Have you ever watched the process used to recycle cardboard? It’s fascinating! The old bales of
cardboard are thoroughly soaked to loosen the wood fibers found in the material. A slurry of 90% water
and 10% fiber is sprayed over a thin, moving screen. The water drains off and is used to make the next
batch of slurry. The material left becomes paper! It is dried and rolled into massive cylinders that can
weigh up to 10,000 lbs! Can you imagine 10k pounds of useful product being created out of something
you and I throw away every day?

Many people think the process a person goes through in becoming a Christian is like recycling
cardboard. God finds us in a ditch, cleans us up, replaces a few broken parts and puts us back into action
again. I am here to tell you, the old Daniel isn’t worth putting back on the streets. Every part on me
could be replaced and I still couldn’t do what’s required of me. The only way I can be of use to the
Kingdom of God is if I am a completely new creation. And this is exactly what Jesus provides.

When Jesus talks about a person becoming one of His disciples or choosing to follow Him, the language
He uses is they are “born again.” He says everyone must be born of water (think birth canal, natural
birth). And every person who wants to follow Him must be born again of the Spirit. Why is this an
important thing to understand?

Every other religion makes a point of saying “If you try harder, you will eventually become what you are
destined to be.” They use language like “You have everything inside of you that’s required to succeed.”
They make a big deal out of discipline, because that’s what’s required to get into Heaven. Christianity is
the opposite of that. Heaven is reserved for those who are perfect…and there’s no way any of us can
claim that. A miracle is required if we have any hope of being made what God intends for us to be. And
that is exactly what Jesus provides: a miracle.

On the cross Jesus exchanges our brokenness for His wholeness; our shame for His glory; our
hopelessness for His future. In love, He willingly shoulders all our pain and guilt, He leaves no stone
unturned when it comes to our sin. And He opens the door for us to come to God just like the mess that
we are. On the cross, Jesus defeats sin and our enemy, Satan. He removes any power sin has over us.
And when He rose from the dead, Jesus defeats death. So, because of Jesus, the two enemies that
plague every member of humanity are no longer a threat to us.

How sad would it be for Jesus to offer us this gift and we opt for the recycle model instead? “Thank you,
Jesus, for dying for me, but instead of new life, I think I’d rather just hang onto a polished version of the
old one. I appreciate it though!” But that’s exactly how so many “Christians” respond to Him. We use
the right words and check the right boxes, but when it comes down to the way we live, the “old us” is
still in charge. We’re still calling the shots and asking Jesus to bless what we have and fix what we mess
up.

Christianity is not a better version of life for us. It is not Daniel 2.0. Christianity is and always has been
about being recreated in the image of God that we were designed to bear. And that cannot happen
without being born again.

“For our sake, He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5.21) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I
who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2.20) And to those who have a relationship with
God, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears,
then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3.3-4)

These are not just a few one-off verses I choose to make my point. The Bible is filled with these verses!
Be aware, believer, if you say you know God, check your heart. Who’s in charge? Are you confident in
your faith because of what you do or are you confident in what God has done for you? Are you a new
creation in Christ or are you posing as recycled material, hoping for the best? Jesus’ words still ring true,
“Unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3.3)