From Enemies to Children: The Miracle of New Birth
There’s a moment in the life of every believer that changes everything—a moment of new birth. In that instant, we go from being distant from God to becoming His very own children. It’s a transformation so vast and profound that it’s nearly impossible to wrap our minds around it.
The apostle John captures this wonder perfectly in 1 John 3:1:
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” Let that sink in. We aren’t just called His children—we are His children. The gap between being enemies of God and becoming beloved members of His family is one that only He could bridge.
But how does such a dramatic shift happen in an instant? The answer is simple yet powerful: by God’s grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). We bring nothing to the table but our need. God brings everything—His love, His mercy, His power to transform.
This reconciliation was not our idea; it was His. As 2 Corinthians 5:18–19 tells us, God initiated the healing of our relationship. Left to ourselves, we would never seek Him out. In fact, without His love drawing us near, we’d continue to hide in the shadows of our sin (Romans 5:8; John 3:19–20). But He doesn’t leave us there. He calls us out of darkness into His marvelous light (John 8:12).
And when we respond to that call, something beautiful happens. Jesus, our Savior, welcomes us into His eternal family (John 1:12–13). He gives us a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 36:26–27), and from that point on, we are His—fully, completely, and forever.
No force in heaven or on earth can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38–39). We are secure. We are seen. We are home.
So the next time you reflect on your identity in Christ, remember: you are no longer a stranger. You are no longer an outsider. You are a child of God—loved beyond measure and held by grace.
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Author’s Note:
What you’ll read here comes from my heart. I wrote it, but I also used BibleQuestions.com and ChatGPT to help express it more clearly. These tools helped refine my words, but the message is fully mine.