Meaning Behind the Term “Born Again” Christian
“Born again Christian” is a term that’s commonly misunderstood. When we look at its basic reference, we can see that it refers to spiritual reincarnation rather than physical birth. Many protestants use this phrase to describe the moment or act of completely embracing faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior. It’s a spiritual experience in which the teachings of Christianity and Jesus come alive for the “born again” and they develop a closer relationship with God.
The term comes from a New Testament occurrence in which Jesus’ words were misunderstood by Nicodemus, a Jewish Pharisee. It was when Jesus said unless one is born again; he won’t see God’s Kingdom. Nicodemus misinterpreted that as being physically born again from a womb. To which Jesus corrected him and replied: “unless they are born of water and spirit“.
How To Be Born Again
People who have accepted Jesus as their Savior or Redeemer are said to be born again. The soul that has been born again recognizes that they are a sinner and that the punishment for that sin is death (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23).
To correct the situation, Jesus (the only son of God) was sent to die in their place, bearing the penalty for sin (Romans 5:8). Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus is the only path to God, and He is the source of salvation. With the help of faith, every individual has the option of accepting or rejecting God’s gift and experiencing new birth (John 3:1-8).
A Christian believes in Jesus as the only Son of God and accepts His gift of life. This is where the rebirth journey begins. The act of God’s Spirit causes a shift of the soul and heart, which is referred to as being “born again”. Our soul is made up of three parts: our will (through which we can determine things), thinking (disposition), and emotions (feelings). When we become a born again Christian, we undergo a spiritual transformation that affects how we think, make decisions, and regulate our emotions.
What Do Born Again Christians Believe?
The Gospel: All of us have sinned and are deserving of God’s wrath. For those who trust in Him, God, the Father, sent his only Son to fulfill that judgment. Like the Bible says, Jesus (eternal Son of God), who lived a faultless life, loved us to such an extent that He took our punishment for us and in all manners died for our sins, and rose from the grave after being buried.
You will be saved from judgment and spend eons with God in Heaven if you genuinely believe and embed this in your heart, accepting Jesus as your only Savior and announcing “Jesus is Lord”.
God’s power of Resurrection: He alone is changing our lives on a daily basis. God showed His total control over life and death by raising Jesus from the dead. This incredible fact distinguishes the Christian faith from all others. Most religions are founded on the works of a less-powerful deity or individual. Most religions’ leaders die and are buried. The born again Christian faith is based on the crucified and risen Chris.
Salvation through Jesus: The penalty of humanity’s sins is paid solely by Jesus’ death. It is regarded as being saved gracefully, not on our own accord or merit, but referred to as a gift from God. It is said thus so that no one can boast and always know the truth behind our salvation (Ephesians 2:8–9). There is no one else who can or could’ve saved you.
One God and The Holy Trinity: monotheism, or the concept that there is only one God to pray to, worship and obey, is presented throughout the Bible. The Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son make up the trinity, which is one God in three persons.
Beliefs Towards Others
Once a person decides to obey Jesus, they are told to mirror His compassion, humility, forgiveness, service, and kindness to provide hope and healing to others via practical generosity and respect.
Love
The underlying basis of the Christian life, according to Jesus, is to love God and your neighbor. Christians who have been born again are acquainted with Jesus Christ’s instructions, i.e., to be well recognized by how they love others in the same way He loved them. Jesus taught his students that this love applies to their adversaries as well, commanding Christians to do well and pray for those who bring them the most pain in life without anticipating something in return.
Forgiveness
They believe that since God has freely provided the gift of His kindness, love, and grace to a Christian, who subsequently reaps the advantages and rewards, he is obligated to do the same for others who have done wrong by them.
A born again Christian is not intended to make others struggle for acceptance. Instead, they should follow what the church often preaches: to be sympathetic and kind to each other and forgive each other the same way Jesus Christ forgave us.
Practical Generosity
If Christians don’t put their religion into action by practical giving that fulfills real people’s requirements, their religious reputation will be of no value. Since God loves people and wishes to utilize them as His agents on earth, Jesus proved God’s heart by really doing things for people in God’s name.
Our Final Thoughts
We hope we have provided a detailed description of what do born again Christians believe—not just regarding their faith but also regarding other Christians. We may not be able to lead a sinless life, but we can try our best to follow Jesus Christ in his teachings and do our best while addressing our wrongdoings.
