Faith in Jesus:
Born Again, The New Birth, what is it?
The term “born-again Christian” has become somewhat common in our culture, however the term, taken from the Gospel of John, chapter three is as old as the Church and the Scriptures of the Newer Testament.
Differing terms have been used over the centuries: believe, believe on, trust in, regeneration, chrismation, born-again and even confirmation but the terms all refer to one thing—coming to a point where the body, soul and spirit of a person go from self to God as the One who owns, adopts and makes a person spiritually new. It indicates a change from “Me” to “Thou” in relation to God.
Now there are subtle differences in the terms above. Some of them refer to a covenant made between the parents of an infant pledged to God in which they return to God what God gave to them: the child. Some refer to those at the so-called “age of reason” when a younger child decides to make Jesus their Savior and Lord. All of them mean that the body—soul—and spirit now belong to Jesus Christ.
Faith normally involves three things for an adult or someone at an age to make a decision to answer God’s call to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:31)
1. Admit that I am a person who has committed offenses against God and that I cannot without God’s help live a life that is pleasing to Him.
2. Agree to turn from following self as “boss” and submit myself to God as Father, Master and Friend, seeking to live a life pleasing to God guided by Scripture and the Holy Spirit.
3. Believe that God can and will “save” you if you sincerely ask Him. Receive and believe in Jesus into the heart (the seat of the mind, will and emotions) and be “born of God” becoming a person with a child to Parent, person to Parent relationship. From this time on to live as a “Jesus follower”, which is what is means to be a Christian in practical terms. All of this occurs because God’s Holy Spirit is reaching out to you and persuading you: “come to me all you who are weary and weighed down with the burdens of life and I will give you rest.”
Belief is from the heart and not all believers come to faith in the same way. Rev. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church (and Anglican Priest) said that he “felt” his “heart strangely warmed.” All we know is that we are now trusting Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and make us a “new creation” in our mind will and emotions.
Once an adult professes Christ as Saviour, baptism must follow, if they have not been baptized as a child. If an adult was baptized as a child, in the name of the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit), that baptism is valid and no need to be rebaptized.
SAMPLE PRAYER:
Almighty Father, I confess that I have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I am truly sorry and humbly repent. Thank you for forgiving my sings through the death of your Son, Jesus Christ. I turn to you and give you my life. Fill and strengthen me with your Holy Spirit to love you, to follow Jesus as my Lord in the fellowship of His Church, and to become more like him daily. Amen.
Church Teaching on Salvation & Baptism
FROM THE ANGLICAN CATECHSIM & SCRIPTURE
Is there any other way of salvation? No. The apostle Peter said of Jesus, “There is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only one who can save me and reconcile me to God. (Psalm 2; Isaiah 42:1-4; John 14:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:5-6)
How should you respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I should repent of my sins and put faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and my Lord. (Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31)
What does it mean for you to repent? To repent means that I have a change of heart, turning from sinfully serving myself to serving God as I follow Jesus Christ. I need God’s help to make this change. (Acts 2:38; 3:19)
What does it mean for you to have faith? To have faith means that I believe the Gospel is true; I acknowledge that Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead to rule over me; I entrust myself to him as my Savior; and I obey him as my Lord. As the Apostle Paul said, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
How may a person repent and place faith in Jesus Christ? Anyone may repent and place their faith in Jesus Christ at any time. One way to do this is by sincerely saying a prayer similar to the Prayer of Repentance and Faith given above. (John 15:16; Acts 16:31-34; Romans 10:9; Hebrews 12:12)
What should you do as the sign of your repentance and faith? After receiving instruction in the faith, I should be baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, thus joining his body, the Church. If I have already been baptized, I should confess my sins, seek the guidance of a priest, affirm the promises made at my baptism, and take my place as a member of the Church. (Psalm 51:5-7; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Peter 3:18-22)
BAPTISM
Anglicans attempt to hold on to the teachings of the early Church and the Reformers in their views on Holy Baptism. Article 27 (39 Articles of Religion) explains it this way:
Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or New-Birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed, Faith is confirmed, and Grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God.
The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ.
Baptism is, in the Church, accepted as the initiation into the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. It is the actual instrument (or means) God uses to bring people into the Body of Christ.
BIBLICAL SUPPORT
Paul writes this in his letter to the Colossians:
“having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” - Colossians 2.12
Paul explained to the Romans that baptism is how we are buried with Christ,
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” - Romans 6.4
Jesus says we enter the Kingdom of Heaven “through water and the spirit” in John 3:5.
St Peter expands on this, preaching a baptism for the forgiveness of sin, which gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit,
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. … Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” - Acts 2.38, 1 Peter 3.2
Because of this, our liturgy of Baptism mentions regeneration, adoption as sons of God, new birth, and the sign and seal of the Holy Spirit. The Church was given baptism as how Christ commanded us to bring in new Christians. Therefore, Anglicans accept a baptized person as a Christian and a member of Christ our Lord Jesus’ Church.