Ye Must Be Born Again
To be born again is a vital change that renews the soul, renews the nature, and is essential for salvation, pardon, and a relationship with God.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the critical importance of being 'born again' as the foundation of true salvation, warning that many may mistakenly believe they are Christians without this vital transformation. He explains that regeneration is a mysterious yet profound change that cannot be achieved by human effort but is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that renews the heart and soul. Spurgeon illustrates that true regeneration results in a new nature, leading to a life characterized by holiness and a deep, personal relationship with Christ. He urges listeners to reflect on their spiritual state, as being unregenerate equates to being unsaved and without hope. Ultimately, he calls for acknowledgment of Jesus as the source of spiritual life, affirming that true believers live through Christ.
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Regeneration is a subject which lies at the very basis of salvation, and we should be very diligent to take heed that we really are "born again," for there are many who fancy they are, who are not. Be assured that the name of a Christian is not the nature of a Christian; and that being born in a Christian land, and being recognized as professing the Christian religion is of no avail whatever, unless there be something more added to it--the being "born again," is a matter so mysterious, that human words cannot describe it.
"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." Nevertheless, it is a change which is known and felt: known by works of holiness, and felt by a gracious experience. This great work is supernatural. It is not an operation which a man performs for himself: a new principle is infused, which works in the heart, renews the soul, and affects the entire man.
It is not a change of my name, but a renewal of my nature, so that I am not the man I used to be, but a new man in Christ Jesus. To wash and dress a corpse is a far different thing from making it alive: man can do the one, God alone can do the other. If you have then, been "born again," your acknowledgment will be, "O Lord Jesus, the everlasting Father, Thou art my spiritual Parent; unless Thy Spirit had breathed into me the breath of a new, holy, and spiritual life, I had been to this day 'dead in trespasses and sins.'
My heavenly life is wholly derived from Thee, to Thee I ascribe it. 'My life is hid with Christ in God.' It is no longer I who live, but Christ who liveth in me." May the Lord enable us to be well assured on this vital point, for to be unregenerate is to be unsaved, unpardoned, without God, and without hope.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Being Born Again
- The Nature of Being Born Again
- The Evidence of Being Born Again
- Known by works of holiness
- Felt by a gracious experience
Key Quotes
“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.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“My life is hid with Christ in God.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who liveth in me.” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- Recognize that being born again is a supernatural change that God alone can perform.
- Look for evidence of being born again in works of holiness and a gracious experience.
- Acknowledge your dependence on God for spiritual life and a new nature.