Jesus said that in order to become a child of God a person must have a new, second birth. This birth from above is described when the Bible says: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things have passed away. See, all things have become new.” How can I know if that has happened to me? Bible stories of conversion tell us how a person’s life changes when he experiences the new birth.
The person has a new hunger and love for God’s Word. The book that used to be dull, uninteresting and confusing is now full of meaning and attraction. “O, how I love Your Law. It is what I meditate upon all day long.” Through the Bible God talks with His children. In Prayer God’s children talk with Him. In this way communication with God as our Father becomes a two-way, relational dialog.
Children who are truly loved by their parents normally want to obey their parents. It is the same for the one who has been born of the Spirit of God. There is a new appreciation for God’s commandments along with the desire and power to keep them. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” The person experiences a new awareness of the personal battle between right and wrong.
The person who has been born from above learns that he is part of a larger, spiritual family. There is a new willingness and attraction to love others who have been adopted into God’s family, the church. “Everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well.” The Bible calls this “fellowship” and it can only happen between people who honor God’s one and only Son.
This person is “born of the Spirit” and experiences the consequences of the Holy Spirit’s presence in his life: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, loyalty, gentleness, and self-control”. People who have been forgiven by God enjoy “peace with God” as He guides them through life.
Those who have been born anew enjoy the promise of one day going to a home in heaven. They experience a heart-felt motivation to tell others about Jesus Christ. Christians love and warn the lost. If you think you are going to heaven and are content to go there silently and alone, it is pretty certain you are not really going there yourself. The first Christians said, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard”.
“You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.” This “Lord” has a Name - Jesus Christ. Do you love anything more than you love Him? If you do, you have broken the most important commandment, and God is angry with those who do not honor His greatest command.
A person cannot make himself be born again. Only God can do it. These evidences of the new birth do not make a person a Christian. The changes are the result of God’s act. Are they true of you? If not, then the evidence shows you need to seek God for this new birth.