The Marks of the New Birth · §3 · John Wesley

What the new birth is

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How is everyone who is born of the Spirit? That is, born again? Born of God? What is meant by being born again, by being born of God, or by being born of the Spirit? What is implied in being a son or a child of God, or in having the Spirit of adoption?

We know that these privileges, by the free mercy of God, are ordinarily annexed to baptism. Our Lord therefore calls baptism, in the preceding verse, being born of water and of the Spirit (John 3:5). But we would know what these privileges are. What is the new birth?

1771 text

1. HOW is every one that is born of the Spirit? That is born again? Born of God? What is meant by the being born again? The being born of God? Or, being born of the Spirit? What is implied in, The being a son or a child of God? Or, having the Spirit of adoption? That these privileges, by the free mercy of God, are ordinarily annexed to baptism, (which is thence termed by our Lord in the preceding verse, the being born of water and of the Spirit) we know: but we would know what these privileges are? What is The New Birth?

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About this text

On John 3:8: the marks of those born of the Spirit: faith with power over sin, hope, and love.

EditionPrinted in Wesley's 1771 Works, which do not say when he preached it

Wesley's own sermon in updated English wording. The 1771 panel is the text of the Works Wesley himself had printed in 1771. It is public domain.

Reference

Sermon 18 in the 1771 Works. John 3:8.

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We put this English text into updated wording with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open the 1771 text under any part to compare.

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