Ques. 112. (A) Please make clear what it means: "Ye must be born again". What is the new birth?
(B) Does the Holy Spirit come when one has just received the new birth, or does He come later?
(C) How can one be sure he has the Holy Spirit?
(D) Will the Holy Spirit keep evil thoughts away? G. R.
Ans. (A) John 1:12, 13; 3:3-7; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23. These scriptures teach us that "new birth" is a new life and nature, communicated by the Holy Spirit working in the soul by the Word of God, whereby the soul is able to see and enter into the things of God. Without this operation of the Spirit we could not participate in the things of God. (1 Cor. 2:14.) Without it we are spiritually dead. (John 5:25.) One that is born again begins to feel his need of a better life, has desires after better things, and is ready to own that he is a sinner against God. Here is where we see the new life begun in the soul.
But the "new birth" does not give peace with God. We do not look within to get this; we must look at the finished work of Christ and believe that He died for our sins. John 3:14-16 shows that, as the bitten Israelites looked to the brazen serpent on the pole and lived, so the sinner must look to the Son of man lifted up on the cross, a sacrifice for sin, and in that work of atonement see the love of God, giving eternal life to whosoever believeth on Christ. God raised Christ from the dead to prove His acceptance of that work, and by believing it "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 4:23; 5:1.
If you are anxious to be saved, do not trouble yourself, trying to understand the new birth, but come to Jesus as you are, in your sins. He will show you how He died for you, and that believing on Him your sins are all forgiven, (Acts 10:43;13:38, 39), and that you have eternal life. (John 3:16, 36; 5:24.)
The Holy Spirit is not given to us because we are born again, but because we believe the gospel of our salvation. (Eph. 1:13.) Cornelius and his house were pious Gentiles, their prayers and alms were accepted of God (Acts 10:1-3); this is proof that they were born again; but it was when they believed the gospel that the Holy Spirit fell upon them. (Acts 10:43, 44; John 7:39.) The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the believer, witnessing that he is washed in the blood of Christ. (Heb. 10; 14, 15.) The reason, therefore, that some who are born of God are not sealed by the Spirit, must be, that they have not believed the gospel of their salvation. (Eph. 1:13.)
If we believe God's Word, we must believe that we have received the Holy Spirit. We know that our sins are forgiven and that we are children of God, and that we have eternal life, because the Word of God says so and in the same way we know the Holy Spirit dwells in us. His love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Rom. 5:6.) The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God, and we say "Abba, Father," by the Spirit. (Rom. 8:15-17.)
The Holy Spirit is the power of the new life (Rom. 8:2), our power for living for Christ. But He does not direct us to look at ourselves. We are to look off to Jesus. We know the flesh is in us and always will be while we are in this world. (John 3:6.) So we are taught that the old man is crucified with Christ, and we are to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 6:6, 11.) The Holy Spirit dwelling in us desires to occupy us with Christ, and in this way we are to overcome evil in our thoughts and ways. The moment we get the Lord Jesus before our minds, our evil thoughts and Satan also flee away. Walking in the Spirit is occupation with Christ, and the fruit of the Spirit grows from this. (Gal. 5:16, 22, 23, 25.)
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