The Born Again experience is amazing; that moment when we chose to believe God’s Word and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is truly wonderful. This act of Faith delivers us from the power of darkness and translates us into the Kingdom of God’s dear son; Jesus Christ. This is what it means to be born again.
However, now that you are born again, what should you do? What should you expect after your salvation experience and what does God expect of you?
Now that you are Born Again
The born again experience is not an end in itself. Rather, it is a doorway that grants us access to God and fellowship with Him. In our Salvation Message, we saw that the source of all man’s problems is sin. Giving our lives to Christ or being born again solves this problem. Before the fall, Adam had a tangible and intimate relationship with God. Also, Adam was in the Garden of Eden, doing what God had created him to do. When Adam sinned, his relationship with God was terminated and he was thrown out of the Garden of Eden.
Through salvation, God offers all mankind a pathway back to fellowship with God. Also, being born again is the first step in the discovery and fulfillment of divine purpose. It is safe to say that if salvation was all God wanted from us, He would take us to Heaven immediately after we are saved. However, this is not the case. In John 17, Jesus prayed to the Father and said:
“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” – John 17:15-17
In this passage of scripture, we see that Jesus did not want God to take us out of the world but rather keep us from its evil. Therefore, as born again Christians, our focus should be on growing in our relationship with God and fulfilling the purpose God created us for.
What you can Expect
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
As born again believers, we are new creatures and all things have become new. What this means is that our spirit man that was once dead is now alive. Therefore, now that you are born again, you have access to fellowship with God. You can speak to God in prayer and He in turn will hear and respond to you. This is because when we become born again, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. The Holy Spirit is the special promise of Jesus, sent by God the Father to live inside everyone that has received Him as their Lord and savior.
Also, now that you are born again, you are a child of God. In John 1, the bible expresses this truth:
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” – John 1:12
The power given to those that received Him is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a power. He is a person. He comes to live within us after salvation and empowers us to be children of God. As a matter of fact, the primary evidence of our salvation is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says:
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” – Romans 8:16
In other words, the proof of our salvation is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us. This is why you can’t be told whether or not you are born again. If you are born again, you will have the witness of the Holy Spirit inside you that confirms that you are a child of God.
As a born again child of God, the Holy Spirit lives in you. Because He lives in you, He is able to transfer the nature of God into your spirit. As a result, now that you are born again, righteous and holy living will come naturally to you. Things you used to do before you were saved that do not align with the Word of God will grieve your heart and you will know it is sin. Also, the Holy Spirit will empower you to overcome bad and unproductive habits so you can live in righteousness and holiness. The Holy Spirit will also put a desire for the things of God in your heart. You will desire to know more of God, of His Word, and to fellowship with other believers.
What you should do
In Acts 1, at Jesus’ ascension, the disciples were told to wait till they had received the Holy Spirit.
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
Jesus promised them power to be His effective witnesses after receiving the Holy Spirit. I believe that asides from the born again experience, receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the most vital experience a believer can have. Now that you are saved, it is important to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Also, now that you are saved, it is important that you find a bible believing Church where you can fellowship. The bible refers to the Church as the Body of Christ. In the book of Hebrews, we are admonished not to forsake fellowship in Church:
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:25
In Romans 12, the truth of the Body of Christ is explained again:
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” – Romans 12:5
This analogy describes the Church as a type of physical body with cells, tissues and organs, with each believer as a cell of the body. In the body, each cell needs the next and works together and form the body as an entity. Therefore, now that you are born again, you are a member of the body of Christ. As such, you cannot dissociate from other Christians and be a successful Christian. Most importantly, the Church is where the flock of God are fed and nurtured so they can grow.
The Church as a place of worship is ordained by God for several purposes that service the individual and collective needs of believers. In you would like to find a bible believing Church near you, we recommend that you use the links below:
- Find a Church near you through Kenneth Copeland Ministries
- Locate a Church near you through Winners’ Chapel International, Americas
- Find a Church near you through Kenneth Hagin Ministries
Another important thing to do now that you are born again is to study the Word of God. Fill your heart with God’s Word. The Word of God builds faith and feeds man’s spirit. In Colossians 3, we receive the following admonition:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” – Colossians 3:16
Here at The Behold File, that’s what we do; we share the Word of God through teachings and admonitions to build up your spirit man. Also, in 1 Peter, the importance of the Word of God to the new believer and to all believers is explained:
“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” – 1 Peter 2:1-2
We are told in the above scripture that we should desire the sincere milk of the Word because it is vital to our spiritual growth.
Welcome to the Kingdom of God
Now that you are born again, you are a beloved child of God. You are a joint-heir with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). You have also been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).
It is also important for you to understand what your rights are in Christ, what God has made available to you and how to access them. The only way to learn this is to study God’s Word, become part of a local Church where you are thought the Word of God and also partake of the ministry of Men of God.
If you are reading this message and are not yet born again, you should know that the gift of eternal life is available for you. Today is your day of Salvation. To give your life to Christ and partake of these blessing, visit our Salvation Message page.
If you would like to share your thoughts on the Born Again experience, please leave a comment at the bottom of this page. You can also share this page with your friends on social media using @thebeholdfile.
Lastly, if you would like to share the testimony of how you got saved, you are welcome to submit it through our Testimony page. Also, if you have a Prayer Request, you can submit it here. Our God answers prayer and we believe that as we join you in prayer, your desired answers will come speedily in Jesus name.
God bless you and Happy New Year 2017 in Jesus name.
David Adeniji is the Founder and President of The Behold File, a teaching ministry founded in 2003. The Behold File provides a platform through which the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of men to see Jesus so they can be changed to be like him.