LESSON 1 — HOW DO I BECOME BORN AGAIN?
Springfield Fellowship New Believer Bible Studies
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LESSON 1 — HOW DO I BECOME BORN AGAIN?
Understanding Salvation and What It Means to Receive Jesus Christ
Welcome to our New Believers Bible Study! We're so glad you're here. Whether you've recently given your life to Jesus Christ or you're still trying to understand what it means to become a Christian, this lesson is for you. We don't expect you to know a lot about the Bible, and you don't have to understand everything about God before you begin. That's why we're here. We want to help you learn what God's Word teaches, one lesson at a time.
You may have heard someone say, "I've been born again," or perhaps you've heard Christians talk about being saved. But what does that actually mean? What are we being saved from? And why do we need to be born again in the first place? These are important questions, and the best place to find the answers is in God's Word.
01 — WHY DO WE NEED SALVATION?
The Bible teaches us that God created human beings to have a relationship with Him. He loves us, and His desire has always been for us to know Him, love Him, and live according to His Will. But something happened that changed humanity's relationship with God. Sin entered the world through Adam's disobedience, and every one of us has been affected by it.
Romans 3:23 (NLT) tells us, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard."
Sin is anything that goes against God's holy nature and His commands. It includes the wrong things we do, the wrong things we say, and even the wrong attitudes we allow to live in our hearts. None of us can claim that we've lived a perfect life. We have all sinned, and sin separates us from God. Because God is holy and righteous, He cannot simply overlook sin as though it doesn't matter.
Sometimes people believe that if they do enough good things, help others, attend church, or try to live a decent life, that will be enough to make them right with God. But the Bible teaches that we cannot earn salvation through our good behavior. We need someone who can save us from sin and restore our relationship with Heavenly Father. That someone is Jesus Christ.
02 — WHAT DID JESUS CHRIST DO FOR US?
God knew that we could never save ourselves. And because He loves us so much, He made a way for us to be forgiven and brought back into a right relationship with Him. He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save us.
Romans 5:8 (NLT) says, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."
Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. He never disobeyed Heavenly Father, and He never committed a single sin. Yet He willingly gave His life on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He took upon Himself the punishment that we deserved. But His death wasn't the end. On the third day, God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. He is alive today!
This is why salvation is such wonderful news. God has made a way for us to receive forgiveness, become His children, and have eternal life through Jesus Christ. We don't have to work to earn His love or make ourselves perfect before coming to Him. Jesus Christ has already accomplished what we could never accomplish on our own.
03 — HOW DO WE BECOME BORN AGAIN?
One day, a religious leader named Nicodemus came to Jesus and began asking Him questions. Nicodemus knew a great deal about the Jewish Scriptures, but Jesus told him something that he didn't understand.
In John 3:3 (NLT), Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God."
Jesus wasn't talking about being born physically a second time. He was talking about a spiritual birth. When we're born into this world, we receive physical life. But when we are born again, God gives us new spiritual life through the Holy Spirit. We become His children, and our relationship with Him begins.
So how does this happen? We must recognize that we are sinners who need God's forgiveness. We must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died for our sins, and that God raised Him from the dead. We must repent, which means turning away from sin and turning toward God. And we must place our faith in Jesus Christ, receiving Him as our Savior and acknowledging Him as Lord.
Romans 10:9–10 teaches us about believing in our hearts and openly declaring our faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation isn't something we earn. It is God's gift to us, received through faith in His Son.
Becoming born again is not simply joining a church, being raised in a Christian family, or repeating words that someone tells us to say. It is a genuine response of faith to what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.
04 — WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST?
When we genuinely place our faith in Jesus Christ, something wonderful happens. God forgives our sins, gives us new spiritual life, and welcomes us into His family. We are no longer separated from Him because of our sins. Through Jesus Christ, we have been brought into a new relationship with Heavenly Father.
Second Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) says, "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"
Now, this doesn't mean that we'll suddenly know everything about the Bible or never make another mistake. We still have much to learn, and spiritual growth takes time. But we are no longer the same people we were before. The Holy Spirit now lives within us, and He helps us learn God's Word, recognize what is right, and grow to become more like Jesus Christ.
This is the beginning of a lifelong relationship with God. As we pray, study His Word, and learn to obey Him, we begin to understand more about who He is and the wonderful life He has called us to live.
ARE YOU READY TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST?
If you haven't yet received Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can make that decision today. You don't have to wait until you've cleaned up your life or figured everything out. Come to Him with a sincere heart, believing what God's Word teaches about His Son.
You can talk to Heavenly Father right where you are. There are no special words that make someone born again. Salvation comes through genuine faith in Jesus Christ, not through the act of repeating a prayer. But if you're ready to turn to Him, this prayer can help you express what's in your heart.
A Prayer of Faith
Dear Heavenly Father,
I come to You because I recognize that I am a sinner and that I need Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son, that He died on the cross for my sins, and that You raised Him from the dead. I believe that He is alive today. I repent of my sins and turn to You. I receive Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for loving me, forgiving me, and giving me new life through Your Son. Please help me learn Your Word, obey Your Will, and grow in my relationship with You.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
LET'S THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE LEARNED
Why do we need salvation, even if we consider ourselves good people?
What did Jesus Christ accomplish for us through His death and resurrection?
What does it mean to repent and place our faith in Jesus Christ?
WHAT COMES NEXT?
If you've received Jesus Christ, your new life with Him has begun! And if you're still learning and considering what it means to follow Him, we encourage you to continue studying God's Word.
In our next lesson, we'll talk about what it means to be a child of God and what has changed now that we've been born again.
Next Lesson: What Happens When You Become a Child of God?
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“New Believer Studies-Lesson 1- How Do I Become Born Again”, written by Fran for Springfield Fellowship © 2026. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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