What Is the Evidence?

Is the new birth experience something that man can confirm by himself, and by others around him; or is there a heavenly evidence that God has provided to accompany the experience? This is a most integral question that must be answered correctly by any and all who would hope to inherit eternal life, because Jesus emphatically stated, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (Jn. 3:3). To answer this question, let’s allow the scriptures to irrefutably set forth to us just what the new birth experience is: "And such [sinners] were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, by the Spirit of our God" (I Cor.6:11). And again: "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" (Tit. 3:5). One more time should nail it down pretty tight for us: "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 8:9). But just for good measure let’s do one more: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body [of Christ], whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (I Cor. 12:13). Seeing we added that one, we have to put this one in as well: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Cor. 5:17). So we see here straight from the Bible, without any rearrangement of any scriptures, that the holy Ghost is what washes us from sin, sanctifies us [same thing], and justifies us [same thing again]. And we see that everyone who has been delivered from sin, has been delivered by the "washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghost [both the same thing]."

These things also show us that one must be in Christ by means of the Spirit baptism in order to be a new creature [have new birth]. So in light of these things, it makes perfect sense that we cannot belong to the family of God without receiving his Spirit, as Romans 8:9 plainly says. We also see the reality that we can only get into the body of Christ, or into Christ [same thing], by means of being baptized with the Spirit. So finally, without remission of sins, or sanctification, or justification, or regeneration of spirit and mind; and without being a member of the one body of Christ, and without being a new creature in Christ; then where are we, and in what spiritual condition are we in? Well, I think "none of his” suffices to the point really well. So again, the question is, when is a person born again; which as we have evidently seen, is to say when does a person receive the Spirit of God, and how do we know that someone has arrived at that place? Okay, that begs another question, which is this: Does God change? Not according to Malachi 3:6, or Hebrews 13:8, or James 1:17. Come on now, we know that the whole Bible declares that God is not given to double mindedness or wishy-washiness. So in light of this evident truth, let’s allow the scriptures once again to answer the question of this article, by showing how people received the Spirit of God in the beginning, and were thereby born again into the kingdom of God and placed into the body of Christ. The Gospel had not at the time of this example that I’m about to give, even gone to any Gentile people, and the Lord sent Peter to the first Gentiles to have the Gospel preached unto them; that being the Roman Centurion Cornelius and his household.

As Peter began to preach this first message to the Gentile people, we will pick up with the last part of his short speech: “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For [because] they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:43-46). So it becomes immediately clear that the only way that Peter and those who came with him knew that these Gentiles had indeed received the holy Ghost, was because they heard them speak in tongues, even as they themselves had done in the beginning (Acts 2:4). There was no question or confusion here as to how these elders of the early new testament believers knew if and when someone received the Spirit of God. If you don’t see that then read the account again, really slow and honestly. Neither Peter or the elders with him told anyone ‘to take it by faith,’ and they told nobody to ‘accept the Lord,’ or to ‘confess Jesus.’ They clearly knew that God would “bear witness” when someone is born again, even as Peter said later about this very incident: “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us… purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:8,9). The evidence of receiving his Spirit, that God provided in the beginning of the new covenant at Pentecost, had not changed by the time that the Gospel went to the Gentiles; and it has not changed to this day. God has not changed or confused the evidence of the most important experience ever known to man, for which his Son suffered, died, and rose again in order to provide. So the only question that remains is, can we say amen to God, and be in agreement with his established terms of knowing when a person is born again? I surely can, so amen!