Have you been born again?

How can a man be righteous before God? (Job 9:2)

There is none righteous, no, not one. (Romans 3:10)

All our righteousness is like filthy rags. (Isiah 64:6)

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

God hates all workers of iniquity. (Psalm 5:5)

The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)

The Lord is longsuffering, patient, toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

We are justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation (substitute) by His blood, through faith. (Romans 3:24,25)

A man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of your selves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9)

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

God said, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep My judgements and do them. (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

Excerpts from a writing by J.C. Ryle (1816 – 1900)
Friend and contemporary of Charles Spurgeon

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

The signs and marks that show you are born again.

Whoever is born of God does not commit sin. (1 John 3:9)
A man born again, or regenerate, does not commit sin as a habit. He no longer sins with his heart and will and whole inclination, as an unregenerate man does.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. (1 John 5:1)
A man born again, or regenerate, then, believes that Jesus Christ is the only Savior by whom his soul can be pardoned; that He is the divine person appointed by God the Father for this very purpose, and that beside Him there is no Savior at all. In himself he sees nothing but unworthiness, but in Christ he sees ground for the fullest confidence, and trusting in Him he believes that his sins are all forgiven.

Every one that does righteousness is born of Him. (1 John 2:29)
The man born again, or regenerate, then is, a holy man. He endeavors to live according to God’s will, to do the things that please God, to avoid the things that God hates. His aim and desire is to love God with heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love his neighbor as himself. His wish is to be continually looking to Christ as his example as well as his Savior, and to show himself Christ’s friend by doing whatever Christ commands.

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. (1 John 3:14)
A man born again, or regenerate, then, has a special love for all true disciples of Christ. Like his Father in heaven, he loves all men with a great general love, but he has a special love for those who are of one mind with himself. Like his Lord and Savior, he loves the worst of sinners, and could weep over them; but he has a peculiar love for those who are believers. He is never so much at home as when he is in their company. He is never so happy as when he is among the saints and the excellent of the earth.

Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. (1 John 5:4)
A man born again, or regenerate, does not make the world’s opinion his rule of right and wrong. He does not mind going against the stream of the world’s way, notions and customs.

He that is begotten of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. (1 John 5:18)
A man born again, or regenerate, is very careful of his own soul. He endeavors not only to keep clear of sin, but also to keep clear of everything which may lead to it. He is careful about the company he keeps. He feels that evil communications corrupt the heart, and that evil is for more catching than good, just as disease is more infectious than health.