The phrase “born again” unfortunately has become a worn-out and misunderstood expression. Nevertheless, that’s exactly how Jesus described what happens to us when we believe in Him (John 3). The change is so dramatic, it’s just as if we’ve been reborn. Because this is true, our spiritual birthdays should be as important as our physical birthdays!
If you’ve been born again but the presence of Christ in your life hasn’t affected your lifestyle—attitudes, priorities, treatment of others, temper, etc.—you seriously should think about whether you might simply be playing the church game. The Book of Romans tells us why life in Christ should make us be different and behave differently than before.
The What
Read Romans 6:1-7, which is noted below. You may want to print the passage so you can mark it with a pen or pencil. The more senses we engage when interacting with Scripture the more likely we are to remember it and be changed by it.
As you read, underline the reasons why lives should change if we’re living in Christ.
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like his, we also certainly will be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin” (Rom. 6:1-7).
The So What
Think for a moment about dying to sin. Write a thought or two about what that means to your life. How should that affect your recurring temptations?
Seal the Deal
Roadkill is pretty gross. Even grosser? Seeing a bird or rodent picking at the roadkill. Sorry for conjuring up a revolting image, but it’s a pretty accurate analogy of how we look when we allow temptations to overtake us, when we dabble in sinful things, or when we resist obedience to God. Sinful things are dead to us. We don’t need to pick at them.
In Romans 6, spiritual transformation is called new life. In John 3, Jesus describes our spiritual transformation as being born of the Spirit or born again. When we embrace Christ, we are given new life with a new birth. Therefore, it seems then our new life or spiritual birthdays should be as important as our physical birthdays! Of course, each person’s spiritual birth is different. For some, it’s a definitive moment. For others, it’s a more gradual process. Whatever is the case for you, write something down that denotes or reminds you of your spiritual birthday: a date, an event, a Bible verse.
Then, create something depicting your spiritual birthday: an image you can use on your phone, a sign/poster you can put in your locker, a piece of art you can hang from your bedroom door knob, a sticky note you can affix to your computer screen. Use this not only as a reminder of the new life you have in Christ, but also as a reminder that sin and temptation are dead to you.
