It’s what Christians are talking about when they say they are born again. It’s what I’m talking about when I say I follow Jesus. But what is spiritual birth in the Bible?
We all know what it means to be born. We’ve all done it. We enter the world and grow, developing physically and mentally. But there is also spiritual birth and spiritual growth.
10 Facts About Spiritual Birth in the Bible
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It requires belief in God.
To be spiritually born again, we must become aware that there is more to reality than just the physical world we can see. There is the spiritual reality and God, while we cannot always see Him, is everywhere. We have faith because we know we can see him.
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It’s not given by heritage, ritual, or desire of man.
In some religions, spiritual birth is guaranteed by your bloodline or the performance of a ritual. But while a Christian baptism symbolizes a rebirth, it does not constitute a spiritual birth.
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God gives spiritual birth.
As 1 Peter 1:3 tells us, “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again.”
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It means we believe Jesus died for our sins.
The verse above goes on to say we are born again “to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” We don’t only believe He rose from the dead but that he died as a sacrifice for our sins to bring us back to God. Jesus is the only way to God and eternal life.
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You are born with a new spiritual heart.
God gives you a pure new heart when you’re born again. In Ezekiel, God says, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.”
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It means you live for Christ.
With this new heart for God, you recognize that you live to represent Christ and get closer to Him.
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It also means you are dead in a way.
Spiritual birth means you are dead to your old life, your old ways of living for yourself and living in sin (see Ephesians 2:1-3).
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You know God and love the Father.
Your belief and knowledge of Jesus gives you knowledge of God the Father (John 5:1). Isn’t it awesome that through studying Jesus the Son, you can understand the Supreme Being of the Entire Universe?
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You love others and practice righteousness.
It’s not like some kind of enlightenment that removes you from the problems of the world. Instead, your spiritual birth gives you a greater responsibility to love others. Your fruit of the spirit (how you bless others) is what shows your spiritual birth and growth.
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You will see the Kingdom of God.
This means you see and understand the work that Jesus has done and is doing on earth and that you get to spend eternity in heaven with Him.
Where’s Your Spiritual Journey Headed?
I hope these straightforward facts answered all your questions, demystified any confusion, or gave you something easy to remember so you can share it with someone else.
If you want to deepen your spiritual life, the Playbook for Level 5 Friendship is a great place to start.
