What Happens When You Are Born Again?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23

A born again person is someone who has a direct connection with Almighty God by receiving the Holy Spirit inside their human spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. They are new creatures by the revolutionary change that takes place inside them when the Holy Spirit enters their spirit, and this permanent transformation establishes them as adopted children of God.

The conscience of the human is clouded and dark without God’s holy presence emblazing the holy standards of His Law upon it. This is revealed in Acts 2:37 as Peter presses the people with the criminal charge of breaking God’s Law by murdering the Messiah. “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” From outside of a person God’s Dunamis power slams the Law into the human spirit, and cuts into the conscience! God’s Word explains this in Hebrews 4:12,13. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” The Law proves the case against you is true, you are guilty of the crimes God holds against you.

Faith operates from inside the human spirit, and the very first function of faith is to believe [trust in, rely upon, and cling to] Jesus Christ as the one who died in your place for all the spiritual crimes you committed. Real faith is not blind faith but a clear examination of the facts that Christ lived, died, and was resurrected from the dead; and He did it to pay for your crimes. It is by faith, and faith alone, that you are even able to see and admit you broke the moral standards of God’s Law.

The Holy Spirit enters the repentant sinner, and this river of life [the flood of grace, yes this is His divine influence] causes a chain reaction of events inside. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…” [Romans 8:16 NKJV] The corroborating evidence is the divine grace that immediately flows from the All-Powerful God now inside the human spirit, flooding him with new holy desires and energy. Like plugging a pinball machine into the electrical wall socket, new spiritual life ignites and activates all kinds of new things once dormant or non-existent in the human spirit without God. Yes, the Holy Spirit activates, or gives life to the dead spirit of the sinner, His grace flowing and connecting the Christian directly to Him and making him a brand new creature. “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God.” [2 Peter 1:3 from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.]

The grace of God surges into the human spirit lighting up the conscience, establishing and stretching faith, starting cravings for fellowship, activating spiritual gifts, initiating a hunger for worship, kick starting new ideas of creativity, stirring new thoughts and ideas for discernment, and enlightening the heart with new wisdom; all functions residing inside the human spirit but now newly turned on by His mighty power! This flow of supernatural energy never ceases, because God’s grace has no end. And these new godly desires are the evidence of being a new creature in Christ. “It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.” [Philip. 2:13 GW]

"Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness." [1 Peter 2:2-3 NLT] Because your spirit is the home of wisdom, God causes a hunger for His Word to gnaw at your heart. His will is to turn you from a simple fool into a wise and strong spiritual adult. “Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.” [Psalm 51:6 AMP] What is wisdom? It is seeing life from God’s perspective! So as you begin to satisfy the hunger growing inside for God’s truth, your spirit will experience wisdom, establishing the foundations in your soul [mind, will, emotions] to identify the foolishness of immorality.

And along with the new source of wisdom coming from God’s truth, your conscience is also receiving divine influence from God’s Holy Spirit, as conviction presses your mind when you are about to do something morally wrong, or gives assurance when you are about to do something morally right. Your new spirit now senses good and evil by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In time, as you grow in understanding the Bible, strong convictions grow, and new power is experienced to keep you from doing wrong. The spirit of the born again creature becomes strong and “by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” [Hebrews 5:14 NKJV]

As a new creation, discernment begins to grow in your spirit. Discernment is different than judgment in the same way the duty of a jury is different than the judge in a court of law. The jury studies the facts, testimonies and evidence to come to a clear conclusion of the truth or falsehood of the parties entangled in dispute or accused of a crime. The judge, an expert in the truth of the law, takes this information with authority and makes binding decisions. Your judge is God and truth is revealed to you by God’s Spirit. For “God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny]. For what person perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man's thoughts except the man's own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”

“Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].”

“But the natural, non-spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him]. For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. [Isa 40:13.]” [1 Cor 2:10-16 AMP]

And this seven-fold Spirit of God [Rev. 5:6] makes sure every Christian has a spiritual gift activated at spiritual birth. “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” [1 Peter 4:10] The Greek word for gift is “charisma” made from the root “char” which means joy. It is also important to understand, “charis” means grace, which is the desire and power to do God’s will [see Phil. 2:13]. The flow of divine grace is therefore channeled through one of the seven grace gifts of Romans 12 for the purpose of empowering you to help other believers supernaturally.

Authentic worship is centered in your newly enlightened spirit. The Lord Jesus tells us, “God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).” [John 4:24 AMP] This does not mean singing songs, even though praising the Lord with singing can be a part of worship. The Bible says spiritual worship is a complete surrender and sacrifice of your life to serving and obeying him. “I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.” [Rom 12:1 AMP] So, the Holy Spirit begins flooding your spirit with new longings to love and serve God with all your heart.

God wills that a new believer quickly see the amazing importance of the supernatural ability of creativity that pours from God’s vast resources inside the born again spirit. Because the devil is real and hates you, you must “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” [1 Peter 5:8] You must be able to look at every situation, problem, or idea from a fresh and new perspective to survive and grow spiritually. “For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one), Being in readiness to punish every [insubordinate for his] disobedience, when your own submission and obedience [as a church] are fully secured and complete.” [2 Cor 10:4-6 AMP] God knows you will not make it without the mighty power of His creativity flowing through your spirit. You cannot allow a mountain of excuses, strong arguments and lies to discourage you and make you give up your walk with God.

You need this ability to find your escape from powerful temptations! “For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.” [1 Cor 10:13 AMP]

The true born again believer also has a new powerful force that is turned on at new birth which draws him to the Lord Jesus and other believers. This new fellowship is not friendship, but much deeper and compelling. The apostle John wrote, “that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ...We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.” [1 John 1:3; 3:14 NKJV] Friendship is only an outcome of your soul [mind, will and emotions]. But, uniting in spirit with the Lord Jesus cements Christians and motivates them to communicate with their spirits, using their gifts and abilities to love one another.

This is just the beginning. Now it is time to start the adventure!