Day 21: The Excitement of New Birth

1 Peter 1

There is nothing more exciting than the birth of your child(ren). I had the great privilege of being present at the birth of three of my six kids, although I nearly missed one of those because of an extremely fast delivery! (I was only present for three births because my wife and I adopted three wonderful children in 2014. We are very blessed to have six kids we love dearly!) I cried at every birth. It was an overwhelming experience. To witness the birth of a new life. To hold that life in my hands feeling the weight of the enormous responsibility of bringing up a child in this world.

In 1 Peter 1, Peter reminds us of what Christ has done for us. And what Christ has done is nothing less than the miracle of new birth. For those that follow him, he has taken the old person, one on a dead end path, stuck in an “empty way of life” (vs 18), with no hope or life, and we are reborn. Made completely new. And as Peter says, “Praise be to God!” (vs 3)

This new birth comes with some pretty amazing benefits. It is in this new life we find a living hope. No matter how bad this life might seem, there is always awaiting us something better. There is a day coming when this world will be completely redeemed and we will be with Christ in the new heaven and the new earth. But it gets even better. This new birth also comes with an inheritance. Like the kids I adopted last year, we are adopted into the family of God. No longer strangers or enemies with God, we are now brothers with Christ. And this inheritance never fades, spoils, or dies. An eternal salvation and a promise to be with God forever.

This new life comes about only because of Jesus, his death on the cross and his resurrection. May we never forget the excitement of the moment we were given new life in Christ.

Questions to Ponder

1. How has your live changed as a result of the new life you’ve been given?
2. When you think of your life in Christ, do you view it as more from the perspective of what you lose, or what you have gained? Why do you view it that way?