How Is It Possible That Many Big Ministers Leading Millions Are Not Truly Born Again?
1) Direct answer
Yes. The Bible said it would be that way. Men can be anointed, do miracles, lead multitudes, and still not be born again. Gifts can operate without a changed nature, but the new birth is God’s life in the soul, loving and obeying the Word.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Jesus warned of the broad way with many on it, and the narrow way with few who find it (Matthew 7:13–14).
- He said many will say, “Lord, Lord… we prophesied, cast out devils, did many wonderful works,” and He will answer, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21–23). That proves gifts are not the evidence of the new birth.
- False prophets can show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible they would deceive the very elect (Matthew 24:24).
- Satan transforms himself as an angel of light; his ministers as ministers of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13–15).
- The gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29). You see, a man can be gifted and yet never have his soul changed.
- Hebrews 6:4–6 shows people can taste the heavenly gift and be made partakers of the Holy Ghost’s operations, yet fall away—tasting is not the sealing of the new birth.
- Balaam prophesied accurately and still was false (Numbers 22–24; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11). Judas healed the sick and cast out devils, yet was called a devil (Matthew 10:1,8; John 6:70). Caiaphas prophesied and remained unbelieving (John 11:49–52). Signs do not equal sonship.
- Deuteronomy 13:1–3 says God even allows true signs to test whether we love Him and His Word.
- Those who receive not the love of the truth are given over to strong delusion, with all power, signs, and lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9–12).
- The true evidence is the Word-life and fruit: “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:15–20). The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–24). Being born again by the incorruptible Seed, the Word (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18), a new creation that cannot continue in sin (1 John 3:9). He that is of God hears God’s Word (John 8:47; 1 John 4:6).
3) Simple clarifying logic
- Now notice: rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). The same anointing can move on a man’s spirit to preach, heal, or prophesy, while his soul remains unchanged. That’s why wheat and tares can grow together and look alike until harvest (Matthew 13:24–30).
- If miracles proved the new birth, why did Jesus reject miracle workers in Matthew 7? If crowds proved truth, why did Jesus say “few” find it? The test is not gifts, numbers, or fame—it is the Word believed, obeyed, and lived by the Spirit.
- The new birth is Christ, the Word, taking the throne of the heart by the Holy Ghost (John 3:3–6). Anything that denies, twists, or dodges the plain Word shows another spirit at work, no matter how big the platform.
- Therefore a man can be a “big minister,” and still be unconverted: gifted without repentance, active without obedience, anointed on the outside but not sealed on the inside.
4) Reinforcing statement
Stay with the Word, love the truth, and seek the new birth personally—repent, be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). The Elect cannot be deceived because they hear His Voice in His Word and bear His fruit.
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 §30
So this great doctrine of Jesus that's wrote here before us in the Bible, "You must be born again." There is so many different versions of it, as I have said before, till I thought this morning, for the sake of many who's been asking me what it meant and how could they become a real Christian, that I thought maybe that we would just approach the subject and take it just as clearly as I know how to give it to you. And it's not in the way of a sermon; it's in the way of teaching Sunday school, that the people might g...
Ye must be born again
58-0619B §15
Now, there's many times that we begin to think that "Well, if we are born again and we got happy, and shouted, and spoke with tongues or manifested God in some way, that's it. But, brethren, you know as ministers yourself, that that's not it. Now we've seen people jump, shout, dance, and cheat, steal, lie and everything else, see, and we know that. So that isn't what He was talking about. And when Martin Luther said, "The just shall live by faith," he said, "we got it." And John Wesley come along with something new...
A True Sign that's overlooked
61-1112 §101
Look today what we call ministry. What have we got? (Now in closing I want to say this.) What have we got? We've got nothing. Some of our greatest leaders, our greatest evangelists... One of our great evangelists said, "If I can find 10% of my converts holding out a year, I'll be very thankful," when even no farther back than Finney had 97% of them. Paul had a hundred plus. Hundreds! Hundreds plus hundreds. One got saved, and he was so filled, brother, he went and told somebody else, he told somebody else, he told...
You must be born again
61-1231M §127
Let us bow our heads now for prayer. There's some handkerchiefs laying here also. Holy God, we realize, Lord, the sacredness of standing in this spot. We realize that we are in the house of God. We're associating with the body of Christ, which is the house of God. The members of the body are assembled together. There's one coming from one place, and one another, gathering together. And today, on this Sunday school lesson, it's been long and drawed-out. But, Father, I believe that it's ordained of You, that it shoul...
New Ministry (William Branham)
59-1115 §18
How many times we look at men who climb up in great ranks, like, and get high names. But sometimes, that's not what God calls high. Do you remember when John came preaching? The Bible foretold that every mountain would be brought low, and every low place would be lifted up, see. And when it come, you would think it would be coming out of heaven with fiery chariots. But what was it, but a poor man dressed in a piece of sheepskin wrapped around him; and out on the banks of Jordan, preaching, on the muddy banks, not e...