What the Spirit of God does for us is to give us a new life, to start us afresh with a new nature upon a new career. Whoever believes in Jesus is born again. Regeneration is a great mystery, but you have that mystery. Do not puzzle yourself about the new birth, you have experienced it if you really believe in the Lord Jesus. As I tried to explain it just now, you are born again; you are a new creature in Christ Jesus; you have begun life again. It is of little use to attempt to mend the old nature, it is too far gone. There was a certain prince who used to swear this oath, “God mend me!” but a good man saith, “I think he had better make a new one.” Some men think God will mend them, but they err. I like the drunkard to become sober, and the thief to become honest, and mend himself as much as he can; but what he really wants is making over again. I have heard of a man who brought his gun to the gunsmith’s to be repaired. “You want it repaired,” says the smith. “Well, what it wants is a new stools, dock, and barrel.” That looked very like making a new one....
The old law had for its token the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the distinguishing ordinance of the new covenant goes much further. What does Christ say to his people in the act of baptism? He says, “Ye are dead. Ye must be buried, and must rise into newness of life.” Baptism cannot do this, but it sets forth our need of the death of the old nature and of resurrection into new life. We must be born again, not washed, not cleansed, not mended up, but made new creatures in Christ Jesus; and every man who believes in Jesus has undergone that wondrous change.
From a sermon entitled "Faith and its Attendant Privilege."
Photo by Bitterroot; some rights reserved.
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