How Can I Know I Have Experienced the New Birth?
1) Direct Answer
You know you have the new birth when the Holy Ghost (the Token) indwells you and bears witness in your heart, changing your nature to believe, love, and obey every Word of God. It is Christ revealed in you. Not a church membership, not a feeling, but the life of the Word living through you.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Jesus said, “You must be born again… of water and of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8). That’s a birth from above.
- God promised, “A new heart… a new spirit… I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
- “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9). “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).
- “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Old things pass away; a new life begins.
- The new birth comes by the Word: “Born again… by the Word of God” (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18). The Spirit quickens the Seed of the Word in you.
- It produces obedience and victory: “Hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3-5). “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world” (1 John 5:4).
- It bears fruit: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” (Galatians 5:22-25).
- It confesses Christ rightly: “Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:2), and witnesses in the heart (1 John 5:10).
- The promise is for you: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost… the promise is unto you” (Acts 2:38-39). “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). “After ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- New birth is not turning over a new leaf, joining a church, or a momentary emotion. Life proves itself by what it produces. The Seed brings forth after its kind. If the incorruptible Seed of the Word is in you, it will live out Christ’s life in you.
- Signs that follow the new birth:
- A clear witness of the Spirit within: assurance toward God (Romans 8:16).
- A new nature with new desires: you hate sin you once loved, and love righteousness you once avoided (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 3:9).
- Obedience to the Word, not picking and choosing. You don’t argue against Scripture; you yield to it (1 John 2:3-5; John 14:23).
- Love for God and the brethren (1 John 3:14; 4:7).
- Victory over the world’s pull and a separated walk (1 John 5:4; Galatians 5:24).
- Ongoing leading and correction from the Spirit; you can’t live in willful sin without chastening (Hebrews 12:6-8).
- A hunger for the Word and prayer, and a confession that Jesus Christ is Lord come in the flesh (1 Peter 2:2; 1 John 4:2; Romans 10:9-10).
- If these fruits are absent and sin still rules you, don’t settle for a profession. Come God’s provided way: repent, be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, and ask in faith for the Holy Ghost. He promised to fill the hungry heart (Acts 2:38-39; Luke 11:13; John 7:37-39).
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice, the Bible makes it simple: the new birth is Christ in you by the Holy Ghost, producing a life that matches the Word. If the Life is there, the signs follow. If you’re unsure, don’t argue—come to Him sincerely, believe His promise, and stay before God until the Token is applied and the witness of the Spirit settles it in your heart.
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.
You must be born again
61-1231M §128
...if Brother Neville spoke to me to bring a message, I'd just teach Sunday school. And therefore, Father, I've done it with love and with all my heart, that the people might know that ... not rest upon some little experience they had, but to rest solemnly on their day-by-day life; how they live in the times when they're in the church, and how they live when the great strain comes on the outside. Do they flee to the cross for help when trouble arises, or do they walk in their own spirit and own thoughts? Do they rile...
Life Story
54-0314 §3
...to begin with, so I guess I was just born with thin blood. But when I was born the second time, I got a different kind of blood. That's right. That's right. When I got the new birth, I got a new blood. And so He's taken away the old and gave the new. So you know, when He gives you new, He just makes you new all over, like putting wine in an old bottle, He said it would perish. So we got to get made over new. And now, it's always a great privilege to get to come to a church for the first time. But usually you have...
Hebrews, Chapter 2, part 3
57-0828 §11
But we find out when Paul got converted and had this real experience, he was absolutely turned around. And you know, conversion means to be "turned around." You're going this a-way and you turn and start back this a-way. Yes sir, it's a turn-around, about-face. And Paul, as soon as he was converted, before he could ever make his experience... Now, he had a marvelous experience. Now, I believe when you accept Christ, just as your personal Saviour, it is an experience. I believe the joy of knowing your sins forgiven...
You must be born again
61-1231M §126
Won't you do that? Won't you receive Him like that? That's my persuasion to you on this New Year's Eve. I persuade this little Tabernacle. How I love you, how I love this little group of people! How I would like to come in sometime, walk down through this building, and just look. You know what I've always longed to see? A church filled with the Spirit, that sin could not even be around it. As soon as one member done something wrong, the Spirit would call it right out. He'd be afraid to join himself to the Christian...
You must be born again
61-1231M §93
Get out there, a stuffed shirt, "Glory to God! Hallelujah!" and then tell me that that's Christ? Christ was humble, meek and gentle. Go into a town and, my, you have to be just brushed off the shoulders, you know, and everything has to be just right, not a wrinkle in your suit; and you have to have the very best or you won't even come at all; guaranteed so much money, you can't have a meeting. Oh, oh, oh, oh, my! All the denominations, they have to pat you on the back. There wasn't a one of them patted Him on the b...