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?”
Ask a Follow-up Question
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.
Adoption, part 4: Adoption
60-0522E §33
First, Paul takes all the scare out of it, said, "Now, if you're called---if you're not just worked up in your mind by some kind of theology---if you're really born of the Spirit, then God predestinated you before the foundation of the world, put your name on the Lamb's book of life, and now we come together to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. A holy people, a holy nation, a peculiar people, royal priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices unto God, that is, the fruits of our lips giving praise to his name."...
Possessing the gate of the enemy after trial
64-0322 §20
...ne of these things bother me," for he was tied to an absolute, Christ. Every true achievement is tied to an absolute, and my absolute is the Word. And everybody else that's really born of the Spirit, their absolute is God's Word. I'm tied to it. I laid my hands upon it, and it took my place. I've identified myself with Him. We knew that He promised to identify Himself with us. That brings genuine faith---not your own faith, but his faith---something that you don't control. He does it. Now, notice. Then, and then on...
Convinced then concerned
62-0118 §96
So now, I believe that all Protestants believe in the great evangelical move, that's really borned of the Spirit of God or got any God about them. They know the Holy Spirit comes, but they don't say that He... When He comes that He's changed his nature, they seem to believe. See, they think, "Well, He just tolerates the world, and the people can go right on living the way they always... You know, just go to church, and try to be a good fellow, do the best you can." That's not it, friends. When the Holy Ghost comes...
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
58-0312 §4
We preach the Gospel. We believe first that a man must be born again. "Ye must be born again." And then, if he's not born again, then he can not understand the kingdom of God. Jesus told Nicodemus that. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom." The word see there is the English translation, which really means "cannot understand the kingdom of God," until he's born again.
Ye must be born again
58-0619B §12
...rong with me, let me get it right now because I don't want no trouble at the river." I think that well expresses what I'm trying to say, "Let's talk it over now so we won't have no trouble at the river, because you can't backtrack then, see. Let's be more sure right now." And so when Jesus said to this great ruler, "Ye must be born again." Then, "Why must I be born again?" That's what I want to know. If I am a minister of the Gospel, if I'm a good person, I pay my debts, and I'm just, and honest, and walk upright b...