Empire Baptist Temple

The Second Birth

Dr. Ronald L. Tottingham

The Bible says, "...Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." And when someone has been born into the kingdom of God, he has been converted, regenerated, saved, born again; however one says it. This also means that his sin is forgiven of God.

How new birth begins:
The preliminary to salvation or New Birth, is the Holy Spirit's conviction of the total ruin sin has worked within our entire nature, followed with an overcoming shame called "Godly sorrow unto repentance". (...for ye were made sorry after a godly manner...For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation... )2 Corinthians 7:10.
Then, in this spirit of spiritual shame called Godly sorrow, the sinner will be drawn, by the love of God to Christ the ONLY Saviour. The sinner will be drawn to fall upon the great mercy of God with unfeigned (genuine) faith. When that happens, God regenerates, saves, and seals that soul by grace through faith.

Man is a sinner:
This is where a great struggle to spiritual New Birth takes place. All mankind is personally held accountable to repent of sin and receive Jesus Christ into their hearts as personal saviour. (Not into one's life, the Bible says "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; ..." Ephesians 3:17). We do this by acknowledging to God that we were born a sinner before God. (The meaning of sinner, is explained by the Bible as depraved, lovers of what is not pure because of being born that way). "...and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil..." John 3:19 and "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:...For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:10,23).

God is the Saviour:
The Bible sets Jesus Christ (being very God Himself) as the only saviour for the soul. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 and "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12 Jesus Christ came into the world by God's direct conception in the womb of a Virgin, as God housing Himself in a dwelling of flesh ("...God was manifest in the flesh," 1 Timothy 3:16) When This Jesus Christ went to the cross, it was God who went to the cross to pay God for our sins. ("...and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou [God] shalt make his [Christ] soul an offering for sin...He [God] shall see of the travail of his [Christ] soul, and shall be satisfied:...for he [Christ] shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:6,10-11) The pure, sinless Blood of Jesus Christ was poured out because God required pure blood (of no human father) for the atonement of our souls. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood:...for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." (Leviticus 17:11).
We must personally receive Him into our heart and upon that, he forgives us of all our sin. (Our sins too.) The real issue is the sin nature within each of us due to the blood of our fathers and not the sins we commit. Man commits sins because he is a born Sinner. "Out from the pot [nature] one pours water [sins)".

Salvation is not by:
It doesn't come through any kind of "baptism," but through a spiritual receiving of Jesus Christ into the heart as one's personal Saviour. ("But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" John 1:12). It is interesting how religion wants to trust in water, in sacraments, or prayers, or beads, or Mary, or church, or philosophy, but doesn't want to trust the blood of Jesus Christ. No matter what they might say, it is still the blood, because God has said, "I have given you the blood as an atonement for your souls. For the...blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11). The salvation of God is only through Christ's blood. He was not a normal man. He was The God in a Man, or the "God/Man". Salvation is in Jesus Christ; not religious works, rituals or sacraments.

When new birth comes:
God's salvation is instant, eternal, and recognizable. You will know in your spirit when the sin burden is gone! When it is truly taken away by pure faith in Jesus Christ you WILL KNOW IT. You may not be able to adequately express what happened in your heart, but you will know something spiritual happened to your sin between you and God.

Salvation is like:
It will be like a new door opens in your spirit, and a new hunger will instantly result toward the living God. You'll have an instant hunger for knowledge of the old-fashioned King James Version's good readings, and a desire to associate with genuine believers in a Bible-believing, fundamental and doctrinally sound church. (Uniffiliated Baptist churches tend to hold the most accurate position in doctrines.) It will be the most exciting event of your entire life - being born again!

Have you put your faith and trust in Christ Jesus? Have you yet been born again? If you were to die right now, would you go to Heaven?

If you would follow this instruction you sure could be. I urge you to do so if you have not. Please, for your soul's sake, don't spend undue time thinking about it if you know you need it.

To be saved one must just cast their soul upon the mercy of God. Have YOU been born again as of yet? Some helpful Scripture verses -
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10,13).

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons 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 1:12-13).