Introduction
Have you just given your life to Jesus, been baptized, or are you walking alongside someone who has? The Bible speaks of this change as a birth, a new heart, a resurrection. These 20 verses, quoted from the World English Bible, follow five stages: being born again, becoming a new creation, being buried and raised with Christ, changing kingdoms and renewing your mind, and then living by the Spirit. Read one a day and write down what changes around you.
Being Born Again
1. John 3:3
"Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom."
A religious leader, Nicodemus, comes to see Jesus by night. Jesus answers him that without a new birth, no one can see the kingdom of God. He is not talking about moral effort but about a beginning given from above, which you receive without being able to give it to yourself. Read all of John 3.
2. John 3:5-7
"Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew."
Jesus explains to Nicodemus that this birth comes from water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, and the Spirit gives birth to spirit. So do not be surprised if your faith does not look like a mere human decision: God himself is at work in you. Read all of John 3.
3. 1 Peter 1:3
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
Peter praises God who, according to his great mercy, caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Your new birth therefore rests on a real event, the resurrection, and not on your efforts. It gives you a hope that does not go out with the circumstances. Read all of 1 Peter 1.
4. 1 Peter 1:23
"having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever."
Peter writes to believers who have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of the living and enduring word of God. New life comes from him and from his word, which lasts. Reading the Bible every day feeds this life, as water feeds a plant. Read all of 1 Peter 1.
A New Creation and a New Covenant
5. 2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new."
Paul announces that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away, and all things have become new. This does not mean you will no longer meet difficulties, but that your starting point is no longer your past, it is Christ. Read all of 2 Corinthians 5.
6. Jeremiah 31:33
"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says Yahweh: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
God promises a new covenant: he will write his law on hearts rather than on tablets of stone. It is no longer about outward rules but about a desire to please him that he places in you. You can ask him to help you want what he wants. Read all of Jeremiah 31.
7. 2 Timothy 1:9
"who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal,"
Paul reminds us that God saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his grace given in Christ Jesus before the world began. Your calling does not depend on your successes. It even comes before your birth, and it gives you a purpose. Read all of 2 Timothy 1.
8. John 10:10
"The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly."
Jesus contrasts the thief, who destroys, with the shepherd who comes to give life abundantly. New life is not a sad version of the old one. It is full of meaning, relationships and peace, even if the abundance he speaks of is not measured in possessions. Read all of John 10.
Buried and Raised with Christ
9. Romans 6:4
"We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life."
Paul explains baptism: we were buried with Christ into death so that we might walk in newness of life, as he was raised. Baptism is a public sign of this reality. It marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of a path with God. Read all of Romans 6.
10. Colossians 3:1-3
"If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Paul draws the consequence of being raised with Christ: seek the things that are above, for your life is hidden with him in God. Your new life is not measured by appearances. It is protected, solid and turned toward heaven, even when your days are ordinary. Read all of Colossians 3.
11. Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me."
Paul testifies that he has been crucified with Christ and that it is now Christ who lives in him. His present life rests on faith in the Son of God who gave himself up for him. You no longer have to carry everything alone: you live with him and through him. Read all of Galatians 2.
12. Romans 6:13
"Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."
Paul asks us no longer to present our members to sin, but to offer ourselves to God as those alive from the dead. Your hands, your mouth and your time can become instruments of righteousness. Every concrete choice today is a chance to live this new life. Read all of Romans 6.
Changing Kingdoms, Renewing Your Mind
13. Colossians 1:13-14
"who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love, in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins."
Paul reminds us that God delivered us out of the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his Son, in whom we have forgiveness of sins. You have changed realms and belonging. What you live today is part of this new citizenship. Read all of Colossians 1.
14. Colossians 3:9-10
"Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator,"
Paul asks believers to stop lying, since they have put on the new man who is being renewed after the image of his Creator. New life shows in simple actions, like telling the truth. Start with one specific area and ask God for help. Read all of Colossians 3.
15. Romans 12:2
"Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God."
Paul contrasts being conformed to this world with being transformed by the renewing of your mind. The mind changes first. By reading the Bible regularly, you learn to discern the will of God, good, acceptable and perfect. Read all of Romans 12.
16. 2 Corinthians 4:16
"Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day."
Paul admits that our outward person is decaying, yet our inward person is renewed day by day. After a conversion, the body and the circumstances do not always change right away. This verse encourages you not to lose heart: the inner renewal goes on. Read all of 2 Corinthians 4.
Living by the Spirit and Growing
17. 1 John 5:11-12
"The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life."
John sums up the essential: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has the life. New life is not a program to follow, it is a person to know, whom you learn to love as the days go by. Read all of 1 John 5.
18. Romans 8:15-16
"For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;"
Paul contrasts the spirit of bondage, which produces fear, with the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. You can speak to him as to a close father, with no complicated formula. Read all of Romans 8.
19. Romans 8:11
"But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."
Paul affirms that the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. The power that conquered death stays in you, even when you feel weak. This promise reassures those who fear they will not hold on: you do not move forward on your strength alone. Read all of Romans 8.
20. 2 Peter 3:18
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
Peter ends his letter with simple advice: grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Nobody becomes mature in a day. Read the Bible, pray, join a church and let time do its work, with patience toward yourself. Read all of 2 Peter 3.
Further reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be born again?
In the Gospel of John, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that you must be born again to see the kingdom of God. It is a spiritual beginning given by the Spirit, which shows in faith in Jesus and a life that is gradually transformed.
Which verse should I read after my conversion?
2 Corinthians 5:17 is an excellent first verse: whoever is in Christ is a new creation. Add Philippians 1:6, which promises that God will finish what he started in you. They will remind you that everything does not happen in one day.
Why should I be baptized after believing?
Baptism publicly expresses what God has done in you. Romans 6:4 compares it to a burial followed by a resurrection. It is not a condition of forgiveness, but a response of obedience and joy, lived with the church that welcomes you.