IS THE NEW BIRTH ACQUIRED BY FAITH ALONE?   BY STEVE FINNELL

Are men born again the minute they believe that Jesus is the Christ? No, they are not.

Apollos and his friends were all believers in Jesus and had been baptized in accordance to the baptism of John the Baptist. Were they born again? No, they had not even heard that there was a Holy Spirit. (Acts 19:1-7) They were not saved. (John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly , I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God).

1. Apollos and friends believed. (Acts 19:2 He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.") Apollos and friends were believers in Jesus, however, they had not been born again.  There are no unborn saved believers.

2. Apollos and friends were not born again even though they had believed and had been baptized in water according to John's baptism. (Acts 19:3 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said , "Into John's baptism.")

A. After the Day of Pentecost John's baptism was not a valid baptism.

B. Believing, alone, does not cause someone to be born again.

3.  Acts 19:4-5 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is in Jesus." 5 When they hear this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (When Apollos and friends heard this they were baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.  Galatians 3:27, Acts 2:38 they were born of water and the Spirit John 3:5).

Apollos and friend being baptized unto John's baptism and believing in Jesus did not result in the new birth.

Believing and Christian water baptism, results in being born again, (The New Birth), John 3:5, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Titus 3:5, Acts 22:16.

THE NEW BIRTH IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED BY FAITH ALONE. THERE IS NO NEW BIRTH WITHOUT CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. YES, IMMERSION IN WATER IS ESSENTIAL TO BEING BORN AGAIN.