"Ye Must be Born Again."

From: The Salvation of God: Volume 9 (1886)

JESUS said to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again;” and, “Except a man be born again,” or “from above” (see margin), “he cannot see the kingdom of God;” and yet more, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5⁵Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5).)

To this He added, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6).)

John, Peter, James, and Paul, through the Spirit, set their seal to the great truth of the birth from above, or the new birth.

JOHN. — “He [The Word] was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not; but as many as received Him, to them gave He power” (or “the right”) “to be children of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but OF GOD.” (John 1:10-13¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:10‑13).)

“Whosoever BELIEVETH that Jesus is THE CHRIST is born of God.” (1 John 5:1¹Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (1 John 5:1).)

PETER. — “Ye [believers in God] have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit ... being BORN AGAIN, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, BY THE WORD OF GOD, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass.... But the WORD OF THE LORD endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Peter 1:22-25²²Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: ²³Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. ²⁴For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: ²⁵But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. (1 Peter 1:22‑25).)

JAMES. — “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of HIS OWN WILL BEGAT HE US with the WORD OF TRUTH.” (James 1:17, 18¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. ¹⁸Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:17‑18).)

PAUL.― “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7⁴But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, ⁵Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; ⁶Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; ⁷That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4‑7).)

This new birth from above is not received in, or by, or with baptism, which is clearly a type of burial of the old man with Christ, as the following scripture proves:

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized unto1 Christ Jesus were baptized unto His DEATH? Therefore we are BURIED WITH HIM by baptism unto DEATH.... Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” (Romans 6:3, 4, 6³Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3‑4)
⁶Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6).)

Now Paul, in writing to the believers in Rome, says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” (Romans 1:16¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16).)

And in 1 Corinthians we find:

“Brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4¹Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ²By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. ³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:1‑4).)

This is God’s power unto salvation to every one that believeth, for “we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23, 24²³But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; ²⁴But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23‑24).)

These scriptures show us God’s means and their results, and they respectively center in and flow from Christ Himself, the blessed Saviour of sinners; and we see that the Holy Spirit, by the word of God that endureth forever, brings about the new birth, without which none can enter into the kingdom of God. Moreover, we are taught concerning believers, “In one Spirit they were all baptized into one body” — one church (see 1 Corinthians 12:13,¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13) and Ephesians 1:22, 23²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, ²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:22‑23)); “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9⁹But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9)), and “he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit” (see 1 Corinthians 6:17¹⁷But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17)); and “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14).)

Now we know man has no power to produce this new birth and bestow the blessings which accompany it; for when Jesus was interrogated, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” He answered, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” (John 6:28, 29²⁸Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? ²⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (John 6:28‑29).)

What then does God require? — That we believe Him as Abraham did, and it shall be accounted unto us for righteousness. We shall find what the new birth means when we receive simply God’s testimony to His own Son — we shall enjoy the salvation which is through Christ, and Him alone.

But “all men have not faith” (2 Thessalonians 3:2²And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. (2 Thessalonians 3:2)), and faith is “the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8).) Hence a man has only God to fall back on, and very rightly, and He encourages all to ask, for He says by His Son, “Ask, and it shall be given you... for every one that asketh receiveth.” (Matthew 7:7, 8⁷Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: ⁸For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7‑8).)

“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God, which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” (1 John 5:9-11⁹If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. ¹⁰He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. ¹¹And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:9‑11).)

“He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven is above all. And what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth; and no man receiveth His testimony. He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.” (John 3:31-33³¹He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. ³²And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. ³³He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. (John 3:31‑33).)

Dear reader, may the Lord give thee to see thy sinfulness, and grant thee godly sorrow for thy sins, with faith to believe they have all been laid on Jesus, and that He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God through Him. Cast all thy man-taught notions to the winds. Take God at His word for thy salvation, and put no confidence in man; but wholly trust the word of the living God. Get into His presence; “acquaint thyself with Him,” and look to Him to save you for Jesus’ sake!

C. G. A.

1. “Unto “ is generally acknowledged to be the sense, and is better than “into.”

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