Are You Born Again?
7 Biblical Evidences of Regeneration
In his classic sermon "The New Birth", the great 20th century preacher Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones exposits the biblical doctrine of regeneration, or what it means to be "born again." Drawing from Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus in John 3 and other key Scripture passages, Lloyd-Jones explains the supernatural, momentous change that takes place in a person's soul when they are saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Following are 7 essential evidences that demonstrate a person has been born again:
1. A Change in the Fundamental Disposition
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Regeneration is not a superficial change, but a profound transformation in the core disposition and nature of a person. The old self ruled by sin dies and a new creation emerges. As Lloyd-Jones states:
"[Regeneration] is a change in the fundamental disposition of the soul. It isn't a mere change in some of the faculties of the soul. It's something behind it all. It is this fundamental disposition that's the thing that's changed."
2. Holiness is Implanted
"Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14)
The new birth implants the seed of holiness in the heart. There is a new desire and ability to live a righteous life that was absent prior to conversion. Holiness is not optional but essential. Lloyd-Jones is emphatic on this point:
"Holiness is absolutely essential...Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. It's impossible. And it is in regeneration that this holiness is implanted in us in this new life. It is a holy life, a holy principle that is placed within us."
3. Enmity with Sin
"For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." (Galatians 5:17)
In the flesh we were lovers of sin. But the new birth brings a new nature that is at enmity with sin. There is now a war within as the Spirit battles against remaining sin. As Lloyd-Jones colorfully puts it:
"You seem to have two natures in the one tree. But if you prune off the old, the new will gradually master the whole."
4. Spiritual Perception
"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Prior to the new birth, a person lacks the capacity to truly see and savor spiritual realities. But regeneration opens blind eyes to behold the glory of Christ. Lloyd-Jones says of the unbeliever:
"The natural mind understandeth not the things of the spirit of God...[But] the call becomes effectual because there is now in this person a principle which was not there before and which enables him to respond to this spiritual truth, this divine truth that comes to him."
5. Love for God's People
"We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death." (1 John 3:14)
A sure sign of regeneration is a new love for the people of God. Those who formerly despised Christians now delight to be in their presence. To love the Father is to love His children. Lloyd-Jones affirms:
"God is holy. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Life eternal is to know him and to have fellowship with him. And therefore it of necessity means that my nature must be corresponding. There must be that in me which corresponds to that and can enjoy that."
6. Perseverance in Faith
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)
Regeneration is an enduring, irreversible work of grace. Those born again may falter but will never finally fall away. The seed of eternal life cannot be uprooted. Lloyd-Jones corrects a common misunderstanding on this point:
"Even then he does not return to where he was before. The man is born again...A change has taken place and the change is still there. He's not manifesting it fully, but it's there."
7. Christlikeness
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
The ultimate aim and outcome of the new birth is to conform us to the image of Christ. Regeneration marks the beginning of a progressive transformation where we grow in holiness and Christlikeness until we see Him face to face. Lloyd-Jones summarizes:
"The work is within us and we are changed. We are no longer the same...We are changed, as the hymn puts it, from glory into glory till in heaven we take our place. The work is within us and we are changed."
Conclusion
In this sermon, Lloyd-Jones penetrates to the heart of what regeneration truly entails. It is nothing less than God performing spiritual resurrection in a dead soul through the power of His Spirit. The 7 evidences outlined serve both as a diagnostic to evaluate our spiritual condition and as a description of the kind of new life purchased for us through the blood of Christ.
The stakes are eternally high. As Jesus solemnly told Nicodemus, "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). The new birth is not a peripheral doctrine but the very fountain from which the Christian life flows. For as Lloyd-Jones declares, "regeneration must come at this particular stage, because if it is possible for me to do something which will eventually lead to my regeneration, then I don't need regeneration."
Has God worked the miracle of regeneration in your soul? Do you demonstrate the biblical evidences of the new birth? May the Lord grant us grace to examine ourselves and rejoice with wonder if we have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.