Born of the Spirit

What is the New Life Jesus was talking about?

While learned men and women argue about what salvation is, and what it takes to be saved, there are places in the Gospels that claim it's so easy even a little child can do it. In fact Jesus Himself said you have to become as a little child to enter into the Kingdom of God.

I have heard so many different stories of people coming to believe in Jesus I have given up on trying to come up with a simple formula. In fact I think there are as many different stories as there are personalities.

Some are coming to faith by theological arguments, some have had an emotional experience they remember and hold on to, others have found the Lord through deep traumatic experiences where they finally called out to Him after having come to the end of their rope.

For me personally it happened like an explosion after a tumultuous time in my life and I said the words, "So Jesus, You are real!" You can read about it here.

After that I started to have a deeply satisfying personal relationship with the God of love. Not a formal or distant God I had to approach through religious ceremonies. From that point I just knew that Jesus loved me personally, and He has filled my life and heart with love, joy, and peace of mind.

Furthermore Jesus communicates with me, He guides me through my life, comforts me when I'm down, and replace my stress and worries with faith and confidence - provided I remember to come to Him and talk with Him about it all.

I think it's also a realization. A rejection of some of the core principles this World is promoting - greed, selfishness, me first, etc. - and instead embrace the values of the Kingdom, the upside-down reality of the kingdom of God - love, generosity, self-sacrifice, humility, caring for others - all of the things Jesus talked about in the Sermon on the Mount.

All those qualities are not something we can muster up on our own. All our good intentions fall short unless we have Gods spirit. Unless we embrace the Son of God, Who said, "I am the door." We can knock gently on that door - the gateway to the Kingdom!

He deliberately made it so simple, that anybody can receive His love, regardless of race, religion, or social status. - Anybody, anytime! In fact, receiving Jesus into your life is so simple. In the Gospel of Mark Jesus explained to simply be humble and become as a little child, then the door to the Kingdom would swing open.

It's a personal thing

Receiving Jesus is between you and Jesus. It has nothing to do with belonging to a specific denomination or church or body of believers, it's just between you and God.