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What a Christian Believes

At that very moment in time, when a man or woman calls on
God in repentance and asks for salvation, something
happens to that person. John 1 v12,13 'Yet to all who
received Him (Jesus Christ), to those who believed in His
name, He gave the right to become children of God -
children born not of natural descent, nor of human
decision or a husband's will, BUT BORN OF GOD.'

So every person has been born the natural way, through
human means, but there is another birth, done by God, who
is SPIRIT. This is a spiritual birth but is only for those who
receive it through first believing that it is CHRIST who
obtained salvation for them.

This being born a second time, or being born again, or
being born from above was a difficult concept to
understand for the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. One
wise man, called Nicodemus, did not understand. Jesus
explained some of the details in John 3 v1 - 21.

v3. Jesus said 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the
kingdom of God unless he is born again.'

v5, 6. 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom
of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh
gives birth to flesh and Spirit gives birth to spirit.'
Contrasting the life that brings natural birth with the second,
spiritual birth.
v. 7 'You should not be surprised at my saying you must
be born again.'

From that which Jesus said, it is clear that it is God's Spirit,
that is the Holy Spirit, who causes or activates the NEW
BIRTH. That is why it is sometimes called being born from
above, meaning from heaven.
REGENERATION is the term that describes what GOD does

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