DIY – Becoming a New Man IN Christ (Pneuma)
Series Introduction – My Story of Being Born Again
I’m beginning a new series called “DIY – Becoming a New Man IN Christ.”
Not a self-help formula. Not behavior modification. Not religion as routine.
This is about transformation from the inside out.
Today I want to share my personal journey — how I went from knowing about God to actually becoming IN Christ.
My Background
I was born and raised Catholic. Church on Sundays. Holy days. Catholic school. Catechism. Bible studies. The structure was there. The tradition was there. The rituals were there.
But understanding? That was missing.
As a child, I followed along because that’s what you do. I listened to spiritual leaders tell me what to believe and how to behave. But no one ever truly explained the “why.”
Why did Jesus have to die?
Why does it matter personally?
Why does this change anything about how I live today?
For decades, faith was something external — something practiced, not something lived.
It wasn’t until 2021 — more than 50 years later — that everything changed. That was the year I truly understood redemption. That was the year I stopped practicing religion and started walking in relationship.
Scripture says:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
That verse became real to me.
I didn’t improve the old man.
I didn’t polish him.
I didn’t manage him.
He died.
And I was reborn.
What It Means to Become the “New Man”
The Bible speaks of putting off the old self and putting on the new:
“Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life… and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” – Ephesians 4:22–24
This is what I call the DIY process — but it’s not do-it-yourself in the worldly sense. It’s surrender-yourself.
The Greek word often associated with spirit is pneuma — the God-breathed life within us. We are not merely physical beings trying to have a spiritual experience.
We are spirit, with a soul, living in a body — created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
When you become IN Christ, your spirit is made alive.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” – Galatians 2:20
That’s not metaphor. That’s transformation.
The First Step: Surrender
To truly become IN Christ, you must surrender your life to Him.
You must accept that Jesus lived, died on the cross, and rose again for the redemption of your sins.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9–10
Salvation is not complicated. It is surrender.
If you are ready, pray this with meaning:
“I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. Wash me clean. I make You my Lord and Savior. Amen.”
If you prayed that sincerely, Scripture says you are born again.
“Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3
You now begin with a clean slate. Not because you earned it — but because He paid for it.
What Happens Next?
You are not joining a club. You are entering a relationship.
Prayer becomes conversation.
Scripture becomes nourishment.
Conviction becomes guidance.
Obedience becomes love in action.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5
Mark today’s date. Write it in your Bible. This is your new beginning.
This is the day you step from religion into relationship.
From ritual into renewal.
From old man into new creation.
And remember this:
God sees you.
God knows you.
God loves you.
Stay tuned for the next episode in the series as we dive into the practical steps of walking daily as a new man IN Christ.
IN Christ
Jeffrey Trester