkness. At the final judgment, he shares the destiny of the kingdom he has chosen.
But if he turns to Christ, receives the life of God, and is born again, he is transferred into the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). He becomes a citizen of heaven and an heir of eternal life.
God is not eager to send anyone to hell. His heart has always been to save. That is why He sent His own Son. That is why Jesus died. That is why the Holy Spirit continues to call men and women to repentance.
As the Scripture says,
“The Lord… is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9
How Can a Person Be Born Again?
God has not made salvation complicated. He has made it available to everyone who comes to Him sincerely. If you want to know how to experience this rebirth, follow these truths:
1. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
Everything begins with faith. You must believe that God is real. You must believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, that He died for your sins, rose again on the third day, and is able to save you completely.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” – Acts 16:31
You are not trusting in your own goodness because you’ve got none outside Him; you are trusting entirely in what Jesus has already accomplished for you.
2. Confess Your Sins
Come honestly before God. Do not try to defend yourself or compare yourself with other people. Call your sins by their proper names. If you have lied, tell Him. If you have stolen, tell Him. If you have been immoral, proud, bitter, unforgiving, dishonest, or rebellious, tell Him. Nothing is hidden from God anyway.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9
3. Repent
Repentance is more than simply feeling sorry; it is a change of heart that produces a change of direction.
Tell the Lord that you no longer want to live the old life. Turn away from your sins and forsake them.
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” – Proverbs 28:13
That forsaking is the repentance. It is no repentance if you weep over it but still cling to it.
4. Receive the Cleansing of the Blood of Jesus
Our greatest problem is that we are sinners by nature, and a holy God cannot dwell in an unclean heart. Our sins must be cleansed, and that cleansing comes through only one thing: the blood of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was no ordinary man. He is the eternal God, the second person of the Trinity who became fully man. He lived a perfect, sinless life, and then willingly went to the cross to bear our judgment. When His precious blood was shed, it became the perfect sacrifice that satisfied the justice of God.
“Without shedding of blood is no remission.” – Hebrews 9:22
Ask Jesus to wash you completely by His precious blood. You receive God’s promises by faith, dealing with spiritual realities.
“…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”* — 1 John 1:7
How Can I Know That I Am Truly Born Again?
God does not want His children to live in constant uncertainty. He wants you to know.
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” – 1 John 5:13
Your assurance is built first upon God’s promise and then confirmed by the evidence of a transformed life. Just as no one has to convince you that a physical baby is alive because it cries, breathes, and responds, spiritual life produces clear signs:
You Have a New Love for God: Before, God was an afterthought. You could go days without praying or opening Scripture. After the new birth, you genuinely begin to love and long for Him. Your greatest desire starts to become God Himself.
You Love God’s Word: The Bible, which once seemed boring or confusing, begins to come alive. You discover it is God’s voice. Like newborn babes, you naturally desire the sincere milk of the word so you can grow (1 Peter 2:2).
Sin No Longer Gives You Peace: Before Christ, you could sin without much concern. But after you are born again, sin troubles you. The Holy Spirit convicts you. A child of God cannot make peace with what nailed his Saviour to the cross. When you stumble, you are grieved, you run back to your Father, and you repent.
You Begin to Hate the Person You Used to Be: The things you once celebrated now trouble you. The entertainment or conversations you once loved suddenly feel empty. Old habits lose their attraction because of the new nature inside you (2 Corinthians 5:17).
You Love Other Believers: You begin to genuinely enjoy Christian fellowship, wanting to worship together and grow with God’s people.
You Begin to Hear the Shepherd’s Voice: As Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). The Holy Spirit opens your understanding, directs your steps, and gives you peace.
You Are Changing: This process is called sanctification. You are not the same person you used to be. The Holy Spirit is patiently shaping you to be more humble, truthful, patient, and loving.
What If I Have “Given My Life to Jesus,” But I Don’t See These Things in Me?
Perhaps as you have been reading this article, you have become uncomfortable. You are saying, “I gave my life to Jesus years ago. I have been attending church. I even serve in my church. But if I am honest… I don’t really enjoy reading my Bible. Prayer feels like a burden. I don’t hunger for God. I don’t really hear His voice. I don’t feel that my life has changed very much.” If that is you, don’t ignore those questions. Bring them honestly before the Lord. There are several possible reasons.
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It Is Possible You Were Never Truly Born Again: This is the first question you must honestly ask yourself. Did you truly repent? Did you truly surrender your life to Jesus Christ? Or did you merely repeat a prayer because someone asked you to? Salvation is not repeating words. It is not signing a decision card. It is not walking to the front of a church. It is not being baptized in water. It is receiving the very life of God.
Jesus Himself warned that many people would call Him “Lord” without ever truly knowing Him (Matthew 7:21–23). Paul therefore says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.” – 2 Corinthians 13:5. If, as you examine your life, you realise that you have never truly surrendered to Christ, today can be your new beginning.
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You May Be Born Again but Spiritually Starving: A newborn baby has life, but if that baby is never fed, it becomes weak. The problem is not that the baby lacks life; the problem is that the baby lacks nourishment. Many Christians rarely pray, rarely read the Scriptures, rarely spend time in God’s presence, and rarely fellowship with other believers. Then they wonder why they are spiritually weak. You cannot grow without food. God’s Word is your food, prayer is your breath, and the presence of God is your atmosphere. If you neglect these things, your spiritual life will suffer.
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You are Not Baptized in the Holy Ghost: This is another possibility. Throughout the book of Acts, we repeatedly see believers seeking and receiving the empowering of the Holy Spirit immediately after conversion. Jesus Himself instructed His disciples to wait until they were clothed with power from on high before going out into ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). Why? Because the Christian life is not meant to be lived by human effort. You need divine power!
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You are Resisting the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Holy Spirit has been speaking for a long time. He has asked you to forgive someone, to leave a sinful relationship, to stop certain habits, or to make something right. But you have continually postponed obedience. Over time, the heart becomes less sensitive. Not because God stopped speaking, but because you stopped listening. The remedy is simple: repent and obey immediately. The moment you say “Yes” to God again, your fellowship with Him begins to flourish.
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You May Not Yet Have Learned to Walk with God: Many people think that once they are born again, everything should happen automatically. That is not how the Christian life works. A child must learn to walk, learn to speak, and learn to grow. The same is true spiritually. The more time you spend with God, the more you begin to enjoy Him. The more you obey Him, the more clearly you recognise His voice. The more you read His Word, the more alive it becomes. Spiritual growth is not instantaneous; it is cultivated.
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You Need a Fresh Hunger for God. One of the greatest prayers you can pray is this: “Father, make me hungry for You.” If you honestly tell God, “Lord, I don’t even desire You the way I should, but I want to want You,” He delights to answer that prayer. Ask Him to awaken your heart. Ask Him to give you a love for His Word. Ask Him to teach you to pray. Ask Him to fill you afresh with His Holy Spirit. He delights to reveal Himself to those who sincerely seek Him.
Don’t Settle for a Cold Christian Life.
Please don’t settle for a Christianity that is dry, a Christianity without joy, without intimacy, without prayer, without victory over sin, and without the presence of God. That is not the life Jesus came to give. Jesus did not merely die so that you could have your name written in heaven; He died so that you could know Him, walk with Him, hear His voice, and manifest His life.
If your Christian life feels empty today, don’t pretend. Come back to Him. Tell Him exactly where you are. Ask Him to breathe afresh upon your heart. He has not changed, His love has not changed, and His power has not changed. And if you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:13.
There is more, much more. Don’t stop until you are living in the fullness of the life that Christ died to give you.
Do Not Delay: Why You Must Be Born Again Today
If there is one thing I pray you never do after reading this article, it is this: Do not delay! Do not tell yourself, “I’ll think about it later.”
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” – 2 Corinthians 6:2
None of us knows what tomorrow holds, but one thing you must know is that you are an eternal being. You will outlive the sun. When the stars have burned out, when this present earth has passed away, when history as we know it has come to an end, you will still be consciously alive forever. The only question is: Where?
Sometimes we struggle to understand eternity because our minds are limited by time but let us consider these three pictures:
1. The Ant and the Sun: Imagine an ant walking from the earth to the sun and back again, one tiny step at a time. Suppose it completed that journey a hundred times. Compared with eternity, not even a meaningful fraction of time would have passed.
2. The Child and the Ocean: Imagine a child standing beside the ocean with a small cup, determined to empty the entire sea one cupful at a time. Even if that impossible task could somehow be completed, it would represent only an immeasurably small moment compared to eternity.
3. The Bird and the Mountain: Imagine a tiny bird that visits a great mountain only once every year to sharpen its beak against the rock. By the time the mountain had completely worn away, eternity would still have scarcely begun.
That is how vast eternity is. It has no ending. And every one of us is moving toward it every single day. There are only two eternal destinies, and there is no middle ground or second opportunity after death (John 5:29).
*”Choose you this day whom ye will serve.”* – Joshua 24:15
Every day you postpone repentance is another day you gamble with an eternity you cannot change. If the Holy Spirit is speaking quietly to your heart right now, do not silence His voice.
Also Read: The Scariest Thing About the Mercy of God
Ready to Be Born Again? Pray This Prayer
If you sincerely desire to turn away from your old life and follow Him, pray from your heart:
“Heavenly Father, I come before You today in the Name of Jesus Christ. I confess that I am a sinner. I cannot save myself. I have sinned against You in my thoughts, my words, and my actions. Lord, I am truly sorry for my sins. I have committed the sins of …………………………………………………………………….. Today, I turn away from them. Please forgive me and have mercy upon me.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe He died on the cross for my sins, shed His precious blood for my forgiveness, and rose again from the dead. Lord Jesus, wash me completely by Your precious blood. Cleanse me from every sin and make me a new person.
Today, I receive You as my Lord and my Saviour. I surrender my life to You. From this day forward, I belong to You. Holy Spirit, come and dwell within me. Give me a new heart. Teach me to know God, to love Him, and to obey Him. Fill me with Your power and help me to become more like Jesus every day.
Thank You, Father, because I believe You have heard my prayer. Thank You for forgiving me. Thank You for making me Your child. Thank You for giving me eternal life. In Jesus’ mighty Name, Amen.”
If you prayed that prayer sincerely, God’s Word promises that you are a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17), you have peace with God (Romans 5:1), and you are legally justified- “Just as if I had never sinned.”
A Baby Is Born to Grow!
If a baby were born today but remained exactly the same size ten years later, everyone would know that something was terribly wrong. Life always grows, and the same is true spiritually. When you are born again, you have truly received the life of God, but that new life is meant to grow, mature, and become increasingly visible.
As the Bible says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” – 1 Peter 2:2.
Likewise, you must begin to grow spiritually through what the Bible calls sanctification.
Sanctification is the lifelong work of the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, transforming your mind, your emotions, your will, your desires, your speech, your character, and ultimately your entire life into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
When you were justified/saved/born again, God changed your position before Him. When you are sanctified, God changes your condition!
Justification happens in a moment, but sanctification continues every day for the rest of your life.
At the new birth, God declared you righteous because of Christ. In sanctification, He begins making you righteous in your daily living. He teaches you to think differently, to speak differently, to react differently, to love differently, to forgive differently, to use your money differently, to treat people differently, to raise your family differently, to work differently, and to live differently. Little by little, the old life begins to lose its influence, while the life of Christ becomes more and more visible in you.
This is why sanctification is often described as becoming more like Jesus every day.
How does this happen? It happens as you cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Every day, He teaches you, He corrects you, He convicts you, He comforts you when you are discouraged, He strengthens you when you are weak, and He leads you into truth. He exposes attitudes that do not look like Christ, patiently removing pride, bitterness, selfishness, lust, fear, envy, unforgiveness, and every other work of the flesh.
At the same time, He produces His own fruit within you: “…love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…” — Galatians 5:22–23.
This transformation does not happen automatically like an uprooting of the adamic nature as some describe it. It requires your cooperation. Every day, you must choose to obey God, deny yourself, take up your cross, and surrender your own will so that Christ’s will may be done in you.
That is why Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23.
Sanctification is not about becoming more religious; it is about allowing the life of Jesus Christ to increasingly find expression through you. It is the gradual replacement of self with Christ. None of your anger, all of His patience; none of your pride, all of His humility; none of your selfishness, all of His love; none of your life, all of His.
The goal of sanctification is not merely that you stop doing bad things. The goal is that people begin to see Jesus in you. As Paul said, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” – Galatians 4:19.
That is God’s great desire for every believer. Not merely forgiven people, and not merely churchgoers, but men and women in whom Christ is being formed every single day. Never stop growing. Never stop yielding to the Holy Spirit. Never become satisfied with where you are spiritually. Until the day you see Jesus face to face, the Holy Spirit will continue His beautiful work of making you more and more like Him.
What Should I Do After I Am Born Again To Grow?
1. Pray Every Day (Live a Life of Prayer)
Prayer is no longer a religious duty; it is your conversation with your heavenly Father. Live a “prayed-up” life where prayer becomes the very oxygen of your existence. Talk to Him continually throughout your day. Before you make a decision, pray. As you drive, cook, wash dishes, work, or study, allow God find expression. Keep looking upward to God and inward to the Holy Spirit.
“Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
2. Hunger for and Get Baptized in the Holy Ghost
Do not stop at simply being forgiven. Thirst for the Holy Spirit to fill your life immediately. You need His power, wisdom, and grace every single day to live a victorious life and overcome sin. Pray earnestly to be filled, yield to Him, and remain hungry for Him.
3. Read Your Bible Every Day
The Bible is your spiritual food. When you were in your mother’s womb, you were fed through the placenta, but after birth, that connection was cut and you had to eat the food of the new world. Now that you are in the Kingdom, feed on the Word of God daily (Matthew 4:4)
4. Find a Bible-Believing Church, Get Baptized Properly and Start Discipleship
God never intended for His children to grow alone. As soon as you are born again, prayerfully find a local, Bible-believing church where the Lord Jesus Christ is faithfully preached, the Scriptures are honoured, and believers are encouraged to live holy lives. Become part of the family. Learn. Serve. Grow. Encourage others and allow others to encourage you. The Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation.
The Bible also teaches that every believer should be baptized in water after believing in Jesus Christ. Water baptism does not save you, only the blood of Jesus and faith in Him can save you. Rather, baptism is your public declaration that you now belong to Jesus Christ. It is an outward testimony of the inward transformation that has already taken place.
Biblically, baptism is by immersion- being dipped into the water and brought up again. It beautifully symbolizes your identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3–4). If you have truly been born again but have not yet been baptized in water, I encourage you to obey the Lord in this important step. But don’t stop there.
One of the greatest needs in the Church today is true discipleship. Sadly, many churches sincerely preach the gospel but do not provide intentional, biblical discipleship. As a result, many believers remain spiritual infants for years. Jesus did not simply command us to make converts. He said, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” – Matthew 28:19. Notice that. Not merely church members, and not merely people who know Bible verses, but disciples. A disciple is someone who is continually learning from Jesus, following Jesus, obeying Jesus, and becoming like Jesus. That process never ends.
If you are looking for structured biblical discipleship and you are a woman, we would be delighted to welcome you to The BUD Family Africa’s Woman in His Steps (WIHS) Discipleship Course. Our next cohort begins in September, and registration is now open through this link.
I would also wholeheartedly recommend the discipleship messages of Bro. Gbile Akanni. God has used him for many years to faithfully teach the principles of Christian discipleship with remarkable depth, clarity, and faithfulness to Scripture. His messages have helped countless believers grow into spiritual maturity and are an excellent resource for anyone who sincerely desires to follow Christ. Never stop learning. Never stop growing. Never stop becoming more like Jesus. That is the lifelong calling of every child of God.
5. Obey God Immediately
One of the quickest ways to grow spiritually is to obey God as soon as He speaks. Do not delay, negotiate, or make excuses. Immediate obedience strengthens your walk; disobedience hardens the heart. As you obey, old sins will lose their grip, and you will find yourself loving what God loves and hating what God hates.
Congratulations! A Kingdom Takeover Has Just Happened.
So, if you have truly given your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, let me first say this: Congratulations! Heaven is rejoicing over you, and I rejoice with you too. Something far greater than you can imagine has just taken place. This is not merely a change of religion. It is not merely a decision to become a better person. It is not merely joining a church. It is a kingdom takeover!
The Bible says,
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” – Colossians 1:13.
Notice that word translated. God has literally transferred you from one kingdom into another. Before you were born again, whether you realized it or not, you lived under the kingdom of darkness. It was a kingdom where sin was normal, where lying was normal, where pride was celebrated, where sexual immorality was acceptable, where selfishness ruled, and where the devil influenced the values, thinking, and desires of yours.
Many people imagine they are completely free. They say, “Nobody tells me what to do.” But that is not true. No one lives without a ruler! Every human being lives under a kingdom. Every person is under a government. The only question is: Whose government are you under?
There are only two kingdoms: the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. When you were born again, you changed citizenship. You changed governments. You changed kings. Jesus Christ is now your King, and where there is a kingdom, there is always a King!
The King determines the culture of His Kingdom. The King determines its values. The King determines how His citizens live. That is why the Christian life is so different.
You cannot genuinely enter Christ’s Kingdom and continue living exactly as you lived before. Something has changed. Or rather… Someone has changed you!
The life of God has entered you. The Holy Spirit now lives within you. Christ is no longer merely someone you admire; He is now the Lord of your life.
The Apostle Paul expressed it beautifully:
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” – Galatians 2:20.
That is the Christian life. It is no longer your old life calling the shots; it is Christ living His life through you. Does this mean there will never be a struggle? Not at all. Your old self will still try to take control. It will still want its own way, it will want to satisfy its own desires, it will want to speak its own words, it will want to react in anger, it will want to feed its pride, and it will want to live independently of God.
That is why Jesus said,
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23.
Notice that word: daily. Every day, your old self says, “My way.” Every day, the Holy Spirit says, “Christ’s way.” Every day, you choose which kingdom will find expression through your life. That is why discipleship is so important.
Day by day, the Holy Spirit teaches you to deny yourself. Day by day, He teaches you to submit to your King. Day by day, Christ is formed within you.
This is why it is impossible to be genuinely born again and remain comfortable living in deliberate, unrepentant sin. You cannot say Jesus is your King while refusing His rule. You cannot claim to belong to the Kingdom of Light while continuing to love the works of darkness.
The Christian life is not perfection overnight; it is surrender every day.
It is a life that increasingly reflects the character of its King. So if you have just been born again, rejoice! A miracle has taken place. You have a new Father. You have a new King. You have a new Kingdom. You have a new citizenship. You have a new life. Welcome to the Kingdom of God.
Now, let the King reign!
Also Read: Woman, No Holy Spirit, No Power!
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