Have I Really Been Born Again?
1) Direct Answer
You can know. The new birth is when the Holy Spirit—Christ’s own Life—comes in and takes the throne of your heart. It is more than believing a creed or joining a church. It is the Life of the Word quickening you and sealing you as God’s own.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Jesus said, “You must be born again… of water and of the Spirit” (John 3:3-7). That is repentance, baptism, and the Holy Spirit coming in.
- “Repent, and be baptized… in the Name of Jesus Christ… and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
- “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). That’s the birth into Christ.
- “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9); “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit” (Romans 8:16).
- “Being born again… by the word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). The Word-seed is quickened by the Spirit.
- The evidence shows: “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14); “Whosoever is born of God does not practice sin” (1 John 3:9); “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3); “Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world” (1 John 5:4).
- “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- New birth is not emotion, not a day you joined, not a gift you exercised. It is Christ ruling inside, changing your desires, correcting you by the Word, and producing His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).
- If the same Life that raised Jesus dwells in you, it won’t leave you loving the old life (Romans 8:11). You won’t be perfect in the flesh, but you can’t live in willful sin and be comfortable. The Spirit convicts, you make it right, and you walk on.
- Check the marks:
- Do you have a hunger for the Word and to obey it? (1 Peter 2:2; John 14:23)
- Does known sin grieve you, and do you make it right quickly? (1 John 1:7-9)
- Do you love the brethren in deed and truth? (1 John 3:18-19)
- Are you overcoming the world’s pull—its fashions, lusts, and pride? (1 John 2:15-17; 5:4)
- Is there an inward witness of the Spirit crying, “Abba, Father”? (Romans 8:15-16)
- Does your life show the fruit of the Spirit more than the works of the flesh? (Galatians 5:19-23)
If these are present and growing, that’s the Life in you.
4) Short Reinforcing Statement
If you’re unsure, don’t rest until it’s settled. Repent fully, set things right, be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; 19:5), ask the Father for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13), believe His promise, and stay with the Word until He seals you. The Holy Spirit is the Token—when He comes in, He identifies you as His, and your life will match the Word. Now notice, when He takes the throne, the question changes from “Am I born again?” to “Lord, how can I please You today?”
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
I am the Resurrection and the Life
52-0810A §60
...got a oak tree out here. Every year, all though the winter, the old oak tree packs its leaves just the same. Spring of the year, there's the old leaf on the tree. You don't have to go pick them off. Just let the new life come up, the old leaf goes off. When a man's really born again, and a ... his heart, woman or man, the old life drops away; the new life comes in and takes its place. Just let them get right with God, then you can notice. By their fruits you shall know them. And let me tell you, my friend. I better...
Seeking after Jesus
53-0531 §11
...e'll do it today. He'll be just the same forever. He's the same Jesus yesterday, today, and forever. The same type of character. A man that professes to be a Christian must have a Christ-like nature. If it isn't, there's another nature there which it isn't Christ-like. If you had the nature of a killer... If I told you I had the spirit of John Dillinger---some famous outlaw---you'd expect me to have guns. And it'd be dangerous to be sitting around here where I was at, because I'd be a murderer. If I told you I had...
Questions and Answers on Genesis
53-0729 §50
...en he said, "Every man knows his calling. Let him do as... Some's eunuchs for the Word of God's sake," and so forth. We want to do something beyond our duty. And if you are really born again of the Spirit of God and say, "Well, it's my duty to go to church; I guess I'll have to go." Oh, my! Why, I want to do more than that; I want to win some souls for Christ. I want to do something. I want to visit the sick or do something for Him. It's my duty to preach funerals, it's my duty to preach the Gospel, it's my duty to...
Redeemer, Redemption
55-1119 §43
...ist must first be willing, regardless. I don't like to tell the people, "Oh, you're going to prosper and be a rich man now, and God's going to bless you. You ain't going to have no sickness." I don't promise them that, because God doesn't promise them that. I say: If you're really born again in your heart, I don't care how rough the road gets, you'll still hold onto God's unchanging hand. No matter what lays before me, if Jesus goes with me, I'll go. Hallelujah! As long as He goes, that's all that's necessary. And...
Israel and the Church: Israel at the Red Sea, part 2
53-0327 §97
And while we have our heads down, is there a person in here, (with every eye closed), would you raise your hand, say, Brother Branham, please remember me. I'm lost, and I don't know Jesus as my Saviour. I haven't been born again. I want you to pray for me"? Will you raise your hands just now, slip up your hand so I can offer prayer? God bless you. Many of you has got your hands up, everywhere in the building. That's wonderful. God bless you. Everywhere else say, "Brother Branham, I know, if God should call my soul,...