On June 9, 2024, Singapore Immanuel Church held its Sunday Service with great grace poured by the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Deborah preached the sermon on John 3:1-6, which was entitled, “Rebirth”. The sermon focused on the crucial topic of being born again as a Christian. Just as a Christian comes to understand what the Cross, Salvation, and various Christian terms mean, being born again is a common theme that brings questions. The importance of being born again is shared by Jesus in John 3:3; unless one is born again, they cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Being born again sounds absurd physically, as Nicodemus asked Jesus, “How can someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” (John 3:4). However, Jesus is talking about a spiritual rebirth as He explains, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:6). Every human is born physically from their mothers’ wombs, but each human is created with the breath of life from God living in them.
With the physical and spiritual aspects to one’s life, humans cannot live purely focusing on the physical body, but their spirits long to be with God who created them. This is why being born again refers to the clear identity of being a child of God. Humans confess that God is truly their Creator and He is their Father, just as they have physical parents too.
Knowing that one is a child of God comes from first knowing Jesus Christ who came to reveal who God is and His love for all humanity, His precious creation. Being a child of God is where Jesus also explains the priority of the spiritual life, not just only focusing on physical living. The life of Christian therefore has a new life of true transformation because once they lived only seeking the physical possessions of the world, but now they live focusing on being the children of God which is in the spiritual life.
Concluding the sermon, Pastor Deborah shared with the congregation to come to examine their faith in Jesus Christ if they genuinely believe God created them and accept with their hearts the deep love of Jesus Christ to redeem their sinful lives to being children of God. With this new heart and identity, all are called to live following Jesus Christ, imitating Him to becoming true sons and daughters of God.
May God continue to lead the Word of God to transform each attendee’s life through the work of the Spirit of truth, producing an everlasting change abounding to a fruitful life in Christ.