Born Anew: Spiritual Rebirth and the Christmas Season
As the world glows with twinkling lights and melodies of joy fill the air, Christmas invites us to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. While we honor His birth in Bethlehem, this sacred season also calls us to reflect on another miraculous birth: our own spiritual rebirth. Just as Christ came to give us new life, we too can be "born anew" through Him, experiencing a mighty change of heart and a fresh start on the path of discipleship.
The Message of Bethlehem
On that holy night over two millennia ago, the birth of Christ symbolized hope and renewal for all humankind. The angel declared, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Jesus’s mission was not just to be born into mortality but to offer each of us the chance to be reborn spiritually.
Through His life, teachings, atoning sacrifice, and resurrection, Christ paved the way for us to lay aside our old selves and embrace a newness of life. This sacred process—of turning toward God, repenting, and receiving the Holy Ghost—is the essence of spiritual rebirth, a gift made possible only through Him.
Becoming "Born Again"
The scriptures describe being born again as a transformation of both heart and spirit. Alma the Younger’s experience in the Book of Mormon beautifully illustrates this mighty change. After his profound repentance, he declared, “Behold, I am born of the Spirit” (Mosiah 27:24). His burden of guilt was replaced with indescribable joy, and his life became a testament of gratitude and service to God.
Spiritual rebirth involves a process that ultimately leads to the culminating event of being fully reconciled to God, arising out of our willingness to surrender and offer all that we have and are to Jesus Christ, being "all in," as it were. This profound and new heaven-born reconciliation is to experientially taste of the Savior’s grace by way of the healing and sanctification of our sin-wounded souls. This overall journey requires faith, humility, broken-hearted repentance, crying out to Him repeatedly from the soul level for His mercy and grace to cover us. The above results in our obtaining a complete, committed willingness to allow Christ to mold and shape us into becoming something infinitely more than we could have ever even hoped to have become on our own. Through this unspeakable gift of Spiritual Rebirth in our lives, we are given the sure witness of the living reality of God the Father and of His Son, Jesus the Christ, together with a complete remission of sins and the companionship of the Comforter to abide IN us. In short, we will have come to know God and not just know "about Him." And should we endure to the end thereafter, "behold, thus saith the Father: [we] shall have eternal life" (2Ne. 31:20).
Christmas and Spiritual Renewal
Christmas is the perfect time to ponder the state of our hearts and recommit to our covenants with the Lord. Just as we exchange gifts with loved ones to express our care, we can offer Christ a gift this season: our broken hearts and contrite spirits (3 Nephi 9:20). In return, He offers us His grace, peace, and a new beginning.
This season, consider asking yourself:
How can I let Christ’s light shine more fully in my life?
Are there parts of my heart I need to yield to Him?
How can I make room for Him, not just at Christmas but every day of the year?
Embracing the Gift of Rebirth
Being born anew is not about perfection but progression. As we come unto Christ, He helps us shed fear, pride, and worldly distractions, replacing them with love, humility, and divine purpose. Just as the shepherds left their fields to seek the Christ child, we too must leave behind what holds us back and run to Him.
May this Christmas season be a time of renewal for us. May we reflect on the Savior’s role in our lives, and allow His atonement to work miracles in our hearts. As we diligently seek Him, we will not only find and know Him but we will come to experience the profound joy and peace that only He can give—the true gifts of the Christmas season.
Christmas is more than a celebration of Christ’s birth; it is an invitation to be spiritually reborn through Him. As we honor the infant in the manger, let us also look forward to the mighty change of heart He offers us. This Christmas, may we each choose to be "born anew" by embracing His gospel and allowing His light to transform our lives.