Title: Rebirth experience (John 03:3-5)
Contents 1. Rebirth experience 1) Jesus said to Nicodemus, who came secretly, "Unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). From this, it can be fully understood that rebirth is a very important experience.
2) When man was a sinner, God called man by grace. Those who have been called in this way will enter the stage of regeneration.
3) Then, how can a self-centered man be born again? Some argue that although human nature is imperfect, it can be cultivated by education or training to develop higher virtues and be prepared for union with God. But they do not know the fact that human nature is polluted with sin and the principle of accountability.
4) Only the Spirit of God can regenerate man (John 1:13, Romans 9:16). God has allowed mankind to be regenerated by his free grace.
5) A person who hears the Word of God and is born again by the work of the Holy Spirit makes a supernatural innovation in moral and spiritual truth, bringing about a permanent and fundamental change in human behavior toward sin and holiness.
6) Those who are born of the Holy Spirit must harmonize their actions as <citizens of the new kingdom of God>, and Paul said about this situation, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Corinthians 5:17) said.
2. Conversion experience 1) The most important stage that a person who is born again experiences first is conversion. A person who has experienced conversion not only puts off his old self, but puts on the new man, that is, he strives for a holy life, free from sin.
2) In the stage of regeneration, the sinful element of the old life is converted into the holy element of the new life, and in the stage of conversion, life itself changes (Colossians 3:9).
3) Conversion is a holistic event. Those who are moved toward Christ fully accept intellectually and fully understand that the Bible is the truth, that Christ is God, and that the world of resurrection, judgment, and future are real, and know these things by feeling. And these feelings influence his experience and will to direct <action>. Faith is manifested in action.
4) The experience of conversion has a lasting impact. The experiencer cannot forget the change. It may be strong, but in most cases the experience of conversion permeates and influences the subsequent experience that follows. Such experiences have a great impact not only on an individual's life, but also on the church, society, nation, and world.