I remember trying to get a handle on what “Christianese” terms actually mean. This began early in my walk with Jesus, and it’s still something I enjoy working on. The Salvation Army’s seventh doctrine contains some of these terms. 

What is “repentance” anyway? What does “faith” entail? And what do we mean by “regeneration”? Sometimes, I even hear inadequate notions of what salvation is. It’s fun to explore our understanding of these significant Christian ideas because spiritual insight forms the way we live. Therefore, it’s also fruitful. Understanding helps us grow and learn to know God personally and more intimately (Colossians 1:9-10).

Salvation is more than an experience that happens to us, more than a legal transaction. It’s more than a “get out of hell free” card. Salvation is the person of Jesus Christ, who offers life in Himself, eternally. Jesus is life. In all the cosmos, there is no life of any kind that does not find its source in God the Son (Colossians 1:16-17). Because our sinful human nature is separated from life, we are hopelessly paralyzed and unable to help ourselves gain life. In Christ, God grasped hold of our humanity, joining it to His own life. Jesus alone became our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), without sinning, died our death, destroyed the power of sin, and recreated humanity when He rose again.

Regeneration means that God puts His life into our spiritually dead selves. That’s what Jesus told Nicodemus: “You must be born from above” (John 3:1-7). This unspeakable gift recreates our lives — the Holy One Himself making His home within our bodies, minds, and hearts (John 14:16-23). He makes us like Himself, children of God, people of love (1 John 3:14). To be a “child of God,” we must be born of His life.

Jesus Christ came from outside this world to enter into our entire beings (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). When we respond to the offer of His life, He regenerates us. We are born from above with His life birthed in us. We are brought back into union with God, justified — made right with God, reconciled to God.

Jesus’ death and resurrection overruled and overcame the powers that had held all humanity in their grip. Now, all people can experience a whole new way of being human. Paul calls us new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Fall, through Adam and Eve, dehumanized every person. Jesus re-humanizes every person. We must choose to receive this gift. Salvation is a relationship we experience on Jesus’ terms. We have no life apart from Him (1 John 5:11-12). He invites us to repent (Mark 1:15).

Repentance begins with the Holy Spirit revealing our sin to us. This is called conviction. We must agree with His assessment by turning back to Him with confession. Sorrowful contrition is part of this turning of conversion. But this is not yet salvation for us; it’s the doorway.

Our salvation becomes reality when we have given Jesus all of our helpless, hopeless selves, and received into our lives all of Who He is as absolute Lord and Love. This is the journey called faith. It begins by acknowledging that the facts of Christianity are true. But even that alone doesn’t save anyone (James 2:19); it’s only the starting place that leads to our agreeing to live according to Jesus’ ways and to obey His commands. However, even though obedience is essential, that alone isn’t “saving” either, because that’s about us and our behavior (John 5:39-40). The fullness of faith comes by also entrusting oneself entirely into the life of Jesus in full abandoned surrender and loving trust (Matthew 11:28).

My friends, this is what Jesus was talking about when He repeatedly said, “Your faith has saved you” (Luke 7:50, 8:48, 17:19, 18:42). He’s inviting you to experience wholeness, soundness, life, rest, peace and joy that come from desperately clinging to Him, our life, Who pours Himself into us as He loves and heals us. 

Jesus longs for this to be your daily, eternal life. Will you receive the loving gift of His salvation?  

Questions to ponder

1. In what ways have you experienced the reality of being born again or regenerated by the Holy Spirit? How does this personal transformation manifest in your daily life?
2. What does true repentance look like to you? Have you ever experienced conviction that led you to turn back to God?

This article was originally titled “The Joy of Being Born from Above” in the July 2025 issue of The War Cry. | BlackJack3D via Getty Images