new birth evidenceHi, Jesus loves you

What is the evidence that you are a born again Christian? How will people know that a person has received Jesus Christ as his savior? One major change in your life as an evidence of new birth will be your love attitude. This post explains why love is an outward evidence of being born again.

We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death – 1 John 3:14 (AMP)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love – 1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)

New birth is when a person believes that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, accepts and confesses Jesus as his personal Lord and savior – Romans 10:9-10. The individual receives an inward witness by the Holy Spirit that he is a child of God – Romans 8:16

Many times when I am sharing the word of God with people they tell me that they are born again. But while talking with them I discover that they are actually not born again Christians. This question now comes, “How can you know a believing Christian?” Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 that you will know them by their fruits.

Love is the number one outward evidence of new birth: evidence of being a child of God – Galatians 5:22. The scripture says that he who does not love does not know God. You can’t claim to be a child of God and not know God. That means you can’t claim to be a child of God and not love! If you don’t love, it means you have not passed over out of death into life in Christ – 1 John 3:14

The Spirit of God at new birth pours the love of God in our hearts; therefore, anyone who does not love has not really received Jesus as his personal Lord and savior. The Spirit of God within a believer helps him to love even the un-lovable.

You may not change completely overnight but you will notice the gradual change as you yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading. And people will also notice the change. Things you couldn’t accommodate you will discover that you can now.

Paul is a good example to share. Before Paul received Jesus as his savior, he was breathing down hailstones on believers but when he received Christ, he started associating with them and people saw the change in him– Acts 9:1-28

Human beings are naturally selfish but new birth empowers one to live supernaturally above selfishness. And it is the love of God within a believer that makes all the difference. You are able to put others before you because you have the nature of God (love) within you.

God manifested this love when He gave His only son for mankind – John 3:16 and He says we should love one another even as He had loved us. This ability is only possible at new birth because that is when the Holy Spirit pours this ability to love like God within us. This is why love is the number one evidence of new birth

Love is the summary, the beginning and the ending of Christianity. Where there is no love, there is no Christianity. This is because to be a Christian is to be like Christ and Christ (God) is love. That means, to have more of God within you is to have more of love. And love is expressed in words and in action; otherwise it is not the love of God.

So, if you examine yourself and your walk of love has not improved since you gave your life to Jesus Christ, you may need to rededicate your life to Him. And God will empower you to walk with him in love.

What is love of God to you?

 

Ngozi Nwoke

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Image by MaryAlice