How is a man born of God? First of all, it is not produced by baptism. Neither the sprinkling of a child nor the immersion of an adult can regenerate a dead heart. Even if immersed by the apostle Paul or sprinkled as a child by John Calvin (or both), one still must be “born again.” Baptism, in any form, can neither wash away sin nor create a new heart. 

There are two texts of Scripture which I think should settle the question of baptismal regeneration forever. “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (I Cor. 4:15). Paul is here addressing people who have been begotten by the gospel through his ministry. He was their spiritual father. He was the only person who could say, “You are, under God’s blessing, one of my converts.” However, the apostle also says the following to the very same individuals: “I thank God that I baptized none of you.…” (I Cor. 1:14). Do you see the logic of the two statements? If a man is regenerated or begotten by baptism, it would be impossible for Paul to say, “I did not baptize any of you even though I have begotten you.” If you put these two verses together, they prove beyond any doubt that baptism can have nothing at all to do with regeneration. If baptism is essential, or in any way contributes, to the new birth, then Paul could not have begotten converts without baptizing them. His argument and statements would be self-contradictory. The hymn writer was correct: “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” Water, whether it is a few drops on our head as a child or a full tank into which we are immersed as an adult, cannot get into our heart where the change has to take place. 

A missionary told of witnessing for many years to a Moslem friend. She was soon to go home and would not be returning because of ill health. She earnestly pleaded with God for one more opportunity to witness the gospel to her friend. One day she saw the Moslem woman start down the path to the sacred river to bathe. The missionary quickly put some clothes in a box, tied the box tight shut, and went down to the river and began dipping the box in the river. Her Moslem friend asked her what she was doing, and she replied that she was washing her clothes. Her friend smiled and said, “They will never get clean because the water cannot get inside to where the dirt is.” The missionary asked, “Do you believe that water in which you are bathing can get into your heart where the sin is and wash it clean?”

Secondly, the new birth is not dependent upon church sacraments. Partaking of the Lord’s table, no matter how regularly, cannot give one a new heart. Paul forever put the death knell to the foolish notion that church sacraments can give spiritual life. 

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. (Gal. 6:14-15) 

We may substitute baptism, or anything else, for circumcision in these verses and not change the teaching of these verses. The new creation is regeneration by the Holy Spirit. That is all a poor sinner needs, but he vitally needs that great work.

Thirdly, being born again has nothing whatsoever to do with human authority. Dr. Billy Graham may have personally put his hand on your head and told you that you are a Christian. That does not make you a child of God. That does not prove that you are born of God. 

Fourthly, the new birth is not merely a correct knowledge of theology. Some current Calvinists are reviving an old heresy. It is called “doctrinal regeneration.” They associate true salvation with a clear knowledge of Calvinistic theology. Some of these people imply that John Calvin is going to stand at heaven’s door and examine you on your knowledge of the “five points” (they call this the gospel) to see whether you get in or not. Not so, beloved! The five points are not the gospel. The gospel is, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” The five points are what makes the gospel work. Election never saved a single soul, but it does make certain that some will be saved.

Lastly, being born again has nothing to do with a man’s so-called free will. Many people balk at this point. Look again at John 1:12, 13 and carefully examine the relationship of the two verses.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power [or authority] to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name: [notice the sentence does not end here] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

These Scriptures emphatically, categorically, and specifically state that we are “not born of the will of man.” We are “born of God.” Verse 12 tells what one must do to be saved. He must willingly receive Christ. The promise is that one will become a child of God when he receives Christ. The verse is clear. The tense of the verbs in these two verses is of utmost importance. John did not say that all who receive him, will be, as a result of believing, born of God. This would make faith to be the cause of the new birth. No, John said just the opposite. The people who receive Christ do so only because they have been (past tense) born of God. Their spiritual birth, given sovereignly by God, caused their act of faith. Verse 13 is not giving the result of verse 12, but rather the cause. Verse 13 tells exactly who the people are in verse 12 that received Christ. The people in verse 12 willingly received Christ only because they were (past tense “had been”) born of God. Do not mix up a “would be” consequence with a “had been” certainty. Every man who is born of God (v. 13) will always gladly receive Christ (v. 12). Receiving Christ (v. 12) is the certain result of being born of God (v. 13).

1 John 5:1 teaches the same. “Whosoever that believeth that Jesus is the Christ is (already) born of God.” John does not say that one will be born of God if he believes, but rather, if one believes it proves that he has been born of God. Faith is the fruit of being born again and not the cause. Some may say that I am just quibbling over words and say, “You cannot prove that from this text of Scripture.” I am sorry, but the text can mean nothing else. This point may be proven by comparing 1 John 5:1 with 1 John 2:29. The identical construction is used but the subject is “doing righteousness” instead of being born again. The text: “…everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him.” Is it just quibbling over words to insist that no one is born of God because he does righteousness? Do you not agree that we do righteousness only after, and only because, we have been born of God? We clearly know which is the cause and which is the effect in this verse. No one believes that “doing righteousness” causes one to be born of God. That destroys the gospel. The same identical truth is set forth in 1 John 5:1. Our faith does not cause the new birth, but, like “doing righteousness,” our faith is a living proof that we have been born of God. To deny this clear fact is to destroy the biblical doctrine of regeneration. A man cannot born (active voice) himself, but he must be born (passive voice) from above. 

When an evangelist announces that he is going to preach on what you must do to be born again, proceed with caution. This man is not making the biblical distinction between being saved and being born again. He may preach biblically about how to be saved, but certainly not about how to be born again. He will probably say, “You had nothing to do with your first birth, but you have everything to do with your second birth.” He is dead wrong! You had no more to do with your second (spiritual) birth than you did with your first (physical) birth. There is no denying that a sinner must willingly repent and believe the gospel in order to be saved; however, we are talking about being born again. We are insisting that only God can give the power, or the “want to,” that enables one to repent and believe.

Sometimes I like to tease people in order to stimulate them to think. When people argue for the doctrine of man’s free will, I often say to them, “I do not discuss the doctrine of free will with anybody who doesn’t believe in eternal security.” They usually say, “Who said anything about eternal security?” I look rather puzzled and ask, “You surely do not believe a sinner has a free will and also believe that a saint can never be lost?” They almost always reply emphatically, “Yes, I do.” In pretended surprise, I ask, “Are you saying that a sinner has the will power to either accept or reject Christ?” When they affirm that they believe this, I ask, “Can a saint will, or choose, his way out of grace?” When they say “No,” I reply, “Well, if the sinner has power to both accept and reject, but once he accepts, he can no longer choose to be lost, it sounds to me that you believe a sinner has twice as much will power as a saint. You are saying that we lose part of the freedom of will that we supposedly had before we were saved.” The dialogue usually ends at this point. It is nonsense to hold to a doctrine that teaches that man loses half of his will power when he is converted. It is impossible to believe both free will and eternal security. They are self-contradictory.

The new birth is something that God does in us, without us. It is his sovereign work, but it always produces fruit in our lives. Let me try to illustrate this. Suppose that I was away from home for a speaking engagement, and after the service, my car would not start. When I turned the key in the ignition, there was not even a buzz. I flipped the light switch, and there was not even a flicker. I pressed the horn, and there was not even a peep. Someone would probably say that he thought that my battery was dead. Suppose they were correct, and the battery was indeed dead. I leave the car in the church parking lot and go off to bed. The next morning, I once more try to start the car, and the motor immediately turns over. There are three possible explanations of what happened: (1) The battery was not really dead; I just thought it was. (2) A miracle took place. (3) Somebody re-charged, or “regenerated,” the battery.

Now just suppose the various parts of my car had the power of speech. Suppose the evening before, I had said, “Lights, if you will only shine, that will put life in the battery.” Or, “Horn, if you will only blow, that will put life in the battery.” If my car could speak, it would have replied, “If you put some life in the battery, I guarantee you the horn will blow, the lights will shine, and the motor will start.” So it is with the man who is dead in sin. His spiritual battery is dead. None of his facilities will work until he is regenerated. When God gives a sinner life, he will repent, believe, pray, etc. Appealing to a lost man’s will as the source of power to save him is like appealing to the lights and the horn. It is life that the lost man needs just as the car battery needs life. The most powerful spiritual feat possible is the exercise of faith. It can move mountains. Does a dead man produce the spiritual power to perform the powerful act of faith, or does he do this because of regeneration and the gift of a new nature? 

When I come back and find the battery working, I would assume that somebody had been fooling around underneath the hood. Wouldn’t you? Some years ago, my wife and I took our son and daughter-in-law to a Bible conference. My son was a good “all-American” boy, but we weren’t really sure if he had been converted. He knew all of the right answers but did not seem to have a thirst after God. I preached four messages on the doctrine of total depravity. After the second message, my son came up to me and said, “Dad, that’s the first sermon I ever heard you preach. Something happened to me tonight. I think I got converted.” He has not been the same since that night. He now exhibits the fruits of true conversion. I believe that night somebody was fooling around under the hood. My son had heard me preach for twenty-two years, but that night he “heard the voice of Christ.” That night he was regenerated and believed the gospel. 

Have you ever witnessed to a person for years, but they paid no attention to you? Then one day you see them reading a Bible, and they show up at church. What had happened? Somebody was fooling around under the hood. You prayed for your children and instructed them in the Word of God, but it seemingly went in one ear and out the other. Then one day, like my son, they say to you, “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” You smile and realize that someone was fooling around under the hood. The Holy Spirit has been charging a dead battery. This is what the Bible calls regeneration, and this is what we need to see today. We do not need better buildings, preachers, or music programs. We need someone with the power to do something under the hood.