In my Sunday School class, we have been studying the meaning ...the importance...and the reality of being..."Born Again".Today, we concluded the interview featuring Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, the former research English professor at Syracuse University who gave her life to Christ Jesus in April of 1999, having up to that time politically liberal views including being active in a lesbian lifestyle.
Recently she has written a book entitled "The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert" and goes into much detail as to how her conversion to Christ took place.
What stirred us today in class was the meaning of Born Again and how its roots are established in our lives. After some extensive conversations for the last few weeks concerning this rather unique phenomenon that is necessary to take place in becoming a Christian, it has enhanced my own thoughts of being a Christian and what He means to me in my everyday life.
First, I think the definition of being Born Again is important to understand, and what we as a class concluded was: "Becoming Born Again into the Christian faith is a total act of surrender in all areas of our lives...our lifestyles, our emotions, our thoughts, our plans and ambitions...everything. It is a "living experience" that is initiated when we recognize we are sinners by our very nature and invite the Lord Jesus to take make His home in every part of our lives. We ask God the Father for forgiveness for living in a sinful state, and recognize Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins. Now, because of inviting Him into our hearts and into every area of our lives, we have been completely forgiven by God the Father and will now follow the instructions of His Only Son, now our Lord...the Lord Jesus Christ."
And now...our new journey in life begins.......
One thing that emerged from the Butterfield interview was the importance of accepting others as they are...not necessarily their choice of lifestyles or general thoughts on how they conduct themselves in everyday life, yet extend a friendship to all... that has meaning and not judgmental or condescending in how we embrace friendships with one another.
At the same time, we as Born Again Christians are committed to having our daily lives given in obedience to what the Sacred Scriptures dictate, and live our lives accordingly.
Now...the hard part....
Getting our hearts, minds, thoughts, and lives in line with how the Scriptures instruct us to view life and put these creative ideas into the routine of our daily lives...takes time and practice.
Just arranging an allotted time each day to read and meditate on the Scripture...takes a daily discipline, along with learning the "Art of Prayer".
One thing that seems to help is the realization life is not just about me. It seems people are hurting all around me, some obvious while others keep it hidden. As I learn to put some time in reading the Scripture, I know it is helpful not only to me...but as I get these "God thoughts" into my heart and mind, it has the potential to serve as a comfort to others. The same holds true for prayer...learning to pray without "me" being the centerpiece of the conversation. Praying for others and the things they are facing in life...seems to bring not only an inner peace but an excitement that God really cares...about my friends, my family, and others I run into in daily life.
Being "Born Again" into His Kingdom is not some "magic formula"...that in merely knowing and saying the right words will "Poof", make you a Christian. Born Again is the beginning of an evolving relationship with Christ Jesus that has the potential of transforming your whole life...the way you think, the way you act, your daily routines, how you view and listen to others...He affects everything that concerns me. I do think you have an initial experience...but it doesn't stop there...it's just the beginning. The "Parable of the Sower" in Matthew 13 gives an importance to how we are to nurture our initial experience.
And here is the thing...although I can point to an initial experience as to when I became "Born Again", there is no end to this relationship...not even Death can stop my friendship with Him...He has already made it clear in the Sacred Scriptures...He will be there to greet me on "the other side."
Here are a few Scriptures that have found a home...in my own heart: (in a Gleaning format)
1. Psalm 18: 20-24 " God made my life complete...giving it purpose, when I placed all the broken pieces before Him. When I finally realized I needed to "get my act together", He took all my broken pieces and put them in their original form, and then gave my life a fresh new start. Now, I find myself much more alert to God's way of thinking and do not take anything in life for granted...not before I first talk it over with Him. Each day I review the ways He has worked through me, doing my utmost not to miss anything He has done. Because of this, I feel like for the first time in my life...I have it together...because I am learning to put my trust...in Him. And here is the secret I have learned thus far in my friendship with Him:
God has rewritten the very text of my life, when I opened the book of my heart...to His eyes! "
2. Ephesians 3:20-21 " God can do anything you know...far more than I could ever imagine, ever guess, or even request of Him. He does things that are far beyond...my wildest dreams. The thing about this is...He doesn't do these marvels by pushing me around and telling me to stay out of the way, rather, He works through me and in me, changing me by the power of the Holy Spirit, moving in areas of my life with a depth and power that changes my course in life entirely, and yet He does this ever so gently."
3. Hebrews 2:14-15 " We are a people...we are made of flesh and blood. Because of this, Jesus made His decision to become...one of us. His purpose in doing so was that He might rescue us...from the grips of Death. He wants me to be His friend...forever. So, here then is what Jesus set out to do and accomplished: He indeed came as...one of us, and literally embraced Death...pulling Death right into Himself. By doing so, He destroyed Death...and the power Death had over us, completely freeing each and everyone of us...anyone who cowers through this life...scared to death...of Death."
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