The Bible and the New Birth

In our day of "easy believism" and a culture which is dominated by the philosophy of humanism, it becomes the church to clarify exactly what it means to believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus made clear that when he returns... Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22-23) The church needs to make clear in its presentation of the gospel and in its appeals to the hearers that to believe in Jesus is far more than a simple mental decision on the part of the listener. First, it means that the person has been drawn to God by the Holy Spirit. Second, it means that God has done the work of regeneration--the miracle of transforming a person from being a natural person born into the world to a spiritual person born into God's eternal kingdom. Jesus said, "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:26). At the heart of Jesus's discussion of the new birth is the following simple statement by Jesus which needs to be understood and experienced by anyone drawn by God's Spirit: The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8) When a person is born of the Spirit, it is the direct result of the work of the Spirit "blowing upon" him. He may realize immediately what has happened in him, or it may be sometime later that the newness of his inner being is recognized. But that he is a new creature will inevitably be obvious to the newborn believer. God has done it!