Ministering the New Birth to Your Family

“Accordingly, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old is gone, lo the new has come”. But all these things are from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation, which is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and committing to us the message of reconciliation.” 1

The new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of an individual to create a new spirit in the likeness of God Himself inside him/her. It is not a change of character or attitude; rather it results in behavioral changes.

In ministering the new birth to your family, especially the children; you need to help them realize that sins are a result of the sinful nature which all humans inherited from the first man- Adam. Be graphic when you illustrate the fall of man to them and the efforts of humanity ever since to please God. For example you can buy a video of the ‘Ten Commandments’ and let them watch the interaction between God and the Israelites through Moses.

Tell them about the sacrifices instituted for sins under the law and how those sacrifices could not take away sins. (See Hebrews 10:1-10)

Then introduce Jesus to them as the solution provided by God. God Himself taking on human flesh to die as man for the sins of men; so that sons of men will become the sons of God. Let them know that an expression of faith in Christ is all that is needed for them to become beneficiaries of all that He’s done. Simple trust, belief in the heart of a child that Jesus died to save him/her makes him born again. Now, you can expect the best behavior from that child as he/she is taught by God and you are aiding the process of mind renewal by teaching your child God’s word and living out the life of God consistently. Do NOT underestimate that kid of yours from the moment he gets born again because he has the Holy Ghost just like you do!

This article is based on the assumption that you- the reader are actually born again yourself because you cannot introduce another person into what you have not partaken of. You become a minister of the new birth by virtue of the new life you have received yourself.

Scripture Ref: 12Corinthians 5: 17-19 (Revised Berkely Version)

Dr ifelayo ojo