When you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, what actually happened?
Was it simply a decision to start going to church, become a better person, or try to live according to Christian values?
The Bible describes something far more significant.
A legal transaction took place. You experienced a spiritual rebirth. You became a child of God. And with your new identity came a new authority.
Understanding these truths is one of the most important foundations for living a strong and confident Christian life.
A Legal Transaction Has Taken Place
Revelation 3:20 pictures Jesus standing at the door and knocking. He promises that when a person hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in.
When you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, you did more than acknowledge that He exists. You personally received Him.
Something changed in the spiritual realm.
Growing Deep and Strong® describes this as a legal transaction. You received what Jesus accomplished for you through His death and resurrection. Your relationship with God changed.
Romans 10:9 teaches that when we confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we are saved.
Salvation, therefore, is not something we continually have to earn.
It begins with what Christ has done, not with what we can do.
That gives a new Christian a secure place from which to grow. Our Christian life does not begin with desperately trying to make ourselves acceptable to God. It begins by understanding what happened when we received Christ.
You Have Been Born Again
Jesus explained this to Nicodemus in John 3:1-5.
Nicodemus was a religious and educated man, yet Jesus told him that he needed something more than religious knowledge. He needed to be born again.
Jesus was not talking about another physical birth. He was describing a spiritual birth from above.
This new birth opens an entirely new order of life.
We begin to see God’s Kingdom differently. God’s Word starts to come alive. The Holy Spirit becomes our Teacher, Helper, Advocate and Guide. We begin a relationship with God that was impossible through human effort alone.
This is why Christianity is much more than adopting a religious code.
New birth produces new life.
It doesn’t mean we instantly know everything or that every area of our lives immediately changes. Just as a newborn baby needs nourishment and time to grow, a new Christian begins a journey of spiritual growth.
But the starting point has fundamentally changed.
You Are Now a Child of God
John 1:12 gives another remarkable description of what happened.
Those who receive Christ and believe in His name are given the right to become children of God.
Think about what that means.
Your relationship with God is no longer that of a stranger standing outside looking in. You have been brought into His family.
Galatians 3:26 reinforces this truth: through faith in Christ Jesus, we become sons and daughters of God.
And Romans 8:14-15 takes it even further. We have received the Spirit of adoption, through whom we can approach God personally as Abba, Father.
Your new life therefore involves a new identity.
You belong.
With Your New Identity Comes New Authority
There is another important word connected with John 1:12: right.
The biblical concept carries the meaning of authority, or exousia: the right to act, privilege, capacity and delegated authority.
This means the Christian life is not intended to be lived from a position of spiritual helplessness.
Jesus gives His followers authority to represent Him and carry out His purposes.
That authority does not originate in us. It is delegated authority. It comes from our relationship with Jesus Christ and is exercised under His Lordship.
So when you received Christ, you did not simply receive a new set of beliefs.
- You received a new life.
- A legal transaction took place.
- You were spiritually reborn.
- You became a child of God.
- You entered into a new relationship with your heavenly Father.
- And you were given new authority as someone who belongs to His Kingdom.
That is an extraordinary foundation on which to build your Christian life.
Personal Reflection
Take a few minutes and consider these questions:
- What do you understand happened when you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour?
- What does being born again mean to you?
- What difference does knowing you are a child of God make to the way you see yourself?
- What does it mean to you that God has given you spiritual authority?
- Do you live confidently from your new identity, or are you still trying to earn something God has already given you?
Your walk with God is a journey. But every strong journey needs the right starting point.
Know what happened. Know whose you are. Know the authority you have been given. Then begin to grow from that foundation.
Growing Deep and Strong® exists to help new and maturing Christians establish strong biblical foundations and intentionally grow into everything God has called them to become.
Ready to continue building a strong foundation? Explore the New Christian Journey and take your next step.
Carl is a follower of Jesus Christ; Founder and Author of the Christian Discipleship and Leadership program called the Growing Deep and Strong® Series. He is also the Founder and Director of Find Your Destiny™.
His mandate is to be a catalyst and facilitator in developing people who will become leaders and disciplers of others and to create an environment that creates leaders that transform nations.
