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The Single Key to Experience the Promises of God Today
The Bible affirms that old things have passed away and all things are made new (2 Cor. 5:17). But what if you don’t feel new? What if you still struggle with old things?
By Kyle Winkler
Author & Bible Teacher
At the moment of your salvation, a supernatural transformation happened that made you into a new person. This is what Paul affirmed to the Corinthians: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new” (2 Cor. 5:17, NRSV).
In theological speak, this transformation from old to new is coined, “regeneration.” But inside of this big word is another word that actually provides a great word picture for happened when you accepted Christ. It’s the word “re-gene.”
“Re-Gened” in Christ
You were literally injected with genes of God.
Being re-gened implies that your DNA has changed. And as we know, DNA is the carrier of all genetic information, which determines almost everything about you: hair and eye color, height, your shape and some behavioral predispositions. Some of us were born with skinny genes. And others have genes that might be what’s called, “loose fitting.” (Did you know that even your ability to have children is genetic? It’s true! If your parents didn’t have children, you won’t either! That’s a joke, by the way.)
Your regeneration in Christ, however, didn’t start you over with a new set of genes, but you were literally injected with genes of God. Keep reading.
God’s Seed in You
In John’s first letter, he instructs, “Those who have been born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them” (1 Jn. 3:9). The Greek word for “seed” in this verse really reveals the idea of what happens here. It’s sperma, from which we get the word “sperm.”
At your salvation, God’s DNA was placed in you.
In other words, at your salvation, God’s DNA was placed in you. With this, you were re-gened you into His family and His kingdom. But that’s not all! God’s DNA in you means that you contain the qualities of who He is.
Think about that. You contain the DNA of God! And the unfathomable outcome of this is that you already have so much of what you’ve been praying for. Because God is love, joy and peace, for example, you don’t need to beg Him to give you these things. But rather, seeds of these fruits are already planted inside of you—they just need to be nurtured and developed.
Grow the New Life in You
God’s Word is more real than what you feel.
The way to develop the new life that’s already in you is to water it with God’s Word running through your mind and mouth. Grow your joy with Nehemiah 8:10: “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” Mature your peace with Philippians 4:6: “I don’t worry about anything.” Or develop your love with 1 John 4:16: “Because I live in God, I live in love.” (By the way, my new book, Activating the Power of God’s Word, from which this article is adapted, explores 16 declarations like these designed to transform every area of your life.)
Remember, you might not always feel the qualities of the new life in you. But God’s Word is more real than what you feel. And the reality is that God says you are brand new. So you just have to renew your mind to think and speak like it, and over time you will begin to live like it.
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