August 15 2026, Saturday teachings
THE NEW MAN — EVIDENCE, OPERATION, FUNCTIONALITY AND QUALITIES OF THE BORN-AGAIN LIFE
Introduction
When we say, “I am born again,” what exactly does that mean?
Does it simply mean that we have prayed a prayer, joined a church, or changed our religious identity?
No.
Being born again means that God has given us a new life in Christ.
The new birth is not the end of our journey. It is the beginning of a process in which God transforms us, establishes His Word in us, and forms the character of Christ in our lives.
You may not yet be everything that God has called you to become, but when you are born again, God has already placed within you what is necessary for the journey.
Therefore, we must understand the difference between:
Being born again → and → growing as a born-again person.
The new birth gives us a new beginning.
Transformation is the process.
Christlikeness is the goal.
1. THE NEW MAN — THE BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE
Who is the new man?
The new man is the new life that we have received in Christ. It is the life of Christ being formed in us.
Paul speaks about putting off the old man and putting on the new man:
“Put off concerning the former conversation the old man… and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
— Ephesians 4:22–24
Therefore, the new birth introduces us into a completely different way of living.
The old man represents the former way of life.
The new man represents the new life God has created in us.
As Christ is formed in us, His character begins to be expressed through our lives.
That means the evidence of the new man should eventually become visible through:
- Our character
- Our words
- Our actions
- Our thoughts
- Our relationships
- Our decisions
- Our reactions
- Our patience
- Our endurance
- Our attitude
- Our service
- Our obedience
We should not always have to announce:
“I am born again.”
Our life should increasingly testify that something has changed within us.
2. BORN AGAIN IS A PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATION
Think about renovating an old house.
When a house is being renovated, the old structures are removed and replaced with new ones.
It takes time.
There is a process.
In the same way, when we are born again, God begins a work of transformation in us.
The old nature does not disappear from our experience overnight.
God begins to deal with:
- Anger
- Pride
- Fear
- Greed
- Lust
- Bitterness
- Unforgiveness
- Selfishness
- Worldliness
- Wrong thinking
- Wrong desires
- Wrong reactions
God begins to expose these things and bring them under the authority of His Word and His Spirit.
Therefore:
The old must be put off, and the new must be established.
The goal is not merely that we become religious.
The goal is that Christ is increasingly formed in us.
3. WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE OF THE BORN-AGAIN LIFE?
This is one of the most important questions we can ask:
“Where is the evidence that I am born again?”
The evidence is not merely in what we say.
It is seen in what we are becoming.
It is seen in our daily life.
When somebody offends you, how do you respond?
When things do not go according to your plans, what happens to your attitude?
When somebody treats you unfairly, how do you react?
When you have an opportunity to take advantage of someone, what do you do?
When you are under pressure, what comes out of you?
These situations reveal what is being established within us.
Jesus said:
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
— Matthew 12:34
Pressure often reveals what has been stored inside.
Therefore, the new birth should eventually produce visible evidence.
4. THE NEW LIFE IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OLD LIFE
The new life cannot simply be the old life with a Christian label.
There must be a difference.
There must be a movement:
Old man → New man
Old nature → New nature
Old desires → New desires
Old thinking → Renewed thinking
Old priorities → Kingdom priorities
Self-centeredness → Christ-centeredness
Worldly focus → Spiritual focus
The new man must increasingly govern our lives.
This is why Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
God is not simply changing our outward appearance.
He is working from the inside outward.
5. THE HOLY SPIRIT REGULATES THE NEW LIFE
When we receive the new life, the Holy Spirit begins to work in us.
We are no longer supposed to be controlled entirely by the old nature.
We learn to yield ourselves to the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit begins to influence:
- Our thoughts
- Our words
- Our decisions
- Our desires
- Our relationships
- Our reactions
- Our service
The more we surrender to the Holy Spirit, the more the life of Christ becomes visible in us.
Therefore, spiritual growth requires yielding.
We must continually say:
“Lord, have Your way in me.”
“Lord, change me.”
“Lord, form Christ in me.”
6. A CHANGE OF VISION
One of the strongest evidences of the new birth is a change of vision.
Before Christ, our focus may have been primarily on:
- Money
- Possessions
- Status
- Recognition
- Career
- Pleasure
- Human approval
- Personal ambition
But when Christ becomes central in our lives, our vision begins to change.
We begin to ask:
“What does God want?”
“What is God's purpose for my life?”
“How can I serve Him?”
“What is eternal?”
Our focus begins to move:
From the flesh → to the Spirit
From the world → to the Kingdom
From self → to Christ
From temporary things → to eternal things
Jesus said:
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”
— Matthew 6:33
When our priorities change, our desires begin to change.
7. A CHANGE OF DESIRE
A change of vision produces a change of desire.
Things that once dominated us may begin to lose their attraction.
At the same time, we begin to develop a desire for:
- Prayer
- God's Word
- Fellowship with God
- Spiritual understanding
- The Gospel
- Service
- Holiness
- God's purpose
- The things of the Kingdom
This does not mean that we become perfect overnight.
It means that the direction of our life has changed.
The new man begins to desire what pleases God.
8. THE NEW MAN DESIRES PRAYER
One evidence of the new life is a growing desire for communion with God.
Prayer is not merely something we do when we have a problem.
Prayer is fellowship with the Father.
There are different expressions of prayer:
- Personal prayer
- Corporate prayer
- Intercessory prayer
- Thanksgiving
- Prayer for understanding
- Prayer for wisdom
- Prayer in times of need
- Prayer according to spiritual burden
Sometimes you may suddenly feel a strong burden to pray.
You may not fully understand why.
You may be going about your normal activities and suddenly find yourself deeply concerned about a person or situation.
Instead of ignoring that prompting, learn to take it to God.
There may be something happening that you do not yet understand.
Prayer helps us respond to the leading of the Spirit.
As we pray, the burden may lift and peace may come.
Later, we may understand why we were prompted to pray.
Therefore:
The new man is sensitive to the things of the Spirit and learns to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
9. THE NEW MAN DESIRES THE WORD OF GOD
The new man does not only desire prayer.
He also desires the Word.
The Word of God is essential because it establishes our spiritual foundation.
We hear the Word.
We understand the Word.
We believe the Word.
We practice the Word.
We experience the Word.
And eventually, the Word becomes established in us.
We can describe the process like this:
Hear → Understand → Believe → Practice → Experience → Become established
The goal is not simply to collect Bible knowledge.
The Word must become life in us.
10. THE SUBSTANCE OF THE WORD
What do we mean by the substance of the Word?
The substance is the Word of God that has become real, established, and operative in our lives.
There is a difference between:
Knowing a verse
and
Having that Word established in you.
For example, someone may know:
“Forgive one another.”
But when somebody deeply hurts that person, the question becomes:
Has the Word become substance in you?
If the Word has become established, it begins to govern your response.
You don't merely know forgiveness.
You begin to practice forgiveness.
Therefore:
The Word becomes substance when it moves from information into transformation.
11. CHRIST AND THE WORD
Christ is central to the Word of God.
John 1:1 says:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
And John 1:14 says that the Word became flesh.
Therefore, when God's Word is established in us, Christ's life is increasingly expressed through us.
The Word becomes the foundation for:
- Our faith
- Our decisions
- Our character
- Our responses
- Our relationships
- Our service
The Word we hear must eventually become the Word we live.
12. THE WORD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit works with the Word.
God can bring understanding through Scripture, teaching, revelation, spiritual insight, and inward prompting.
However, everything we believe we are hearing from God must be tested according to Scripture and the character of Christ.
The Holy Spirit does not lead us into contradiction with God's revealed Word.
Therefore, we must learn to distinguish between:
God's leading
and
our own desires.
We must distinguish between:
faith
and
presumption.
We must distinguish between:
the voice of the Spirit
and
the voice of our emotions.
This requires spiritual maturity.
13. “IF MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU”
Jesus said:
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
— John 15:7
Notice the connection:
Abide in Christ.
Let His Word abide in you.
Then your desires begin to come into alignment with Him.
Prayer becomes deeper because the Word is shaping what you desire.
Instead of saying only:
“Lord, give me what I want,”
we begin to ask:
“Lord, what is Your will?”
The Word changes our desires.
The Spirit gives us understanding.
Prayer brings us into communion with God.
14. THE NEW MAN IS EXPRESSED THROUGH THE GOSPEL
The new man also develops a desire to make Christ known.
We begin to care about people who do not know Christ.
We want to share the Gospel.
We want to encourage others.
We want to serve.
We want to participate in God's work.
This is because the new life is not completely self-centered.
The new man becomes available to God.
We begin to say:
“Lord, use me.”
15. OBEDIENCE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
One of the greatest expressions of the new life is obedience.
Sometimes God may lead us to do something that seems small.
Sometimes it may seem inconvenient.
Sometimes we may not understand why.
But our responsibility is to learn to recognize God's leading and respond faithfully.
There are people whom God may connect to our obedience.
Our obedience may become another person's:
- Encouragement
- Salvation
- Deliverance
- Protection
- Restoration
- Direction
Therefore:
You may be carrying an assignment that is connected to someone else's breakthrough.
16. A TESTIMONY OF OBEDIENCE
There was a time when I was physically sick and very weak.
I did not feel capable of going anywhere.
At the same time, I was also dealing with an area of my life—particularly anger and an uncontrolled temper.
The Lord impressed upon me that I should go and preach the Gospel.
I was weak, but I obeyed.
When I arrived, the people I normally went with had already left.
I was eventually led to a particular marketplace.
There I met a man who was filled with anger and was planning to kill someone because of something that had happened to him and his family.
I was shocked.
I did not know how to respond in my own strength.
So I cried out to the Lord.
The Lord gave me wisdom and the words to speak.
As I spoke to this man, his heart became calm.
Eventually, he promised that he would not carry out his plan.
That experience taught me something:
If I had stayed home, I would never have met that man.
My obedience became part of his deliverance.
Therefore, sometimes God is simply asking us to run an errand for Him.
17. WE ARE CHRIST'S REPRESENTATIVES
Jesus is no longer physically walking through the streets in His earthly body as He did two thousand years ago.
But He works through His people.
We become His hands.
We become His feet.
We become His representatives.
We carry His message.
We demonstrate His character.
Therefore, when Christ is formed in us, people should encounter something of Christ through our lives.
This is why our character matters.
18. GOD DEALS WITH THE OLD BONDAGES
God does not save us and then leave us exactly as we were.
He begins to deal with the things that controlled us.
Sometimes He uses His Word.
Sometimes He uses circumstances.
Sometimes He uses correction.
Sometimes He uses obedience.
Sometimes He exposes something in us that we did not realize was there.
When God reveals something wrong in us, we should not become defensive.
We should say:
“Lord, thank You for showing me. Change me.”
That is part of spiritual growth.
19. WE ARE PASSING THROUGH A SPIRITUAL COURSE
Think about someone studying to become a doctor.
They go through a course.
They learn.
They practice.
They are tested.
Eventually, what they learned becomes deeply established in them.
We are also passing through a spiritual course.
God is teaching us.
God is training us.
God is correcting us.
God is testing our faith.
God is establishing His Word in us.
The goal is that Christ's character becomes so deeply established in us that His way of responding becomes increasingly natural to us.
20. CHRIST MUST BECOME OUR INNER GOVERNMENT
As the new man develops, Christ becomes increasingly influential in:
- Our thoughts
- Our words
- Our actions
- Our decisions
- Our desires
- Our relationships
- Our reactions
- Our service
Instead of asking only:
“What do I want?”
we begin asking:
“What does the Lord want?”
Instead of:
“How do I feel?”
we ask:
“What does God's Word say?”
Instead of:
“How can I defend myself?”
we ask:
“How would Christ have me respond?”
That is spiritual maturity.
21. THE LANGUAGE OF THE NEW MAN
Another evidence of transformation is our language.
Jesus said:
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
Our words reveal something about what is inside us.
This does not mean we can never discuss ordinary things.
But as Christ becomes established in us, our conversation increasingly reflects:
- Faith
- God's Word
- Christ
- The Kingdom
- The Gospel
- God's purpose
- Spiritual things
Our language begins to reflect our new identity.
The new life produces a new expression.
22. THE NEW MAN HAS A CALLING
Every believer should seek to understand his or her place in God's purpose.
God has given people different gifts and abilities.
Some may teach.
Some may preach.
Some may evangelize.
Some may encourage.
Some may serve.
Some may lead.
Some may intercede.
Some may minister in other ways.
The important question is not:
“Why am I not doing what that person is doing?”
The question is:
“Lord, what is my assignment?”
We should not compare our calling with another person's calling.
23. GENERAL PURPOSE AND PERSONAL ASSIGNMENT
There is a general purpose for every believer:
- To know Christ
- To love God
- To obey His Word
- To grow spiritually
- To represent Christ
- To participate in His Kingdom
There may also be personal assignments and callings.
Just as our faces are different, our individual responsibilities can also be different.
Therefore, we must discover what God has entrusted to us.
24. DO NOT LIVE SOMEONE ELSE'S PURPOSE
Sometimes people live according to other people's expectations.
A parent may say:
“You must become a doctor.”
Another may say:
“You must become a lawyer.”
Someone else may say:
“This is the career you should pursue.”
Their intentions may be good, but we must ultimately seek God's direction.
Parents should also be careful not to impose their unfulfilled dreams upon their children.
Instead, we should ask:
“Lord, what have You placed in this person?”
“What is Your purpose for this life?”
It is never too late to seek God and realign ourselves with His purpose.
25. WHERE IS THE BORN-AGAIN PERSON?
We must distinguish several questions.
Who needs to be born again?
The person who has not received the new life in Christ.
Who is a born-again person?
A person who has received the new life in Christ.
Where is the evidence of the born-again life?
It is seen in:
- Changed vision
- Changed desires
- Changed character
- Changed language
- Changed actions
- Faith
- Obedience
- Service
- Spiritual growth
Where is the born-again person found?
His identity is now in Christ.
His life is increasingly connected to God's purpose, God's people, God's Word, and the things of the Kingdom.
These questions may sound similar, but they are not the same.
26. THE BORN-AGAIN PERSON IS IN CHRIST
Our identity is no longer primarily defined by our former life.
We belong to Christ.
The Church is not merely a building or denomination.
The Church is the people who belong to Christ—the body of believers.
Therefore, our identity should not be centered merely on a human label.
Our deepest identity is:
“I belong to Christ.”
27. THE CHURCH AND GOD'S WORK OF TRANSFORMATION
The Church should be a place where God's Word is taught, Christ is revealed, believers are equipped, and people grow spiritually.
The Church is not merely somewhere we attend.
It is a people among whom God is carrying out His purpose.
We are being taught.
We are being corrected.
We are being equipped.
We are being transformed.
We are being prepared to serve.
28. OPERATION OF A BORN-AGAIN PERSON
Now we come to an important distinction:
Operation
Operation is concerned with:
What governs my life?
For the born-again person, the Word of God should become the foundation of his operation.
What we continually hear, receive, meditate upon, and practice begins to shape how we think and respond.
Therefore:
The Word we receive should eventually become the basis by which we operate.
If God's Word says forgive, we learn to operate in forgiveness.
If God's Word says love, we learn to operate in love.
If God's Word says pray, we develop a life of prayer.
If God's Word says trust God, we learn to trust Him.
29. THE IMPORTANCE OF A RIGHT FOUNDATION
A child learns by continual instruction and repetition.
In a similar way, a new believer must be carefully established in the truth.
The foundation matters.
Wrong teaching can produce wrong thinking.
Wrong thinking can produce wrong actions.
Wrong actions can produce wrong spiritual patterns.
Therefore, new believers need to be established in:
Christ + God's Word + the truth of the Holy Spirit.
The Word must be rightly understood and faithfully practiced.
30. FUNCTIONALITY OF A BORN-AGAIN PERSON
Now we come to:
Functionality
Functionality asks:
How do I act upon the Word I have received?
The answer is:
By faith.
Faith is what enables us to walk with God.
Hebrews 11:6 says:
“Without faith it is impossible to please him.”
Faith means:
- Believing God
- Trusting God
- Relying on God
- Taking Him at His Word
- Acting according to His Word
If God says:
“Go,” faith goes.
If God says:
“Wait,” faith waits.
If God says:
“Forgive,” faith forgives.
If God says:
“Trust Me,” faith trusts.
Therefore:
The Word gives us the foundation; faith enables us to act upon the Word.
31. FAITH DOES NOT MEAN GOD MUST DO EVERYTHING WE ASK
This is very important.
Faith does not mean:
“If I believe strongly enough, God must give me exactly what I want.”
Sometimes we pray and the answer does not come immediately.
That does not mean God has abandoned us.
Perhaps:
- The timing is not right.
- Our understanding is incomplete.
- Our request is not God's will.
- God is preparing something different.
- God is teaching us patience.
- God is working in ways we cannot yet see.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says:
“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time.”
Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us that God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours.
Therefore, if God does not answer exactly as we expected, do not allow disappointment to destroy your faith.
Continue to trust Him.
Continue to pray.
Continue to give thanks.
Continue to give glory to God.
32. HEARING GOD AND OBEYING GOD
There is another important lesson:
Hearing from God is one thing.
Obeying what God said in His timing and His way is another.
Sometimes we may hear something and then decide to do it according to our own schedule.
But obedience is not simply doing what God said.
True obedience involves:
What He said + when He said it + how He instructed us to do it.
If God tells you to do something now, but you postpone it for several months and then do it according to your own plan, you must be careful.
The circumstances may have changed.
Therefore, prayer is necessary not only to hear but also to understand the timing and manner of obedience.
33. PRAYER HELPS US UNDERSTAND GOD'S TIMING
Prayer helps us:
- Clear the way
- Connect with the Father
- Understand God's Word
- Understand God's timing
- Receive wisdom
- Receive direction
- Settle difficult issues
- Receive strength
- Confirm what we believe we have heard
When you believe God has spoken concerning something important, do not rush merely because you heard something.
Pray.
Seek understanding.
Search the Scriptures.
Consider the character of Christ.
Ask God for wisdom.
Then walk in obedience.
34. DO NOT LET DELAY PUNCTURE YOUR FAITH
Sometimes we pray and nothing appears to happen.
Then we begin to ask:
“Is God hearing me?”
“Why has God not answered?”
“Does God really care?”
This is where doubt can enter.
But we must remember:
A delayed answer is not necessarily a denied answer, and an unexpected answer is not evidence that God has abandoned us.
God's timing is higher than ours.
Therefore, don't let circumstances destroy your confidence in God.
Your faith must rest first on who God is, not merely on whether you received the answer you wanted.
35. QUALITIES OF A BORN-AGAIN PERSON
Now we come to the third area:
Qualities of the Born-Again Person
One important quality is:
Faith in the name of Jesus.
To believe in the name of Jesus means more than knowing His name.
It means believing in:
- Who Jesus is
- His authority
- His Lordship
- His character
- His finished work
- His power to save
- His power to deliver
- His ability to sustain us
When we identify with Christ, we acknowledge:
“I belong to Him.”
36. THE AUTHORITY OF THE NAME OF JESUS
When we pray in Jesus' name, it is not merely a phrase we add to the end of a prayer.
We are acknowledging His authority and coming in alignment with Him.
The name represents the person.
Therefore, faith in the name of Jesus means confidence in Jesus Himself.
Our confidence is not in a formula.
Our confidence is in Christ.
37. THE NEW MAN ENDURES PERSECUTION
Another quality of spiritual maturity is the ability to endure difficulties because of Christ.
The Christian life does not mean that we will never face:
- Opposition
- Rejection
- Mockery
- Persecution
- Misunderstanding
- Suffering
- Contradictions
But faith in Christ gives us strength to endure.
We can go to God and say:
“Father, strengthen me.”
And God gives us grace to continue.
38. ENDURING THE CONTRADICTIONS OF THIS WORLD
We will encounter situations that are contrary to God's ways.
Sometimes at work.
Sometimes in relationships.
Sometimes in society.
Sometimes even among people who claim to know God.
We may see something and think:
“How can this happen?”
But the new man does not respond by becoming like the world.
We respond with:
Prayer + Wisdom + Truth + Love + Patience + the Character of Christ.
We do not answer evil with evil.
We ask:
“Lord, how should I respond?”
39. SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT
As we mature, we need spiritual discernment.
We must learn to distinguish:
- Truth from error
- God's leading from our own desires
- Wisdom from impulse
- Faith from presumption
- Spiritual maturity from emotional reaction
But discernment must always be governed by:
Scripture + wisdom + love + the character of Christ.
We should not become obsessed with identifying demons or attributing every problem to a spirit.
The goal of discernment is not fear.
The goal is to respond correctly according to Christ.
40. THE KINGDOM OF GOD
What does it mean that the Kingdom of God has come?
The Kingdom is not merely a geographical place.
Christ is central to the Kingdom.
Where the rule and life of Christ are being established, the reality of God's Kingdom is being manifested.
At the same time, Scripture also points to the future and fuller manifestation of God's Kingdom.
Therefore, we can understand both:
The Kingdom already being manifested
and
The Kingdom yet to be fully manifested.
As Christ becomes established in us, His rule increasingly influences our lives.
41. THE NEW MAN AND PURPOSE
Being born again can radically change how we understand our purpose.
Before Christ, people may live according to:
- Family expectations
- Society
- Money
- Status
- Career
- Personal ambition
- Other people's dreams
But when Christ comes into our lives, we begin to ask:
“Lord, why did You create me?”
“What is Your purpose for my life?”
“What have You called me to do?”
That is part of the change of vision.
42. DISCOVER YOUR GOD-GIVEN ASSIGNMENT
Do not compare your assignment with someone else's.
One person may preach.
Another may teach.
Another may serve.
Another may evangelize.
Another may encourage.
Another may pray.
Another may lead.
God does not need everyone to perform the same function.
The question is:
“What has God entrusted to me?”
Once we understand our assignment, we should faithfully fulfill it.
43. THE TARGET OF EVERY TEACHING
Why are we learning all these things?
Not simply to pass an examination.
Not simply to collect notes.
Not simply to become able to repeat spiritual terminology.
The target of every teaching is:
That the Word will produce a work in us.
After every teaching, we should ask:
“What is God changing in me?”
“What must I begin to practice?”
“What must I stop doing?”
“What must I surrender?”
“What has God revealed about my life?”
The Word must become life.
The teaching must produce transformation.
44. THE COMPLETE PICTURE
Now let us bring everything together.
We have discussed:
THE NEW MAN
The new life received in Christ.
EVIDENCE
The new life becomes visible through changed vision, desires, character, language, actions, faith, service, and obedience.
OPERATION
The Word of God becomes the governing foundation of our lives.
FUNCTIONALITY
Faith enables us to act upon the Word and walk with God.
QUALITIES
Faith in Jesus, spiritual maturity, endurance, wisdom, and the ability to stand through contradictions reveal the growing life of Christ.
SUBSTANCE
The Word moves from information into an established reality within us.
PURPOSE
Our vision changes and we begin to seek God's purpose and assignment for our lives.
All of these are connected.
45. THE SPIRITUAL PROGRESSION
We can summarize the entire teaching as:
Born Again → Receive the New Life → Hear the Word → Understand the Word → Believe the Word → Practice the Word → Experience the Word → Word Becomes Substance → Faith Becomes Functional → Christ Is Formed in Us → Character Changes → Vision Changes → Desires Change → Life Changes → Purpose Becomes Clear → We Serve God.
That is the journey.
46. THE THREE KEY WORDS
Remember these three words:
1. OPERATION
What governs me?
The Word of God should govern and coordinate my life.
2. FUNCTIONALITY
How do I act upon the Word?
By faith.
3. QUALITY
What reveals my spiritual maturity?
Faith in Jesus, Christlike character, obedience, endurance, and the ability to stand through difficulties.
Therefore:
Operation is the Word controlling me.
Functionality is faith enabling me to act upon the Word.
Quality is the character and endurance produced as I continue to walk with Christ.
47. THE FINAL EVIDENCE
So, where is the evidence that you are born again?
It is not merely in your confession.
It is in your transformation.
It is seen in:
Your vision.
Your desires.
Your language.
Your character.
Your prayer life.
Your relationship with the Word.
Your faith.
Your obedience.
Your response to difficulties.
Your love for people.
Your desire to serve.
Your willingness to follow God.
Your desire to discover His purpose.
And above all:
Christ is increasingly being seen in you.
CONCLUSION — CHRIST IN US
The goal of the Christian life is not simply to say:
“I am born again.”
The goal is that the reality of the new birth becomes increasingly visible.
The old man must decrease.
The new man must increase.
The Word must become substance.
Faith must become functional.
The Holy Spirit must govern our lives.
Our vision must change.
Our desires must change.
Our character must change.
Our purpose must become clearer.
Our lives must become available to God.
We must become people who can hear God's Word, understand His leading, trust His timing, obey His instruction, endure difficulties, and represent Christ faithfully.
And finally, when people encounter our lives, they should increasingly be able to see something of Christ in us.
The new birth is the beginning.
Transformation is the journey.
The Word becoming life is the process.
Faith is how we walk.
Obedience is how we respond.
Christlikeness is the goal.
Final Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus,
Thank You for giving us the new life in Christ.
Thank You for Your Word and for the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
Help us understand the reality of the new man.
Let the old nature decrease and let the life of Christ increase in us.
Let Your Word become substance in our lives—not merely something we hear, but something we believe, practice, experience, and live.
Teach us to walk by faith.
Teach us to recognize Your leading.
Give us wisdom to understand Your timing and grace to obey You correctly.
Help us not to allow delay, disappointment, fear, or doubt to destroy our faith.
Give us strength to endure persecution, trials, contradictions, and difficulties without losing our confidence in Christ.
Change our vision.
Change our desires.
Change our language.
Change our character.
Change our priorities.
Teach us to seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness.
Help us discover the purpose and assignment You have given us, and keep us from living according to another person's purpose.
Make us useful vessels in Your hands.
When You speak, help us hear.
When You lead, help us follow.
When You say wait, help us wait.
When You say go, give us the courage to go.
Let our obedience become a blessing to others.
Let our lives carry the Gospel.
Let Christ be formed in us.
Let Your Word govern our thoughts, our words, our actions, our decisions, and our relationships.
And when people see our lives, let them see the evidence of the new birth and recognize the life of Christ in us.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
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