A Joint Essay by ChatGPT as Philip Yancey and Benny Hinn
Introduction: A Necessary Birth
Philip Yancey: Religion, at its best, serves as a womb—a protective space where faith is formed, nurtured, and sustained. Yet, just as a child cannot remain in the womb forever, neither can we remain in mere religion. There must come a moment of transition, a moment when we move from external dependency to an internal, living faith.
Benny Hinn: This is the essence of what Jesus told Nicodemus: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Religion may introduce us to God, but it is the Spirit that ushers us into true relationship. Too many believers remain in the womb of ritual, never inhaling the breath of the Holy Spirit. But just as a newborn must take its first breath, so must we receive the Spirit to truly live.
1. The Womb of Religion: Safe, But Not Sustainable
Yancey: A baby in the womb is completely dependent on the placenta for nourishment, oxygen, and protection. This mirrors how many of us first experience faith—handed down through family, tradition, and structured practices. Religion, like the womb, provides a framework, but it is not the final destination.
Hinn: For years, I lived within the structures of religion, learning the doctrines, attending services, following traditions. But there came a moment when I realized that knowledge of God is not the same as intimacy with Him. Many Christians today remain in the religious womb, satisfied with attending church, repeating prayers, and going through the motions—yet never truly breathing in the Spirit of God.
2. The Trauma of Birth: A Crisis That Calls for Breath
Yancey: Birth is both a beautiful and a violent process. The newborn is thrust from the only world it has ever known, forced to abandon the umbilical cord and take its first breath. The circulatory system, which once bypassed the lungs, now reroutes entirely. The old way of survival must be abandoned for the new way of life.
Hinn: In the same way, a person’s transition from religion to relationship is often marked by crisis. A trial, a moment of desperation, or an encounter with God forces them to see that rituals and rules alone cannot sustain them. They need the breath of the Holy Spirit, just as a newborn needs air. When I experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it was as if I had finally exhaled the stale air of religion and inhaled the very presence of God.
3. Breathing in the Spirit: Living in Relationship
Yancey: A newborn does not need to be taught to breathe; it is an instinctual, life-giving response. Likewise, when we open ourselves to the Spirit, we do not need to manufacture a connection with God—it is as natural as breath itself. Jesus did not call us to merely follow a system; He called us to abide in Him, as branches abide in the vine (John 15:5).
Hinn: The Spirit-filled life is not a formula, but a relationship. Religion says, “Do more, try harder.” The Spirit says, “Come, abide, breathe.” When Jesus appeared to His disciples after the resurrection, He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ (John 20:22). This was no mere symbolism—it was a transfer of life itself.
Conclusion: The Air of the Spirit
Yancey: No child mourns the loss of the womb once it has breathed the air of the world. So too, when we truly experience the Spirit, we no longer cling to empty religion—we step into the fullness of life in Christ.
Hinn: My prayer is that every believer experiences this spiritual birth—a moment when religion is left behind, and the presence of God becomes as real as the breath in our lungs. This is the invitation of Jesus: not just to know about Him, but to breathe Him in, to be filled, and to live in the power of His Spirit.
Radically Happy 
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