Birthmarks of a Believer
God's Answer to the Question: "How do I know I am saved from sin?"
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, 'Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.'
Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'
Nicodemus saith unto him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?'
Jesus answered, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.'
John 3:1-7
Introduction The New Birth
Jesus taught that a man must be born two times if he wants to see God’s kingdom. You may ask, “I know I was born one time, but how ever could I be born a second time?” That is the very question a Pharisee asked Jesus upon hearing the same peculiar teaching. This Pharisee, named Nicodemus, who was understood by most to be a deeply religious man, found Christ's teaching strange, even a bit absurd.
All of Nicodemus' religion, however, never taught him about the difference God makes in a person who accepts Christ as his Saviour. Nicodemus should have been aware of the great change that occurs when a person is saved from the curse of the Law. He should have known that a man is forever different when he is freed from sin. He should have understood the words “born again”—but he did not. His religiosity had failed him.
You may be the same way. You may claim that you are a Christian, spiritual or religious; albeit, you do not truly know if you have been born again. You are unsure if you have passed from darkness to light, comparable to a newborn baby on the day of his delivery. Just as a baby's whole world changes the moment he is born, the same is true for anyone who truly experiences and understands the new birth.
Consider what happens at our first birth, that is, our biological birth. At our biological birth, we leave the the darkness of our mother’s womb and enter into the light. We knew nothing before about the outside world, but as soon as we were born, we could clearly see all things. We did not breathe air in our mother’s womb; however, when we were born we breathed the fresh air of life. Everything changed for us.
Furthermore, we did not and could not go back into our mother’s womb. Once we were born, we were ready to grow and develop. The experience was a one-time, life-transforming event that was essential to our true understanding of life and all things. We would have learned nothing had we stayed unborn.
Jesus Christ taught that our biological birth is the first birth. When He then added that there is an essential second birth, so essential, in fact, it alone allows us to see the kingdom of God, we must take it into deep consideration. What is this second birth? What is it like? Who has experienced it? These are all excellent questions.
To help us, let us look back at some simple truths about our biological birth. First, we had no choice about that birth. That was decided by God in Heaven. He authored it and made it possible. As an unborn baby, we could neither conceive ourselves nor give birth to ourselves. This is equally true for our spiritual birth. The Bible plainly teaches that as Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2); so, we cannot author or finish our new birth. We are totally powerless, unless God sees our salvation through from conception to delivery.
Nicodemus, of course, thought his first birth, religion and good living had made him fit for God and His kingdom. Jesus, however, looked Him squarely in the eyes, and said, "Ye must be born again." So, while Nicodemus thought one way, Jesus thought another. Jesus knew this religious man was equally a sinner as everyone else. Nicodemus was no closer to seeing the kingdom of God than a thief or a murderer. Like a baby that had never even been conceived Nicodemus did not know his predicament!
Like Nicodemus, we are all born needing to be born again. And, like Nicodemus, we do not know it. Jesus must enter our lives and bring about the new birth. When He does, just like our world changed on the outside upon our first birth, so will our world change on the inside upon our second birth.
You may wonder how you can know if you have been born again. Everyone on earth needs to come to this point; that is, they need to realize there is a new birth and they must have it! If you have doubts, you need to return to Jesus' teaching on the subject in John 3. From there, you will see that this second birth is entirely different from the first. The first was of "water", biological. The second birth is of the "Spirit," and is, therefore, spiritual. The first changed everything for you on the outside and the second changes everything on the inside. The first made you a living soul, the second makes you a quickened spirit. The first let you see creation; the second lets you behold the Creator. The first ends in death; the second never ends. The first is of this earth; the second is of heaven. The first came by the conception of man, but the second comes by the conception of God. The first adds another sinner to the world; the second adds another saint in eternity. It is amazing how wildly different the two births are and yet how many folks do not know whether they have experienced it or not!
Let us therefore ask the question and then use the Bible to answer it: "Once one has been born again, how shall he know it?"
Since it is only obvious that the first birth in a person's life is unquestionable, then it stands to reason that the same can be true of the new birth. You can know that you have been born again. This is why the little book of I John states, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life" (I Jn. 5:13a). When one, therefore, reads this little book, he should look for "these things" which help one know he has eternal life.
When we read it, we realize that God gives us special markings to tell us if we have truly been born again. Just as there are birthmarks from our first birth, so there are birthmarks from our second birth.
It would do us all well to intently listen to "these things" and study them, for if they are not in us, in all likelihood, we are not born again, and we cannot see the kingdom of God!
So, now, as we turn to I John, let us also look within us to see if we are marked by the new birth.
Birthmark One Obeying Christ’s Commands
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” I John 2:3
I know better that I am saved because I keep Christ’s commandments.
When one is holding onto what Christ said in the Bible, it is a good sign he has been born again. That is, if a man is reading the Bible, praying in the Lord Jesus’ name, desiring to live holy and godly, striving to be a testimony in this world, preaching the Gospel, attending the meeting of the Church faithfully, and avoiding sin, then he bears one of the birthmarks of the new birth.
Birthmark Two Doing Righteousness
“If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” I John 2:29
I know better that I am saved because I do righteousness.
"Righteousness" is an interesting word. The first time we find it mentioned in the Bible is in Genesis 15:6. There we read that Abraham "believed in the LORD; and he [that is, the LORD] counted it to him for righteousness." God attributed "righteousness" to Abraham because he "believed in the LORD." This shows us that for "righteousness" itself to be truly righteous, it must come out of faith in God. Righteousness is not simply being a nice and helpful person, it is ordering one's daily life by his consciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When one's daily living reflects faith in Christ it is a mark of the new birth.
Birthmark Three Not Continually Sinning
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” I John 3:9
I know better that I am saved because I do not commit sin.
One of the greatest apostles was the apostle Peter. Did you know he fell back into the sins of pride, racism and fear? You can read about it in Galatians 2:11-13. This failure, however, was short lived. Peter did not continue in this sin. We can be sure, in fact, that he regretted it and turned from it, especially after being confronted by the stern rebuke of the apostle Paul. What helps us know he did not continue in this sin is that he also wrote two wonderful God-inspired epistles, I & II Peter, both of which are in our Bible.
This sin and return to the Lord by Peter well illustrates the point we need to make on this expression "doth not commit sin." The words as we see them here in the English must be understood in the light of what the Bible says about Peter and also in every other place about salvation. It is also extremely helpful to look at the original language of this expression, the Greek. We learn that the expression must only mean that a person who is born of God does not continue to sin. It is impossible for one who has God in him to now form a God-rejecting habit of sin in his life. The presence of God makes too much of a difference! God's "seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." True, he may and will fail, but this will not be the constant choice of his life. God, by His Spirit, is working in the spiritual born person to keep him from a life of sin.
When one is avoiding sins, hating sins, and praying to God to keep him from sins, then his life shows great evidence that it is born again. This is an easily noticed birthmark of a man born two times.
Birthmark Four Loving the Brethren
“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”
I John 3:14
I know better that I am saved because I love my brothers and sisters in the Lord.
When one loves others who have been born again that is a good sign that he too is born again. That is, when a man would rather be with Christians than nonchristians, would rather worship with them than party with the world, would rather be with the Church, than be with the wicked, it is a good sign he is saved and on his way to Heaven.
Birthmark Five Indwelt by the Spirit
“And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” I John 3:24
I know better that I am saved because God’s Spirit is in me.
When one is saved the Spirit of God indwells him. That is, the Spirit of God speaks to him, guides him into all truth, carries his prayers to Heaven, opens the Bible to him, convicts him when he sins, teaches him, and bears witness with his own spirit that he is a child of God.
Sadly, there is an abundance of false teaching about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He certainly takes up residence permanently in those who are born again. This is taught in Ephesians 1:13-14 and 4:30. This, however, does not necessitate that one works miracles, speaks in tongues and other such things since he has been born again. Paul taught plainly that not everyone will have the same gifts (see I Cor. 12:4-11), and, frankly, many of the most expressive gifts of the Spirit have never manifested themselves in history's greatest Christians. As one reads the lives of David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, D. L. Moody, Billy Sunday, Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield, John Wesley, and others, none of them ever claimed to speak in tongues, yet, we have inherited our Christianity from them! Why would God expect us today to speak in tongues to show our salvation if history records believers for centuries upon centuries who have mightily shown the power of God's Spirit upon them without this particular gift?
There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit performs the work of authentication. He authenticates both believers and the truth. This is abundantly clear throughout the book of Acts. If, however, the truth has been plainly authenticated, the Holy Spirit will also refrain from redundant manifestations, lest people begin to overemphasize what is not important. We need to see that though the Holy Spirit authenticated God's acceptance of the Gentiles through signs and wonders in the book of Acts, He did not allow this to remain His centerpiece. If so, then surely miraculous manifestations would have been more fully expounded upon in the remaining books of the New Testament. This, however, is just not the case. On the contrary, almost nothing more is said about this work. Instead, what is said about the Holy Spirit reminds one that He indwells the believer chiefly for spiritual growth that the believer might more fully serve God in this sinful world.
When we are looking for the Holy Spirit within us, therefore, we are looking for His purifying of our lives, His guiding us into all truth and His exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. If these things lack in us, we must ask whether we truly have been born again.
Birthmark Six Confessing Christ Has Come in Flesh
“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God…” I John 4:2
I know better that I am saved because I confess that Jesus Christ is come in human flesh.
When one is saved he openly admits with his lips that Jesus Christ came in the form of a man onto this earth. That is, he believes that the Son of God took on the form of a man, never sinned, humbled Himself, obeyed death, tasted it for every man, was buried, resurrected, and now, after ascending back to Heaven, sits at the Right Hand of his Father.
Birthmark Seven Believing that Jesus Is Christ
“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” I John 5:1
I know better that I am saved because I believe that Jesus is the Christ.
When one is convinced in his heart that the Jesus of Nazareth, who is written of in the Bible, actually is God’s Son sent to be man’s Saviour from sin, he can be assured he has a birthmark from the new birth.
Birthmark Eight Overcoming the World
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” I John 5:4
I know better that I am saved because I overcome the world.
When one no longer is shackled to the world and its pushiness, but is free from its pull to sin, rioting, drunkenness, reveling, pleasure seeking, rebellion, unholiness, and corruption it is a strong indication that he is a born again believer.
Birthmark Nine Witness Within
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.” I John 5:10
I know better that I am saved because I have a witness within myself.
When one knows in his heart that the Spirit of God is confirming that he has been born again then he probably has been. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God…” (Romans 8:16)
Birthmark Ten Keeping Myself
“We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” I John 5:18
I know better that I am saved because I keep myself in a way that the wicked one cannot touch me.
When a man does not make provision for the flesh, does not look upon evil things that would otherwise cleave to him, abstains from all appearance of evil, avoids foolish and wicked men, and does not give any place to the Devil, there is much evidence that he has been born again and will see the kingdom of God.
Conclusion The New Birth
A man may make the claim that he has been born again just by saying so. Yet, this same man, if his life has no spiritual birthmarks, is a liar or confused. The new birth is hard to miss.
Friend, if you have none of these markings, you need to check your salvation. When one is born, he knows it. It is highly possible that you have never experienced the new birth, which leaves you in a terrible predicament. You are still in your sins before God! Trust Christ today! Seek the new birth. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
It could be that some of these birthmarks were less noticeable than others in your life. The Bible instructs us to examine ourselves to see whether we are “in the faith.” We are commanded to make our calling (God speaking to our hearts) and election (God giving us salvation) sure. Note the following texts:
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…” II Corinthians 13:5
“Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall…” II Peter 1:10
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12, 13
When you look into your life, what do you see? Is there evidence of the new birth? Do you see the birthmarks? May the Lord make the truth clear to you today!
Questions or Doubts?