The Effects Of Being Born Again

When you first became a Christian, you were probably told that you were “born again.” But, what happens after that? In the Book of 1 John, the Apostle John lists the characteristics of a person who is born again:

1 John 2:29 ... every one who does righteousness has been born from him.

We do not do righteousness in order to be born again. Rather, we do righteousness because we have been born again. As indicated by the present tense of the word “does” in this verse, the one who is born again will characteristically do righteousness. Why? Because it is in their new, born again nature to do righteousness. Of course, someone who is not born again can do righteous works sometimes. However, it is not natural to him. Moreover, he does not do with with the love of God in his heart.

1 John 4:7 ... every one who loves has been born from God and knows God.

The born again person, on the other hand, does not only do righteousness, but he does it with love; because it is in his new, born again nature to love God and people. As you can see, our ability to love with the love of God begins with being born again, which is an act of love on God’s part. This is why, in verse 19, John says, “We love, because he first loved us.”

1 John 5:1 Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God.

This is the one that shocked me the most. During my first encounters with Christianity, I was taught that we must first believe in Jesus for salvation, and only then would we be born again. But when I noticed the tenses in this verse, I found that I’ve gotten the actual order reversed: We do not believe in Jesus in order to be born again; rather, we believe in Jesus because we have been born again! Even the faith that saves us is a result of the supernatural work that God first did in us!