Jared Eastley wrote a short post called "
How Righteousness Becomes Possible," and I think it contains powerful ideas that explain how to experience the mighty change of heart and be born again in spite of the absence of those phrases. So often, we get so locked into prior understanding of familiar language that we cannot see the additional power available in it.
Here are a few quotes, interleaved with my own:
“As your perceived value of truth and righteousness increases, your desires for truth and righteousness will likewise increase.”
Your desires for truth and righteousness will likewise increase as the value you perceive in truth and righteousness increases.
“…learn more about [Jesus], learn more of his doctrine, learn more of his ways, learn more of what he offers, and then actively adjust our valuations and priorities accordingly.”
The more you know Jesus and the more you know about Jesus, the more reasons you will have to adjust what you value and by how much.
“We cease to sin because we have adjusted our understanding, values, and desires to align with the understanding, values, and desires that Jesus demonstrates and offers to us.”
We cease to sin when we yield to the understanding, values, and desires that Jesus demonstrates and offers to us by adjusting our own to match his.
“Jesus will bless us according to our righteous desires as we actively pursue them and act on them. Our righteous desires are those desires that align with his desires, that align with justice and truth, that bring us more of what is best.”
Yes.