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: “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).
In theological speak, this transformation from old to new is called “regeneration.” But inside 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
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 are called “loose-fitting.”
Your regeneration in Christ, however, didn’t start you over with a new set of genes, but you were literally injected with the 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.“
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
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 8:10d: “The joy of the Lord is [my] strength.” Mature your peace with Philippians 4:6a: “[I will] be anxious for nothing.” Or develop your love with 1 John 4:16b: “Whoever lives in love lives in God.” (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. {eoa}
Kyle Winkler equips people to live in victory. His mobile app, Shut Up, Devil!, is the #1 spiritual warfare app; and his book, Activating the Power of God’s Word, uncovers 16 strategic declarations to transform your life. Kyle holds a Master of Divinity in biblical studies from Regent University. Get daily encouragement from Kyle on Facebook and Twitter.
