I am having conversations with someone who has begun to pursue a relationship with God and looking to accept Jesus Christ as her savior. She has begun to read the Bible, beginning with the four Gospels, and is asking some very thought provoking questions about the Bible and Christianity in general. She told me that she has discovered that, in her words:
“My mindset is changing. I'm stopping to listen, ponder, wonder, hope and want.”
Now I believe that this is a beautiful way of describing how it feels to begin the transition from the “old” to the “new”. As I look back on how it felt to be at that point in my journey I realize that it was an exciting time. Suddenly you begin to recognize that you have changed and that you are beginning to leave the old you behind and are literally transforming yourself to a new you. Beginning to transform yourself into someone who is prepared to hand your life over to our Lord, trusting in Him to guide you through life toward eternity in God’s kingdom, and turning your ongoing focus away from the flesh and toward the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:17 -- So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
Romans 8:5-11 -- For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit* set their minds on the things of the Spirit.*
I vividly remember making this transition prior to my cancer diagnosis and am so thankful that I had. Since my diagnosis I have intensified my study and have learned so much more about who God is and what He wants from me and for me. I have so much more to learn and I look forward to each new discovery. While thinking about this “Christian Mindset” I have discovered, I think, something new to me. Here is the question that has been rattling around in my head: “Is this transition from the “old” to the “new”, from the “flesh” to the “Spirit”, being Born Again?” Now I wonder if many of you (perhaps most of you) are thinking right now “Well Duh!”. Seriously. Up until this point I never really gave much thought to the term “Born Again”. So, l dove head first into the Internet to see what I could find about what it means to be Born Again.
I hit this site - http://www.spurgeongems.org/jcr_bornagain.htm - entitled “Are You Born Again?”. The writer offers six characteristics of a Born Again Christian.
1. No Habitual Sinning
2. Believing in Christ
3. Practicing Righteousness
4. Loving Other Christians
5. Overcoming the World
6. Keeping Oneself Pure
Another site - http://www.preparingforeternity.com/bornagain.htm - also entitled “Are You Born Again?” offers nine signs of conversion.
1. A sense of freedom -- peace in the soul.
2. An experience of love for others.
3. A turning of mind and heart from the world.
4. Victory where before was defeat.
5. A frequent, instinctive desire to pray.
6. An interest in and turning to God's Word.
7. A growing sensitivity to sin.
8. An attitude of willing obedience to God.
9. An impulse to witness to others.
These characteristics sound pretty good to me. I do believe though that it really goes deeper than these points, much deeper. With a few exceptions these feel too much like a “check list” of things to do. At any rate, I do believe that they partially describe how a Christian behaves and thinks.
John 3:3 -- ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 -- What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Okay… my conclusion. Yes. Making the transition from the flesh to the Spirit is being “Born Again”. Wow. For the first time I am acknowledging that I am a Born Again Christian. Feels kind of good.
Dear Lord, we continue to thank You for the many blessings You have given us. We thank You for the ongoing gift of life. We thank You for giving us Your Son, Jesus, as our Savior, and for the Holy Spirit who guides and corrects us. You are a great and mighty God and we will continue to follow you wherever you lead us. Also Lord, thank you for guiding my friend along her journey toward you. She will be a faithful servant and will contribute greatly to profiting Your kingdom.
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