6 Signs of Regeneration By Charles Spurgeon

Signs of Regeneration

Regeneration, or the new birth, affects the entire character of man, and its essence is the implantation and development of a new principle inside him. The Holy Spirit instills in us a new, divine, and everlasting nature, which the Bible calls “the spirit” in contrast to the soul. The spirit is a spark from the everlasting fire of God’s life and love, which falls into the heart and abides there, making its receiver a partaker of the divine nature.” The man is now made up of three parts: body, soul, and spirit, with the spirit being the most powerful. You’ll recall 1Corinthians 15, where the contrast is well brought out in the original, and may even be discernible in our version. A soulish body is seeded and raised, per the text “It is sown a natural body.” A soulish body and a spiritual body exist. So it is written: The first Adam had a soul; the final Adam had a spirit. However, that which is spiritual came first, followed by that which is soulish, and then that which is spiritual. ” Like the first Adam, we initially exist in our natural or soulish state, and then, via regeneration, we enter a new state and become possessors of the life-giving “spirit.” Without this spirit, no man can see or enter the kingdom of heaven. It must be our deepest wish that the Holy Spirit falls down upon these dry bones and breathe eternal life into the dead in sin. “for the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” 

Omnipotence must build a new and heavenly mind or the man must die. So we have a huge task ahead of us that we are completely incapable of doing. No living minister, nor all of us, nor all of the saints on earth or in heaven, can save a soul; neither can all of us, nor all of the saints on earth or in heaven, accomplish regeneration in a single individual. The entire thing is absurd unless we see ourselves as utilized by the Holy Spirit and empowered by Him. 

For our ministry, the greatest seals and testimonies of our commission are the miraculous regenerations. Whereas the apostles could rely on Christ’s miracles and those performed in His name, we rely on the miracles of the Holy Spirit, which are as divine and genuine as those performed by our Lord. These miracles include the birth of a new life in the human womb and the complete transformation of people who are touched by the Spirit.

For this God-given spiritual life in man is a mystery, we will have a greater impact if we focus on the indications that follow and accompany it because these are the things we must strive towards. 

#1 Conviction Of Sin

The first sign of regeneration will be the conviction of sin. This, we think, is indisputable evidence of the Spirit’s activity. One of the first consequences of new life, when it enters the heart, is profound interior anguish. Though we now hear of people being healed before they have been injured and brought into the assurance of justification without ever lamenting their condemnation, we are skeptical of the usefulness of such healings and justifications. This is not the truth. God never clothes men until He has first stripped them, nor does He quicken them by the gospel till first they are slain by the law. 

When you interact with people who have no evidence of sin conviction, you can be sure they haven’t been touched by the Holy Spirit, since “when He comes, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” When the Lord’s Spirit touches us, He withers all human glory, revealing a deeper and more lasting glory. 

Do not be surprised if you feel a strong conviction of sin, but do not judge others who feel less strongly, for sin is clearly a fruit of the Spirit when it is mourned over, confessed, forsaken, and abhorred. 

The preacher must work hard to generate real and profound conviction of sin, for where this is not felt the new birth has not occurred.

#2 Simple Faith In Jesus Christ

True conversion can be identified by simple faith in Jesus Christ. You don’t need me to convince you, since you already are. The goal is to develop faith. You haven’t won the man’s soul for Jesus until he’s done with himself and his own merits and has closed in on Christ. 

It is vital that this trust in Christ is developed for entire salvation and not just part of it. Many people believe Jesus can forgive past sins but cannot trust Him to keep them safe in the future. They rely on the past but not for the future since the work of Christ is never mentioned in the Bible. We are either forgiven of all our sins or we are not. 

His death can never be repeated, and it must have atoned for believers’ future sins, otherwise, they are lost. “by Him, all that believe are justified from all things.” Blessed be His name. Grace-based salvation is eternal. Sinners must entrust their lives to Christ for all eternity to be saved. 

Some preach that Christians are only rescued partially and that the rest is up to them. Do you believe it? I don’t. Genuine faith relies on the full Christ for salvation. If they were simply taught to believe in Jesus for temporal salvation, is it any wonder that many converts fail? 

Defective Christ-exhibition breeds faulty faith, which then dies away in its own stupidity. When their weak malformed trust breaks down, the preacher and the possessor of a partial faith must share the guilt of the failure together. 

I say this because a semi-legal way of believing is so widespread. We must exhort the terrified sinner to place his complete confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ, otherwise, he will conclude that he must begin in the Spirit and finish in the body, and this will be deadly. 

In Him, who has sanctified the people of God once and for all, true faith finds eternal life and complete salvation. Salvation in Christ is neither the source of carnal security and the enemy of holy zeal, as some believe. 

Inspired by holy thankfulness to his Redeemer, the regenerated man becomes capable of virtue and is filled with enthusiasm for God’s glory. A man’s moral redemption is complete when he utters the new song that the Master has put into his lips because the ego is no longer the lord of his existence. Rest not content till you see clear evidence in your converts of a simple, sincere, and decided faith in the Lord Jesus.

#3 True Repentance of Sin

True repentance of sin is required together with undivided faith in Jesus Christ. Repentance is an archaic term rarely employed by modern revivalists. “Oh!” a minister exclaimed one day, “it only means a change of mind.” This was a remarkable insight. “Only a change of mind” yet what a change! A change of heart about everything! It seems more accurate to say it is a big and deep shift—even a transformation of the mind itself. But, whatever the Greek word means, repentance is serious. There is no greater explanation of repentance than the one offered in the children’s hymn: “Repentance is to leave the sins we loved before and show that we in earnest grieve, by doing so no more.”

Conviction, sorrow for sin, or holy grief at having done it; hate of sin, which shows that its control has ended; and a practical turning away from sin, which shows that the life inside the soul is acting upon the life beyond, are all signs of true conversion. Genuine belief and true remorse are twins, and it is impossible to tell which came first. Similar to how all the graces come into play when the Holy Ghost regenerates us, but repentance is required. There is no sinner who looks at Christ with a dry eye or a stony heart. Do not be satisfied until the entire mind is thoroughly and genuinely altered in relation to sin.

#4 Real Change Of Life

Another proof of the conquest of a soul for Christ will be found in a real change of life. So long as the guy does not change his lifestyle, both at home and abroad, his remorse is a lie. Action, language, spirit, and temper must all be altered. Someone comments “but grace is often grafted on crab-stock.” I know it is; but what is the fruit of the grafting? The fruit will be like the graft, not the original stem. “But,” adds another, “I have a terrible anger that suddenly overwhelms me.” My rage fades quickly, and I feel extremely sorry. Though I can’t control myself, I am a Christian.” Never say never; I am equally certain of the opposite. What good is quick cooling if you burn everyone in two or three seconds? If a man stabs me in rage, seeing him mourn will not cure my wound. A quick temper must be tamed, and the whole character regenerated, otherwise, conversion is doubtful. We cannot hold up reduced holiness before our people and say, “If you reach that standard, you will be fine.” “He that committed sin is of the devil.” says the Bible. We are servants of sin if we live under the dominion of any recognized evil, for “his servants ye are to whom ye obey.” The claims of a guy who loves any sin are idle. While a single sin dominates his heart and life, he may feel and think whatever he wants. True regeneration instills hate of all evil, and evidence that one sin is enjoyed is fatal to a sound hope. One dose of poison is enough to end a man’s life.

There must be harmony between life and the profession. In order to claim the name of Christian, one must abstain from sin. “I am one of your converts, Mr. Hill.” a drunkard declared one day to Rowland Hill. But you are not of the Lord’s, or you would not be intoxicated, said the wise preacher. We must put all of our efforts into this actual test.

#5 True prayer

True prayer, the lifeblood of godliness, must be seen in our converts. If there is no prayer, you may be sure the soul is dead. That’s because our key message is “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is all too easy to misplace prayer and turn it out to be a type of job by which men are to survive, but I trust you will avoid this at all costs. A guy who claims faith in the Lord Jesus but does not pray regularly to the Lord is not worthy of our faith or our conversion. “Behold, he talks loudly of his joys and feelings,” the Holy Ghost assured Ananias, “Behold, he prays,” Oh, to see this undeniable proof of everyone who claims to be our converts!

#6 Willingness To Obey The Lord In All His Commandments

There must also be a willingness to obey the Lord in all His commandments. It is a disgrace to profess discipleship while refusing to understand his Lord’s will on particular issues, or even refusing to obey when that will is understood. How can a guy be a follower of Christ who openly disobeys Him?

If the claimed convert says he understands his Lord’s will but refuses to fulfill it, you must tell him he is not saved. “He that takes not up his cross, and comes after Me, cannot be My disciple,” says the Lord. Mistakes about the Lord’s will should be gently rectified, but anything that resembles deliberate disobedience is deadly; to allow it would be treason to the One who sent us. Jesus must be received as King and Priest; and where there is any hesitancy about this, the foundation of godliness is not yet laid. A pardoning God is jealous still for His own holiness. “

As you can see, dear brethren, the signs that show a soul is saved are far from trivial, and the work that must be done before such signs may exist is not to be taken lightly. A soul-winner needs God to win souls. He must throw himself on the Invisible, or the devil would mock him. We would address the words of the Lord to Job to everyone who aspires to succeed in such a labor on their own power “Is it possible for you to entice Leviathan with a hook? Or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? Will you play with him as a bird would? Will you tie him for thy maidens’ sake? Place your hand on him, recall the struggle, and stop. Isn’t it futile to hope to see him?” Our dependence on God is our strength and delight; let us go forth and win souls for Him.

This article is an edited version of the article “What is it to win soul” from Charles Spurgeon’s book “The Soul Winner”. Check out our related posts for more information on this topic, or get a copy of the book from Amazon.