When the faith of our childhood becomes a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we are born again. This process can be quite sudden or it can be a long progression. In any event, all who believe in Jesu come to this decision point. We say we are born again because from that point on we begin to live a new life.
For many it is a fresh start or a new beginning. For others it is simply a new level of dedication. Our old self falls away as does the desires for the things of this world. There is still allure and temptation, but He who has overcome the world also helps us to overcome the desires of the flesh.
The new life is centered on love – love of God and love of our fellow man. As we are transformed daily to be more and more like Christ, our ability to love also grows. This life that revolves around love is patterned after our Savior, who loved all He met, even those who took His earthly life on that cross.
Our transformation is an ongoing process. God is never done with us. As we inch closer and closer to perfection, we become increasingly aware of just how often we fail and just how far away we really are. Funny thing though, this is also what keeps us going in the right direction, ever seeking to become more and more like Christ.
Scripture reference: 1 John 5: 1-6