The New Birth

When Were The Disciples Born Again?

Pastor John Clark, Sr's bible study on the spiritual condition of the disciples - according to Jesus' own words - before the day of Pentecost. Knowing their condition helps us to understand that they were not born again until they were baptized with the holy spirit.

Study the New Birth

A collection of study materials about the New Birth. Click links to read.

What is Necessary?: The First Thing to Seek; Ye Must Be Born Again; Conception Versus Birth; Three Required Things to be Born Again; Have Ye Received the holy Ghost Since Ye Believed?
The New Birth Experience: The New Birth; Are You Born Again?; Conversion; Jezreel - The Sowing of the Lord; What Happens When You Are Born Again; Q & A About the New Birth
After the New Birth: The Happiest Day Ever; Becoming Something Else
Lies That God's Children Believe: #1: Christianity is the Family of God; #2: The Family of God can be Joined; #3: The holy Ghost Baptism is not the New Birth; #4: Conversion is Salvation

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New Birth Teaching Series

"You must be born again"

Three hours of audio teaching (transcript available) from Pastor John Clark, Sr. on the subject of the "New Birth".

New Birth CD set, 3 hours of wonderful teaching

When is a person born again and how do you know? The Bible contains clear revelation from God about when a person is born again. Learn what had to occur before the new birth was available to man. Listen as Pastor John covers these topics and more:

What Jesus had to do before the New Birth was available.
When were the disciples born again?
The spiritual condition of the disciples before Pentecost.
The promise of the Father.
Do you receive the Spirit before being baptized with it?
What did Jesus mean by "born again"?
The spirit of Antichrist.
What must I do to be born again?

This is perhaps the most important issue for a person to understand.

Have you been born again?

Thought for Today
Apr. 10

PRAYING VS. REPENTING

From a sermon at Grandma's farmhouse by Preacher Clark in mid-May, 1975.

My father had a way of making statements that seemed so wrong at first but would be proved correct upon close examination. After hearing my father preach one night, one man in Louisville, Kentucky, made the comment to this effect: "That preacher can get the Bible in the biggest mess and then get it straightened out again better than anybody I ever heard." In a recent TFT, I mentioned one of my father's unusual expressions: "Everything you believe could be a lie, as far as you know." That is a true statement, as I explained, but it takes a moment for most minds to comprehend it.

Another such statement is this one, made by the seventy-four year-old Preacher Clark in a sermon at Grandma's house in 1975: "There is no Scripture that tells anyone to pray to get the holy Ghost. There is no Scripture that tells anyone to pray to be born again. The only thing any sinner is ever told to do to receive the holy Ghost and be born again is to repent."

I have tried over the years to think of a verse that tells those who seek God to pray in order to receive the baptism of the holy Ghost, but I haven't found one. Of course, if a sinner repents, he is going to pray. Prayer is part of a godly life. But praying is just a part of repentance. Prayer by itself with no repentance is worthless. Proverbs tells us that "the prayer of the wicked is sin." No one has ever been forgiven by God and washed from his sins because he prayed. But everyone who has ever repented has also been forgiven. Every one.

So, my father was right, again. No sinner is ever commanded in the Bible to pray in order to receive the holy Ghost; they are simply commanded to repent. And every soul from the days of the apostles who has obeyed that holy commandment to repent has been baptized by the holy Ghost into God's kingdom.