By: J.C. Ryle, revised by INTO THE LIGHT Journal
A Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus once visited Jesus. Like many people, Nicodemus expected that his good life would earn him a home in Heaven when he died. Imagine how he felt when Jesus said to him, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3)
Jesus explained to Nicodemus that the new birth is a spiritual change that can only be brought about by God alone: “I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior." (Isaiah 43:11). The moment the lost sinner repents of his sins and trusts Jesus as the only one who can save him from the eternal judgment of his sins, he is born again. God gives him a spiritual nature through which he can understand and enjoy the things of God: that person is spiritually born into God’s family! What Jesus told Nicodemus 2,000 years ago is just as true today. We may try to live a good life, go to church, or engage in other commendable activities, but we still must be “born again” in order to be a member of God’s family.
Have you been born again? This is life’s most important question, because your answer will affect all your eternity.
How can you know that you have been born again? The Bible lists six characteristics of someone who has been “born again”. These are not requirements in order to be born again, but life’s changes that show God is at work in your life. They are evidence that you have truly been born spiritually into a new, life-changing relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
1. Believing in Christ
1 John 5:1a ~ “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God,”
Someone who is born again believes that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. That He was sent by God the Father to pay the penalty for man’s sin by His death on the Cross. His resurrection from the dead on the third day is proof that He is able to forgive us and bring us into fellowship with the Father. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). A born again Christian does not merely know the facts about Jesus Christ, but he has entrusted his life to Him as Savior. The child of God does not depend on his church, his good deeds, or his pastor to bring him eternal life. The Bible says, “But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12)
2. Practicing Righteousness
1 John 2:29 ~ “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
For the person who is born again, Christ is not only a Savior but also an example. Believers are to keep God’s commandments (John 14:15; John 15:14), to please God. The true Christian lives to please his Heavenly Father and tries to avoid those things God hates.
3. Loving Other Christians
1 John 3:14 ~ “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.”
Like Jesus, the child of God loves even his enemies, but he has a special love for those who are fellow believers. They may be different from him in race, personality, and culture, but they are all members of the same family. “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,” (1 John 3:11).
4. Overcoming the World
1 John 5:4 ~ “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
Someone who is born again does not follow the world’s ever-changing standard of right and wrong. He does not mind opposing the world’s ways, because he seeks God’s praise more than man’s and fears offending God more than offending man.
5. Not Habitual Sinning
1 John 3:9 ~ “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.”
The true Christian does not habitually sin, because he wants to please God. Although he is far from perfect, he knows that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). If he does sin, he can confess it directly to God, for “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:19)
6. Keeping Oneself Pure
1 John 5:18 ~ “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself,”
A person who is born again tries not only to avoid sin, but also to avoid anything that may lead to it. He is like a soldier in enemy territory continually on guard. He knows he can’t keep temptation from coming, but by knowing God’s Word and through prayer he can resist it.
The Test
These are six characteristics of a “born again” Christian. Each of these traits may not be equally obvious in your life. But if you are born again, God is developing these traits in you. Are you born again?If you have never been born again or you are not sure, you can be sure right now. Pray right now, asking God to forgive your sins, turn from sinning, and believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
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Reference: J.C. Ryle, "Have You Been Born Again?" Bible tract, Good News Publishers;
Bible references: NKJV, ESV, KJV
