From the ArcaMax Publishing, Kids Talk About God Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/kidstalkaboutgod/s-633823-525867
"Well, being born again doesn't mean to go back into your mother's
stomach," says Taylor, 11. "It means being born into the family of
God."
Unlike Taylor, the religious leader (Nicodemus), who came by night to
talk with Jesus, missed the point entirely. Jesus spoke of being born
again spiritually. Nicodemus thought Jesus spoke of a physical birth
when he said, "How can a man be born when he is old?" (John 3:4a)
"To be born again means you have to trust God as your savior," says
Hannah, 10. "What that means is: 1) Believe that Jesus is God's son.
2) Believe that He died on the cross for your sins. 3) Believe that He
rose again."
Hannah's clear presentation sounds like the Apostle Paul's description
of the gospel in his letter to the Corinthians (I Corinthians 15:3-4).
Don't get sidetracked on superfluous issues. Present the gospel
clearly and concisely.
"Being born again means being born or adopted into the Lord's family
and becoming one of his children," says Maranatha, 12. "You must first
believe that Jesus died and rose again.
"In I Peter 1:23, it says, 'having been born again, not of corruptible
seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides
forever.' This means you are saved by the Word of God, and its work is
eternal, never perishing."
God's Word is God's agent in spiritual birthing. The Bible has a lot
to say about the power of God's Word. Don't ever underestimate the
power of God's Word to change lives: your own and others. The longest
Psalm in the Bible is entirely devoted to the importance of God's Word
(Psalm 119).
"Probably the most important thing about being born again is that the
Holy Spirit is living in you," says Anna, 10. "He came, cleaned you
out and is now living in you."
We live in a time that the Old Testament prophets could only dream
about. Some foretold of a time when God would dwell in the hearts of
his people instead of a Jerusalem temple. That time is now! Yet, many
Christians remain unaware of this spiritual reality. They don't take
time to listen to the promptings, guidance and teachings of God's
Spirit.
The Spirit-filled life is not living in Weirdsville. It's productive.
The Apostle Paul describes it as fruitful: "But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law"
(Galatians 5:22-23).
Being born again not only secures your eternal destiny with God in
heaven, it also gives you the possibility of living a truly productive
and satisfying life. However, it's not automatic. The same Apostle
Paul who encouraged Christians to live productive lives also warned
them to not grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).
At the moment people trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior, they
are delivered forever from the penalty of sin. Through the indwelling
Holy Spirit, they now possess the power to live productive lives free
from sin's destructive power. Jesus wants to live though his people in
a way that involves their willful submission to him. When they fail to
submit, God tries to get their attention through loving discipline
(Hebrews 12:6).
Think about this: Being delivered from the penalty of sin is called
justification. Being delivered from the power of sin is called
sanctification. Memorize this truth: �Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John
3:3). Ask this question: Are you born again?
Listen to a talking book, download the "Kids Color Me Bible" for free,
watch Kid TV Interviews and travel around the world by viewing the
"Mission Explorers Streaming Video" at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. Bible
quotations are from the New King James Version. To find out more about
Carey Kinsolving and read features by other Creators Syndicate
writers, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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