May 22

“The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16

A man’s regeneration can never be produced by the activities of his soul. To be penitent, to express sorrow for sin, even with tears, and then to make a decision for Christ do not in themselves save a man. Confession, decision, or any other religious act must not be construed as producing new birth.

Rational judgment, intellectual understanding, mental acceptance, the pursuit of the good and true—all these are excellent activities of man’s soul. They may bring him to the point of hunger for God. But although they may function as servants, man’s ideas and feelings and choices cannot hold office as masters.

In this matter of salvation, their role is only secondary. The biblical reality of new birth belongs to a deeper realm. It is nothing less than the awakening of divine life in a man’s spirit through the entry of the Holy Spirit of God.