BIRTH, NEW
In the first birth—born to sin, in the next—born to holiness; in the first—partakers
of corruption, in the next—heirs of incorruption; in the first—depravity, in the
second—perfection. 398.403
If you are really born of God, the date of your new birth is interesting to curiosity but
not important to piety. 1717.237
I grant you that in many persons conversion appears to be gradual, and many things
lead up to it as by an inclined plane; but as to the new birth and the reception of the
divine life, there is a distinct line of demarkation—on that side of the line is death,
and on this side of it all is life. 1774.201
You are saying, “How can we become Christians?” Why, you can become Christians
by being created, and there is no other way. “But we cannot create ourselves,” says
one. It is even so. Stand back, and quit all pretence of being creators; and the further
you retreat from self-conceit the better, for it is God who must create you. 1829.150
What a marvellous life it is! It brings with it new perceptions, new emotions, new
desires. It has new senses: there are new eyes, with which we see the invisible; new
ears, with which we hear the voice of God, before inaudible. Then have we a new
touch, with which we lay hold on divine truth; then have we a new taste, so that we
“taste and see that the Lord is good.” This new life ushers us into a new world, and
gives us new relationships and new privileges. 1946.75
We know not what we are born to in our second birth; for, as a man is born to trouble
by his first birth, when he is born a second time, he is born to a double share of
trouble. Then, he was born to physical and mental trouble; but now that he is born
again, he is born to spiritual trouble; and as he shall have new joys, so shall he also
have a long list of new sorrows. 2798.459
“Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward;” but when we were born again,
we were born to a double set of troubles. Both our births bring us troubles; our first
birth brings us the troubles that are incident to sin, and our second birth brings us
the troubles that are incident to fighting against sin. 3012.533
Recollect that every man who is only born once will have to die twice; but the man
who is born twice will only have to die once, and even that once dying will be no
moribund experience, for it will only be the gate into eternal life. 3079.77