FaithWear Ministry Scroll- February 7, 2026 Draft

Jesus said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). But what does that truly mean? What is the new birth according to Scripture, and how does a life look when someone has genuinely been born again? Many hear the phrase ‘born again’ and think of a movement, a religious identity, an emotional moment, or a repeated prayer. But Jesus was not describing a ritual or a feeling. He was describing a spiritual birth — a transformation so deep that it reshapes the entire architecture of a person’s life.

To be born again is to receive a new nature, a new identity, a new way of seeing, and a new way of living. It is not behavior modification or moral improvement. It is the Spirit of God making a person alive, awakening them from spiritual death into spiritual life (Ephesians 2:4–5). This scroll unfolds what Jesus meant, how the apostles understood it, and how a born‑again life reflects the Way — not through perfection, but through transformation.

THE TWO BIRTHS: FLESH FIRST, SPIRIT SECOND

Before we can understand the new birth, we must understand why it is necessary. Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). Every human enters the world through the first birth — the birth of the flesh. We are born through our mothers carrying the fallen nature of Adam, shaped by a world marked by sin. The image of God remains in us, but it is covered, dimmed, and inactive. We are physically alive but spiritually disconnected, born into a condition that cannot save itself.

This is why Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). The second birth is the birth of the Spirit — the moment the life of God enters a person and awakens what sin covered. In this new birth, the Spirit restores what was lost, reconnects us to God, and brings us into the life we were designed to carry. The first birth gives us natural life; the second birth gives us spiritual life. The first birth makes us children of Adam; the second birth makes us children of God. This is not symbolic language — it is the spiritual reality Jesus declared as the doorway into the Kingdom.

THE NEW BIRTH BEGINS WITH GOD’S LOVE

Before we can understand the new birth, we must return to the beginning — not the beginning of our lives, but the beginning of God’s love. Scripture says, “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The new birth does not begin with our desire or decision. It begins with God’s initiating love, the love that moved toward us long before we ever moved toward Him.

Scripture also tells us that God foreknew us and predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). This means the new birth is not an accident or a human achievement. It is the unfolding of a plan God established before the foundation of the world — a plan rooted in His mercy and His desire to bring us into life. To be born again is not simply to start over. It is to step into what God already saw, already prepared, and already loved. It is the moment when the eternal intention of God touches the human heart and awakens it to life.

THE IMAGE OF GOD RESTORED

God created us in His image (Genesis 1:27). This means the qualities needed for the new birth are not foreign to us — they were woven into our design from the beginning. The capacity to know God, to love Him, to walk in truth, and to discern His voice was already placed within us. But sin, inherited patterns, cultural traditions, and generational beliefs covered what God intended to shine. The new birth does not give us a different nature; it restores the one God originally breathed into us. It is the uncovering of what was always there — the awakening of the image of God that had been buried under the weight of the world.

In the beginning, the earth was covered by water, hidden beneath the deep until God called the waters to part and the dry land appeared (Genesis 1:2–9). In the same way, our spirit is present from birth — created by God, carrying His image — but covered, buried, and hidden beneath the weight of sin. We are born physically alive but spiritually submerged, unable to rise on our own. But when we come to Christ, the blood of Jesus removes what covered us. The Spirit calls the waters to recede, and our true self — the spirit God formed — rises and appears. This is the new birth. This is what it means to be born again: the awakening of the spirit that was always there, now uncovered, restored, and brought into the light by the power of God.

When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, Scripture says God gives us His Spirit (Acts 2:38). Not as a symbol, but as the very life of God dwelling within us. And what does this mean? It means the Holy Spirit begins the work of conforming us to the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). He aligns us with the identity God intended from the beginning. He awakens what sin covered, restores what was distorted, and brings us into the likeness of the One whose image we bear. The new birth is not only the moment we receive the Spirit — it is the lifelong transformation the Spirit produces as He forms Christ within us.

THE NEW IDENTITY AWAKENED

Scripture speaks of a “new identity” because it describes the contrast between who we were in sin and who we become in Christ. From the moment we were capable of choosing for ourselves, we lived outside our design — shaped by darkness and the patterns of this world. So when the Spirit awakens us, it feels like a new beginning, a new nature, a new way of living. But in truth, it is the restoration of the identity God intended from the beginning.

When a person is born again, something awakens inside them that was once dormant. The Spirit opens the eyes of the heart (Ephesians 1:18). Desires shift. The things that once satisfied lose their power, and the things of God become real and compelling. This is not emotional hype — it is spiritual sight. It is the moment when darkness loses its authority and light begins to govern the inner life. The born‑again believer does not simply adopt new behaviors — they receive a new way of perceiving, discerning, and responding to the world. This is the evidence of the Spirit’s work: a transformed inner life that begins to reflect the nature of Christ from the inside out.

THE FRUIT OF A TRANSFORMED LIFE

Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). The inner work of the Spirit produces outward transformation. A born‑again believer begins to walk in repentance, humility, and obedience. They hunger for the Word. They turn away from sin not out of fear, but because their nature has changed. John says those who are born of God do not continue in sin as a lifestyle (1 John 3:9). Paul says the old man is crucified and the new man is put on (Ephesians 4:22–24). The evidence of the new birth is not perfection, but a life that increasingly reflects the character, love, and holiness of Christ.

The journey of transformation begins the moment the Spirit enters a believer, but it unfolds over time. Scripture calls this “putting off the old man” and “putting on the new” (Colossians 3:9–10). Old patterns lose their grip as the Spirit renews the mind and reshapes the heart. This is not instant perfection — it is a steady rising of the new person God intended. The new one grows as the old one dies. The new one speaks differently, thinks differently, loves differently, and chooses differently. Transformation is the daily yielding to the Spirit’s work.

THE LONG JOURNEY OF FORMATION

The process is long, and Scripture never hides this truth. We experience trials, temptations, and moments of weakness — yet each moment becomes an opportunity to choose His righteousness again and again (James 1:2–4). Over time, old desires fade, old habits lose their power, and new traits rise as Christ is formed in us. We make mistakes, and it is okay. What matters is that we keep our faith anchored and our identity aligned in Christ.

We must continually choose obedience, holiness, and the narrow path. Whatever stands before us can be overcome because He fights our battles (Exodus 14:14). Our role is to yield in faith, walk aligned in the mind and in the Spirit, and trust that He is completing the work He began in us (Philippians 1:6).

God is Home, and through the new birth He is simply calling us back to Himself. The Holy Spirit is the One who leads us on this journey — our Anchor, our Helper, our inner Warrior. He fights the battles we cannot see, strengthens us in the battles we can feel, and guarantees our salvation by keeping us aligned with Christ until the end (Ephesians 1:13–14). The Spirit’s work is not only to transform us, but to safely bring us back to God — both in this life and into eternity. Our role is to obey and yield to His leading within us. As we face trials, Scripture often rises in our minds, reminding us to surrender, to trust, to choose righteousness. Every time we yield, we win. Every time we obey, the new life grows stronger.

THE WORD AS OUR BLUEPRINT

This is why followers of the Way must read the Holy Bible — because the Word reveals who God is, who we are to Him, and how we are called to walk. Scripture becomes our ammunition, our clarity, our discernment. It trains our eyes to see through the lens of truth and gives us understanding. The Bible is not merely text; it is the revealed wisdom and knowledge of God, the blueprint that shows us what must be surrendered and what must be strengthened as we walk with Him.

Paul writes, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). This means the believer no longer thinks, reasons, or responds the way the world does. The world is shaped by pride, fear, self‑preservation, and the pursuit of pleasure. But the renewed mind is shaped by truth, humility, purity, and obedience. Mind renewal is not positive thinking — it is Spirit‑thinking. It is learning to see through Scripture, not through culture. It is learning to respond from the Spirit, not from the flesh.

SET APART FOR THE WAY

To be born again is to be set apart. Not isolated — but distinct. Not hidden — but holy. Jesus prayed, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:16–17). Separation means different desires, different values, different responses, different priorities, and different loves. We belong to another kingdom now. We walk by another Spirit. We live for another King.

The early believers were called followers of the Way (Acts 9:2). The Way is not a label — it is a lifestyle. Walking in the Way means daily surrender, daily obedience, daily listening, daily repentance, daily love, and daily holiness. It is a narrow path, but it is a path filled with peace, clarity, and purpose.

Paul writes, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). This inner witness is the quiet assurance that we belong to Him. It is the peace that settles in the heart. It is the conviction that guides. It is the voice that whispers truth when the world shouts lies. The Spirit does not only teach us — He keeps us. He seals us. He carries us. He assures us. He finishes what He starts.

Benediction

Where do you see the Spirit awakening you? Where do you feel Him calling you deeper? Where is He asking you to yield? Where is He inviting you to trust? The new birth is not a moment — it is a life. A journey. A returning home. May the God who called you, foreknew you, and loved you before the foundation of the world strengthen you in your inner being. May the Holy Spirit renew your mind, transform your heart, and conform you to the image of Christ. May your life bear the fruit of the new birth — humility, purity, obedience, and love. And may you walk in the rest of His finished work, as it is written: “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God… for he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:9–10). Rejoice, for you are counted worthy to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:41). Amen.