God told Adam that if he ate the forbidden fruit in the garden, he would die. Up until that time Adam and his wife lived in the presence of God. But when death came --spiritual death-- God no longer lived with them.
Spiritual life is being present with God. Death is being separated from Him. Since the fall, every person has been born into the world spiritually dead. We inherited spiritual death from our parents. All of us started out separated from the very life that God created us to have. But because God is so gracious, He has been calling us back to Himself in order to restore us to eternal life. That life can only be found in Jesus, His son.
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (John 3:3-6)
Jesus told Nicodemus, a prominent teacher, that he had to be born again to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus was puzzled and asked what He meant. Obviously a person couldn't pass from his mother's womb a second time.
He declared that a person must be born both of the water and of the Spirit. Jesus went on to explain that flesh (a physical being) gives birth to flesh (another physical being). And Spirit (the Holy Spirit) gives birth to spirit (a person's spiritual being). The reference to water (breaking of the water sac) is evidence of the start of her baby's physical life. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is the evidence of the start of a person's spiritual life.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. (Colossians 2:13)
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)
Apart from Jesus, we are all spiritually dead and once this life on earth ends we will continue on eternally dead (separated from God forever). But "in Christ," you and I begin our spiritual life here on earth and continue into the hereafter without a even a pause!
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36)
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)
We have eternal life because there is no condemnation waiting for us. We have been declared innocent of all wrong doing --justified. All because Jesus was condemned to death. His death allows us to live --be present with Him and the Father for eternity.
In summary: Because your identity is "in Christ" ...
You are no longer dead --you're alive.
You have joined Him in His death, burial, and resurrection.
Your old identity is gone and your new identity is eternal.
You have been given the righteousness of God.
Next: The Old Is Gone