The Significance of Being A Christian - A Person Reborn

"THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BEING A CHRISTIAN"

A Person RebornA Person Reborn

A Person Reborn A Person Reborn

It is always exciting to seesomeone become a Christian...

Even when an observerdoesn't understand all that is

involved, they often sensesomething meaningful is going on

Especially as time goes on, andchanges begin to occur in the

person's life.


But often the significance ofbecoming a Christian appears to be

lost... Sometimes even Christians

fail to appreciate the significance ofbeing a Christian.

When this happens, Christiansoften fail to grow as they should.


It never hurts for a Christian toreflect, and ask such questions as...

What did I do? What have I received?

What are the implications and consequences of what I've done?

What has happened to me?What have I become?

What is different about me?


To summarize these questions...What is the meaning, importance, and value

of becoming a Christian?What am I now to do?

Such are the questions we hope to answer in this series,

"The Significance Of Being A Christian"


In this first lesson, we note that a Christian is

““A Person Reborn".A Person Reborn". That is because in Christ one has

become...

““NEW CREATION"NEW CREATION"

AA ““NEW CREATION"NEW CREATION"

A Christian rises out of thewatery grave of baptism to

newness of life


Romans 6:4 NET Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory

of the Father, so we too may live a new life.


5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection.


Old things have passed away, and new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NET So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away — look, what

is new has come!

A NEW BIRTHA NEW BIRTH

A NEW CREATION MADEPOSSIBLE BY VIRTUE OF

A NEW BIRTHA NEW BIRTH...A new birth produced by

responding to the Word of God.


James 1:18 NET By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the

message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he

created.


1 Peter 1:22 NET You have purified your souls by obeying the truth in order to show

sincere mutual love. So love one another earnestly from a pure heart. 23 You have been born anew, not from perishable but

from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

A NEW BIRTH

A new birth produced by the working of the Spirit of God.

John 3:3 NET Jesus replied, "I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see

the kingdom of God."


4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time, can

he?"


5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is

born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.


Titus 3:5 NET he saved us not by works of righteousness that we

have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the

Holy Spirit,


6 whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we

become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life."

A LIFE OF RENEWALA LIFE OF RENEWAL

THIS NEW CREATIONEMBARKS ON

““A LIFE OF RENEWAL”A LIFE OF RENEWAL”The inner man is to be

renewed daily.


2 Corinthians 4:16 NET Therefore we do not despair, but even if our

physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed

day by day.


This renewal is ongoing, involving the renewal of one's mind.

Romans 12:2 NET Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may

test and approve what is the will of God — what is good and well-pleasing and

perfect.

A NEW LIFEA NEW LIFE

Because of the new creation which has occurred, and the renewing

which continues to take place, the Christian can be said to have...



HAVING PASSEDFROM DEATH TO LIFE...

As Jesus promised to thosewho hear His words.


John 5:24 NET "I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my

message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.


25 I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming — and is now here —

when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who

hear will live.


Once dead in sin, we are now made alive to God.

Ephesians 2:1 NET And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

2 in which you formerly lived according to this world's present path


according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, 3

among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of

our flesh,


indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature

children of wrath even as the rest… 4 But God, being rich in

mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us,


5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive

together with Christ — by grace you are saved!


Colossians 2:12 NET Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your

faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.


13 And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he

nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your

transgressions.


We now have the promise and prospect of life eternal, given through God's

Son.1 John 5:11 NET And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this

life is in his Son.


12 The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not

have this eternal life.


13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the

Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

DARKNESS DARKNESS TOTO LIGHTLIGHT

HAVING PASSED FROM “DARKNESSDARKNESS TOTO LIGHT”LIGHT”

Such is the objective of gospel preaching: to turn people from

darkness to light.


So Jesus told Paul:Acts 26:18 NET to open their eyes

so that they turn from darkness tolight and from the power of Satanto God, so that they may receiveforgiveness of sins and a share

among those who are sanctified byfaith in me.'


So Peter wrote to Christians:1 Peter 2:9 NET But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his

marvelous light.


10 You once were not a people, but now you are God's people. You

were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy


Though we once walked in darkness, we can now walk in the

light.As children of light:


Ephesians 5:8 NET for you were at one time darkness, but now you are

light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light —


1 Thessalonians 5:5 NET For you all are sons of the light and sons of the

day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness.


The metaphor of light representing goodness, righteousness, and

truth.Ephesians 5:9 NET for the fruit of the

light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth —


For which we should ever be thankful. Colossians 1:12 NET giving thanks to

the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints' inheritance in the

light. 13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves,


What makes such a new creation and a new life a reality? It is more

than a mere obedience to some new doctrine. It is possible only

when such obedience is the result of...

A NEW LOYALTYA NEW LOYALTY

““A NEW LOYALTY”A NEW LOYALTY”

A CHRISTIAN IS A"CONVERTED" PERSON...

As exemplified by theThessalonians:


1 Thessalonians 1:9 NET For people everywhere report how you

welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the

living and true God


Conversion inherently involves change, particularly a change of

loyalties.From serving sin to serving God:


Romans 6:16 NET Do you not know that if you present yourselves as

obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience

resulting in righteousness?


17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved

to righteousness.


From serving idols to serving God: 1 Thessalonians 1:9 NET For people

everywhere report how you welcomed us and how you turned

to God from idols to serve the living and true God


A CHRISTIAN ISCONVERTED TO JESUS

CHRIST...They acknowledges

the Lordship of Jesus Christ:


Acts 2:36 NET Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both

Lord and Christ."


1 Peter 3:15 NET But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone

who asks about the hope you possess.


Above family, life, and self, the Christian chooses to follow Jesus:

Matthew 10:37 NET "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy

of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy

of me.


38 And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not

worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life because of me will

find it.


When one makes that choice, Christ will become the focus of that person's life:Galatians 2:20 NET I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who

live, but Christ lives in me.


So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of

the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.


SUCH LOYALTY TOCHRIST RESULTS IN A

NEW LIFE...In which God blesses the

individual through Jesus Christ:


Philippians 4:6 NET Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every

situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to

God. 7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


In which one finds strength to live the new life.

Philippians 4:13 NET I am able to do all things through the one who

strengthens me.

CONCLUSION CONCLUSION

A significant thing about aChristian, then, is that each…Experiences a new creation,

Enjoys a new life,Entertains a new loyalty,

Such an individual is truly, ““A Person Reborn"A Person Reborn"

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

But not all professingChristians show evidence

of this rebirth...Why is that?

They may have not yettruly experienced the new

creation.


Obedience not rendered infaith will not produce the new birth.

Mark 16:16 NET The one whobelieves and is baptized will be

saved, but the one who does notbelieve will be condemned.


For God's power to be at work, we must submit in faith.

Colossians 2:12 NET Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have

been raised with him through your faith in the power of

God who raised him from the dead.


13 And even though you weredead in your transgressions and

in the uncircumcision of yourflesh, he nevertheless made youalive with him, having forgiven

all your transgressions.


Though they may have beenreborn and entered the new life,they may have gone back into

sin.Hardened by sin's deceitfulness,they have departed from God.


Hebrews 3:12 NET See to it, brothersand sisters, that none of you has anevil, unbelieving heart that forsakes

the living God. 13 But exhort oneanother each day, as long as it iscalled "Today," that none of youmay become hardened by sin's

deception.


Entangled once again by the pollutions of the world.

2 Peter 2:20 NET For if after they have escaped the filthy things of the world

through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,


they again get entangled in them and succumb to them, their last

state has become worse for them than their first.

In either case, their loyalty iscertainly not where it ought to be!


May the promise of a new creation and a new life in Christ remind us of "The Significance Of Being A Christian",

and challenge us to examine our loyalties if we do not see in our lives

the evidence of ““A Person Reborn".A Person Reborn".

Education

The Significance of Being A Christian - A Person Reborn