Signs of the New Birth

Signs of the New Birth

The evidences of being "born of God" are brought out in the First Epistle of John, where we find gennao occurring ten times. Let us briefly look at some of these results.

1. Righteousness of Life.

"Every one that doeth righteousness is begotten of Him" (1 John 2: 29, R.V.). Generally speaking, righteousness is conformity to the standard of right. The standard of right is the commandment of Christ, "30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

2. Separation from Sin.

"Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God" (1 John 3: 9). Those who have Divine life do not make it a practice to sin. They are not sinless, nor unable to fall through temptation, but sinning is no longer a habit of their life.

3. Love to Others.

"Every one that loveth is begotten of God" (1 John 4: 7). Love is not the empty effervescence of animal desire, but the pure flame of an ardent affection, which expresses itself in sacrifice, help, co-operation, sympathy, devotion, thoughtfulness, and service.

4. Faith in Christ.

"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God" (1 John 5: 1). The tense of the verb to believe, is the key to the understanding of these words— "Believeth." Faith is the hand that links us on to Christ, and it is the coupling which keeps us one with Him, even as the couplings of the carriages keep them coupled to the engine. The world wonders we make so much of faith, but the believer knows its worth and power. We know that pleasing God takes faith.

5. Loving the Lord.

"Every one that loveth Him that begat" (1 John 5: 1). The next verse tells us that we show our love to Him by doing His commandments. The love of God is like the sun to the flowers, it causes them to turn to it; the love of God is like the electric current which moves the needle and sends a message from one operator to another.

6. Victory.

"Whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world"

(1 John 5: 4).

God has no design for His children to be overcome by the Devil of temptation, the siren song of the world, or the whirlpool of the flesh. Victory demonstrates the power our relationship with Jesus.

Thomas Manton (theologian) says: "It would be monstrous for the eggs of one creature to bring forth the brood of another kind, for a crow or a kite to come from the egg of a hen. It is just as unnatural a production for a new creature to sin."

Spurgeon comments on this quotation: "Each creature brings forth after its own kind. Out of a dove's nest we expect only doves to fly. The heavenly life breeds birds of paradise, such as holy thoughts, desires, and acts; and it cannot bring forth such unclean birds as lust, envy, and malice. The life of God infused in the new birth is as pure as the Lord by whom it was begotten, and can never be otherwise."