What happens when we are BORN AGAIN

Ms. Zabeth Ong, professor in Journalism and Marketing, in Miriam College and currently taking up her Doctorate in Theology through an online study program of South Western Baptist Theological Seminary, Texas, gave a wonderful and refreshing message about assurance of salvation and what's in it being BORN AGAIN. The message was a reminder to all of the people present this morning that being Born Again is not just a religion or being converted, it doesn't end there, but rather it's a gift (gift of salvation when we received Christ as our personal saviour) that we did not deserve to have but was still given to us, not because of our righteousness but because of God's mercy-- and being Born again means having an intimate relationship with our Saviour Christ Jesus.

The summary are as follows:


1. SAVED- We spend eternity in Heaven.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16


2. JUSTIFIED- We are declared righteous.

" Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." -Romans 5:1-5

3. ADOPTED- We became part of God's family.

"because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of son ship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." -Romans 8:14-17

4. REGENERATED- We have new life.

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked." -John 3:1-9

5. IMPUTED- God credits Jesus' righteousness to us.

"What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

"Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him." -Romans 4:1-8

6. SANCTIFIED- We become more like God in holiness.

"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." -2 Corinthians 7:1

7. RECONCILED- We are reunited with God.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." -2 Corinthians 5:17-21

8. REDEEMED- We are set free from bondage.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." -Titus 2:11-14

9. RECEIVED INTERCESSION- Jesus prays for us.

"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." -Romans 8:34

10. RECEIVED MEDIATIONON- We have access to God.

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" - 1 Timothy 2:5

11. GLORIFIED- We have hope that the best is yet to come.

"And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." -Romans 8:30