by David Dewitt

Created on: August 28, 2009

The Christian understanding of salvation always has an aspect of spiritual regeneration, new life or new birth. The Apostle Paul said that when we come to know Christ as our personal savior, we become a new creation and the old is gone. In essence, we move from an old life that was spiritually dead to a new life that is spiritually vibrant and new.

The understanding of new birth or new life is one that most Christians seem to have trouble articulating. Christians may understanding their experience with God spiritually but seldom know how to truly describe it. This leads us to a common question: what must someone do to be born again?

Admit that you have sinned

Many people have a serious problem with the word sin and being called a sinner. Few people, including those in churches, understand the nature of sin. The most common Greek word for sin is hamartia, which means to miss the mark or to make a mistake. Literally, it means to do something we knew we should not do. By that definition, every human being is in the same boat. The sad part is that our boat is sinking faster than the Titanic.

The result of sin is death

Again, Paul states that the wages of sin is death. The payback from being sinful is a death sentence and from both spiritual and physical sense this is correct. Death entered the world because Adam sinned. He made the choice to disobey what God had commanded. Notice I said Adam and not Eve. Eve did eat the forbidden fruit and gave it to Adam. However, the command not to eat was given to Adam, not Eve. Sin did not enter the world until Adam ate the fruit.

The gift of God is found in Jesus Christ

God in His divine love sent Jesus to die in our place. The gift of God is eternal life in Christ. The bad news is that sin has brought death into this world but the good news is that Jesus has brought life. What must a person do to be born again? The answer is simple. New birth only comes from accepting the gift of God in Jesus. We must admit that we have failed God and have sinned. We must believe that Jesus died in our place on the cross and that God raised Him from the dead on that first Easter. We must commit to following Him to the best of our ability.

The essence of Christianity is found in the fact that Jesus sacrificed Himself to be our savior and that He is risen to be our Lord. Christianity is surrender to Christ and living to follow Him.

Learn more about this author, David Dewitt.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.