In Christianity, experiencing rebirth means leaving the old way of life to live a new life with Jesus Christ. For most Christians, this seems very difficult, but God has already told what needs to be done. By accepting Jesus, you can draw closer to God and be born again. Therefore, be a Christian if you want to experience rebirth, then live a new life according to the Word of Jesus. In addition, you need to strengthen your faith by attending church, reading the Bible, and praying.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Becoming a Christian
Step 1. Trust in God and Jesus Christ, His Son
The first step to take before accepting Jesus is to believe in Him. Christians believe that God created heaven and earth. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, humans were condemned to suffer because of original sin, but God sent Jesus Christ, His Son to atone for human sins by sacrificing his life so that humans receive forgiveness.
John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." You can experience eternal life in heaven by believing in Jesus
Step 2. Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior
As Christians who have experienced rebirth, accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior with all your heart. Accepting Jesus Christ becomes very easy when you admit that He died because you sinned and that through His death you were justified before God. For that, believe in Jesus and pray that your heart and mind will always be directed to Him.
- When you pray, you may say: "Good Jesus, I am a sinner, but You were willing to die for my sins. I accept You as the Savior of my life. Thank You that You died for my sins so that I may be forgiven. In Jesus name I pray. Amen."
- You can find examples of prayers on the internet.
Step 3. Repent by confessing your sins
To repent means to feel sorry and promise not to sin again. Repentance is done by proclaiming to God through prayer that you are a sinner, admitting mistakes you have made, and regretting them. Then, promise God that you will reject sin and live a good life as part of repentance.
Sample prayer: "Lord Jesus, I realize I have sinned. I am really sorry for my sins and want to improve my life with Your help. Thank You for the forgiveness You have given. In Jesus name I pray. Amen."
Step 4. Be a member of the church if you want to join a religious community
Some Christians argue that you have to be a member of the church in order to experience a Christian rebirth, but some say you don't have to. If you join a church, you can study the Bible in depth, interact with fellow followers of Jesus, and strengthen your faith. We recommend that you seek information by visiting several churches before making a decision to join.
Alternatively, you can attend worship services that are shown on TV or via the internet
Step 5. Accept baptisms performed by ordained ministers
Meet the pastor or pastor at the church. Baptism is an important step in experiencing rebirth. When baptizing, the priest will pour water on your forehead or the priest will drown you in the water, then raise your body again as a symbol of death from sin and the birth of a new man from the water. At this time, you have experienced rebirth.
- In Mark 16:16 it is written: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned".
- The ordinance and place of baptism are determined by the church. It is possible that you were baptized in a church, in a pool in the churchyard, at a lake, or elsewhere.
- Certain churches perform baptisms only for church members. In order to be baptized, you can either join a church or look for a church that doesn't require baptismal candidates to join.
Step 6. Receive the Holy Spirit by welcoming Jesus into your heart
The Holy Spirit is the messenger of God who will be the helper and comforter of Jesus' followers after He ascends to heaven. As a Christian, you will also receive the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that make you rely more on Jesus. For that, welcome the presence of Jesus in your life, for example through prayer.
- When praying, say with all your heart, "I welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit into my life. Amen."
- There are nine fruits of the Holy Spirit, namely love, joy, peace, patience, generosity, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
- There are nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, namely the gift of speaking with wisdom, speaking with knowledge, prophesying, faith, healing, performing miracles, discerning various spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpreting tongues.
Part 2 of 3: Living Life for Jesus
Step 1. Do not indulge in sinful desires
Man is not free from mistakes, but struggles against the desire to sin. Try your best to always do the right things by imitating Jesus.
- Read the Bible and attend worship services to find out how to resist sin so you don't lie, steal, commit adultery, kill, or indulge in other passions.
- In Romans 8:9 it is written, "But you do not live in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." Remember that the Holy Spirit gave you the ability to control yourself!
Step 2. Ask for forgiveness if you have sinned
Humans still sin even though they try to avoid it. This is why God offers forgiveness of sins through Jesus! He will forgive you if you confess, show remorse, and commit to improving yourself.
When you pray, you might say, "Lord, I sinned again. I am very sorry and promise not to do it again. Thank you Lord for the forgiveness you have given through Jesus. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."
Step 3. Be humble when communicating with Jesus
Let go of your pride and admit that you are helpless before Jesus. He is "the way, the truth, and the life". You will be lost without Jesus. You may pray to God without going through Jesus, but you are not "saved" and born again, unless you accept Jesus Christ according to the Christian faith.
In the Gospel of John 14:6 it is written, "Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." You need Jesus in order to communicate with God. Therefore, you must pray in the name of Jesus and acknowledge His power
Step 4. Volunteer to help others
In Philippians 1:22, Jesus asks you to have fruitful work, such as volunteering. In addition, you can help others according to Jesus' command to His disciples.
For example, you can volunteer to help victims of natural disasters, donate blood for the sick, donate to orphans, or give groceries to the homeless
Step 5. Forgive others who have wronged you
You must forgive others because God has forgiven you. Don't hold a grudge against the person who hurt you. Instead, forgive his mistake and pray for him.
For example, "Lord Jesus, I forgive a friend who stole my money. I ask You to forgive his mistake."
Step 6. Be grateful for all the goodness you experience
God bless you with goodness in everyday life, such as family, friends, health, talents, and others. You can mentally make a list or write it down on a piece of paper. Take this opportunity to be grateful for all the goodness that God has given so that you always live life with a positive mindset.
Start writing a gratitude journal by jotting down 3-5 things you are grateful for each day
Step 7. Remember that you are not alone in this world
Everyone has experienced difficulties. Turn to Jesus if you have problems. Don't give up when difficulties come your way because Jesus is always with you. Rely on faith in Jesus so you can endure.
- Pray for help by saying, "Jesus, I ask You for strength to face this problem."
- Ask for support and help from friends in the religious community so you can overcome difficulties.
- Things don't change for the better right away, but you can rely on faith as a source of strength and comfort.
Step 8. Share your beliefs with others, but respect theirs
In general, born-again Christians want to share their experiences with others and invite them to worship in church. Tell others about Jesus and the help you have experienced because of your faith in Jesus, then invite them to worship together. However, remember that you should still respect different beliefs.
- Don't push yourself if he says he's not interested. You yourself will object if others impose their beliefs on you.
- Live daily by imitating the way of life of Jesus. Others may want to join you in church if they see for themselves the blessings you receive by having faith in Jesus.
Part 3 of 3: Strengthening Christian Faith
Step 1. Follow the worship regularly
Make time to worship at least once a week, but try to attend worship several times a week, especially if you want to increase your knowledge of Christianity. In addition to providing insight into what it means to be a Christian, you can join a religious community if you regularly attend church.
- For example, attend church services every Sunday morning.
- Look for a church that makes you feel welcome. When choosing a church, prioritize those whose members form a community for people your age.
Step 2. Get in the habit of reading the Bible at least once a week
Choose the Bible that is easiest to understand because translations of the Bible are available in many versions. Set a schedule for reading the Bible, for example every Sunday morning after worship so that you can understand God's Word.
You can strengthen your faith by reading devotional books that discuss Scriptures. This book can be purchased in bookstores or via the internet
Step 3. Join a Bible study group
Find out if this group exists in the church. If it's not there, you can look for it on a website, such as Meetup.com. By studying the Bible, you will better understand God's Word to strengthen your faith and live your life according to the teachings of Jesus. This group usually meets once a week.
Bible study groups can be a great way to meet new believers
Step 4. Pray as often as possible
Prayer is a way of communicating with God. So you need to pray at least once a day, but you can pray several times a day.
- Don't just ask for something when you pray. Give thanks to Allah and feel His presence.
- Sample prayer: "Lord Jesus, thank you for the bright sunshine this morning and the opportunity to live a new day." or "Lord Jesus, I felt Your presence when I went to the doctor's clinic this afternoon. Thank you for the strength You gave me."
Tips
- Be a servant of God for a more dignified human life.
- Be a witness for Christ.
- Be a person who loves God and others. Be kind to people who are against you.
Warning
- Jesus said, "Love your enemy and do him good." So don't hate other people. Instead, try to help him.
- Don't be shy about showing that you are a Christian.
