Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– G.V. Wigram
Devotional: 5 Ways Being Born Again Enables Us to Achieve Victory over Sin
The Bible is very clear; if you want a relationship with Jesus Christ, and if you want to go to heaven, then you have to be born again. There is some resistance in some quarters regarding this concept but just as Nicodemus was questioning Jesus regarding the concept of being born again, it’s all about a spiritual rebirth. You have to remember that we were born of the flesh by our mothers but we can choose to be born again into the spirit by accepting Jesus Christ as our lord and savior. That was the whole point of Jesus’ revelation of being born again. I know this is a hard concept to accept considering the fact that people fall again and again and again. The reality is that we can only live holy lives if we allow ourselves to be truly born again to the spirit. Here are the five ways being born again enables us to achieve victory over sin.
Being Reborn Renews Us
When you accept the lord Jesus Christ as your savior, you are a new creature. According to Corinthians II, your old self passes away. God gives you a new life so focus on this reality. This is one of the most powerful promises in the Bible. You become renewed, you get a higher level of energy, and you look at the world in a completely new way.
Being reborn repositions our relationship with Christ. In fact being reborn gives us a relationship with Christ. We know what our parents tell us about Jesus but we really don’t know him personally. By being reborn to the Holy Spirit our whole relationship or positioning with Christ completely changes. Instead of learning about him we learn from him directly. We know him directly instead of knowing of him.
We Are Transformed by God’s Grace
Being born again is not just about being justified. Although that happens instantly, it’s also about getting the power to change how you look at the world and how you look at yourself. A lot of sin comes from the fact that we have stone hearts but when we accept Jesus, a heart of flesh turns to a heart that’s able to love. That is a very powerful example of God’s transformative grace.
Our Spirit is Reset to Hate the Flesh
According to the book of Galatians, the moment you allow Christ into your life and you allow the Holy Spirit to take hold of you, a war breaks up. The spirit begins war against the flesh. This means that the process of becoming holy isn’t overnight. The acceptance of Christ doesn’t mean that you’re a fully holy person. Instead, it is achieved day by day and moment by moment. By being born again, our spirit is reset to hate our flesh and we only need to keep tapping into through prayer a relationship with Christ to strengthen the Holy Spirit and by giving it more permission to permeate our whole lives.
Being Born Again Humbles Us
Before you are born again you are full of yourself. When you allow Jesus to enter your life, yourself decreases so that Jesus increases. Another word for this is it’s a humbling experience. When you’re less full of yourself, Christ grows more in you and you’re more humble. The ultimate goal of course is to empty yourself so that God can fully possess you.
Conclusion
Being born again enables us to achieve victory over sin because it completely changes us. If we keep resisting the Holy Spirit we cannot achieve victory over sin. It really is that simple. Claim the promises and benefits of being born again in Jesus Christ today.
