Relationship Between Belief and the New Birth

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Relationship Between Belief and New Birth

        In this essay we will look at the relationship between belief and the new birth.

        Most people today are taught and believe that you must hear and believe the gospel in order to be born again.  In a cause/effect relationship, they think that “belief” is the “cause” and that the “new birth” is the “effect.”  This concept is to them supported by an erroneous belief in what John 3:16 teaches.  In truth, the “new birth” is the “cause” and “belief” is the “effect” of the new birth.

        When we are unsure what a person is teaching, it is best to go to him and let him explain what he is teaching.  We will let John explain which comes first, belief or the new birth.  For this we will consider several verses of scripture in the book of John as follows:

                A.  John 1:11‑13…to them that believe on his name: which were born…of God.”  For the sake of brevity we didn’t quote all the above passage, but please noteB”believe” is in the present tense, while “were born” is in the past tense.  Grammatically, therefore, the birth must precede the belief; i.e., they were born of God prior to believing.

                B.  John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life…”  Again, “believeth” is present tense and “hath” is past tense.  Thus, everlasting life (new birth) precedes belief.

                C.  John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  Once again, “heareth” and “believeth” are present tense and “hath” is past tense.  Hence, everlasting life comes before we can hear or believe.  Thus, we must be born again prior to “hearing” or “believing.”  Hearing and believing are evidences of the new birth.

                D.  John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”  You show me someone who believes on Jesus and I will show you someone who already has everlasting life.

                E.  John 8:43, 47, “Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.” “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”  Clearly, you must first be of God (born again) before you can hear God’s words (gospel).

                F.  John 10:26‑28, “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.  My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”  In this passage the sheep are those to whom Christ gives eternal life.  Those who are not given eternal life do not believe.  Only those who are given eternal life believe, thus belief is the evidence of the fact that God has given us eternal life (new birth).

                G.  John 13:37, 38, “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord who hath believed our report?  And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?”  It is not the miracles we see with our natural eyes that enable or entice us to believe, but it is the miracle performed within us (new birth) that enables or causes us to believe.  God must first cause us to be born again (reveal his holy arm <strength> within us) and then we can “believe the report.”

                H.  1 John 5:1, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”  Once again, “believeth” is in the present tense and “is born” is in the past tense, thus again showing us that the new birth precedes belief and, in this case, “belief that Jesus is the Christ.”

        Plainly it can be seen from the several verses quoted that John taught that the new birth comes before belief.  Thus, the question should be asked, “What then does John 3:16 teach?”  One thing it teaches us is the eternal security of the believer.  Believing doesn’t cause us to get eternal life, but Christ died that we may have eternal life.  Since eternal life (new birth) precedes believing, then I may conclude that any person that believes already has eternal life and that Christ died for them in order that they may have eternal life.

        In our next installation we will look at the evidences of the new birth.