Born Again Through Spirit

John 3:1-8 “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  (2)  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  (3)  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  (4)  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  (5)  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  (6)  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  (7)  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  (8)  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

The first encounter that every believer has with the Holy Spirit is when they are born again. As our Lord Jesus taught in the passage above, everyone who believes in Him is born of the Spirit. This encounter is the most important one anyone can have, for without it, one cannot be saved. It is the Holy Spirit who creates our new spirit in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Because we are born of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit indwells our spirits. The apostle Paul taught that as believers, we are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is from God (1 Corinthians 6:19). This indwelling marks a key difference between saints under the New Covenant and those under the Old Covenant. While believers under the Old Covenant had righteousness credited to them (Romans 4:3), they could not be born again because Jesus had not yet been raised from the dead. As a result, they remained spiritually dead and separated from the life of God.

Even though the Holy Spirit came upon the prophet, the high priest, and the king to empower them for their roles, He could not indwell them because they were not born again. During His earthly ministry, Jesus taught the apostles that although the Holy Spirit was with them (enabling them to fulfil their roles as apostles), He was not yet in them. The Spirit would indwell them only after Jesus was glorified (John 14:17). Jesus reinforced this teaching by stating that new wine (the Holy Spirit) must be poured into new wineskins (the born-again spirit) (Luke 5:38).

Romans 8:16 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

Every believer experiences their first encounter with the Holy Spirit differently. Some feel joy, others tears, some a deep peace, while others have powerful encounters, like Paul on the road to Damascus. Regardless of the experience, the result is always the same: a full assurance in their hearts that they have been saved.

As the passage above states, the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God. This assurance comes from both our spirits and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Therefore, no Christian should ever doubt their salvation because God Himself, through the Holy Spirit, confirms it.

1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”

When a believer is born again, the Holy Spirit baptizes them into the body of Christ. The word “baptize” means to be fully immersed. As the passage above reveals, the Holy Spirit immerses each believer into the body of Christ, making them part of His body. At the same time, believers partake of the Holy Spirit, as all have been made to drink of the one Spirit.

John 16:13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

What is the role of the Holy Spirit for one who is baptized into Christ? Scripture reveals several roles that the Holy Spirit fulfils in the life of the believer. In John's Gospel quoted above, our Lord taught us that it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us the word of God as He guides us into all truth. As you spend time in God's word, ask the Father to open your understanding of His scriptures through the Holy Spirit. As you do this, you will begin to see truths in God's word that you never saw before, for the Holy Spirit is sent by God the Father to lead and guide you into all the truth of His word.

We also see from this portion of Scripture that the Holy Spirit shows us things to come. In other words, when believers walk in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, there should be no major event that befalls them for which they were not prepared, whether good or bad, because the Holy Spirit who dwells within them is sent by God the Father to show them these things before they happen.

The Holy Spirit also reveals Jesus to us, for our Lord taught us that when He comes, He would testify of Jesus (John 15:26). The Holy Spirit takes what belongs to our Lord Jesus and reveals it to us (John 16:14). And because the Holy Spirit is God, the list of what He does in the lives of believers is endless.

Michael E.B. Maher

Holy Spirit Encounters

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