very living creature values life. Insects fly away when people intend to kill them, and ants flee when they encounter danger. Human beings work, seek medical treatment, and buy health insurance out of fear of death. They try their best to avoid and protect themselves from anything that might harm their physical lives. But most people only care about their physical life.

The Value of a person

However, man not only has physical life but also spiritual life. People think that the life of the physical body is in the blood. But those who die do not die because they have no blood. In reality, physical life is in the spirit. When the Lord Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, it was said that his spirit returned (John 11:43-44). It is also said, "The body without the spirit is dead" (James 2:26). No matter how beautiful a person may be, if there is no spirit within, they have no value at all. A body without a spirit is something disgusting and nobody wants to touch it. Therefore, the value of a human being is not in his physical form, nor in wealth, prosperity, knowledge or power. The value of a man lies only in his spirit. A body without a spirit decays quickly and is to be buried under the earth.

The Life of the Spirit

Now that we know that the life of our physical body is the spirit, and that the spirit is the value of the body, where then is the value and life of the spirit? The value and life of the spirit are found in Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Jesus also said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). Paul also wrote that "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4). Christ is not the life of the body but that of the spirit. However, people do not value Christ as they should because they do not know that Christ is the life of the spirit. If human spirit is not connected to Christ, there is no life and no value.

To have the Spirit Alive

Man cannot make his spirit alive. The reason is that the life of the spirit can only be found in Christ. Therefore, Scripture says: "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11-12). The life of the spirit is called eternal life because it makes one live eternally (ie. forever). This life can only be received from God. Without God's giving it to you, you cannot get it. This life exists in Christ, who is the Son of God. Therefore, if you want to have the eternal life, you must receive Christ. How can you receive the Son of God? You can invite Him into your heart. Christ said: "I am standing at the door and knocking; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and I will dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev 3:20). Christ is knocking on your heart's door with this message. If you open it, He will enter as promised. You can call upon Him by praying like this:

"Lord God, thank You for giving me eternal life through Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, I confess that You are the life of my spirit. Come into my heart as Your promised. Rule over my life. Amen."

If you genuinely ask him like so, Jesus will enter your heart according to His promise. The moment He enters, you have already received eternal life. Receiving eternal life means living eternally. Living eternally is living forever with the Lord. Since Jesus lives in heaven, you too will live in heaven.

So, the day you receive an eternal life is the day you are born into the spirit. This is also referred to as the second birth or being "born again."

Lingering questions one might have regarding receiving eternal life:

Q. Can you say that a person is truely saved if that person does not know the day they were saved or received the second birth?

A. One is not saved simply because they know the day of their salvation. Just as knowing one's birthday doesn't determine whether they were physically born, knowing the precise moment of spiritual rebirth is unnecessary for salvation. People may not be aware of the day of their spiritual birth, as it could have been a gradual process of developing faith and understanding. True salvation comes from an individual's willingness to listen to and accept the message without resistance and by remaining steadfast in their desire to learn about spiritual matters.

Some people accept the message of salvation after being convinced by others and thus become aware of the day when they accepted it. In either case, knowing the exact date is irrelevant; the focus should only be on a person's genuine faith and spiritual growth.

Q. Although one has been said to be born again, why is there no change in the person's life?

A. There are two possible reasons. First, it is because they have not actually been born again. Second, even though they were born again spiritually, they have not matured and remain as spiritual infants. The Corinthians were also born again but remained as infants, which is why Paul rebuked them (1 Cor 3:1-5). Spiritual infants exhibit the same behavior and desires as worldly people (1 Cor 3:1).

Q. What needs to be done to get a second birth?

A. There is nothing that you need to do for a second birth. When you are physically born, as a baby, you don't do anything; it is your mother who gives birth to you. Similarly, for a spiritual rebirth or second birth, it is God who does the giving of birth. How does God do that? This is what actually happens:

Since all people were born in Adam, they are in Adam and experience everything he experienced. That means since Adam was a sinner and died, everyone is a sinner and dies. Since Adam did not obey the word of God, neither do humans follow the word of God.

God then placed these human beings into Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30), and through Him, they were crucified with Him at the cross (Galatians 2:20). They are buried in the tomb of Christ, and then rise again with a new life together with Christ. The Scripture says that they are united with Him by the baptism of the Spirit. "Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12).

Also, "All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his." (Romans 6:3-5)

Because they believe in God's power to raise Christ from death, they receive the baptism of the Spirit and rise up with Him (Colossians 2:12). Then, through Jesus Christ, we have been raised up and given a place in heaven (Ephesians 2:6).

Thus, the new person who is raised in this way is called "born again" by the Spirit. No one can be born again on their own; it is something that God does through Christ.

Accepting and understanding this is what being born again is really about.

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