You cannot be born again unless you’re exposed, not just to glass and to metal and to stone, but to the truth. And the life-bearing truth is in the bible.

Am I saying, You’ve got to believe the bible is the infallible word of God? Let me ask you a question:  Do you have to be absolutely certain medicine will heal you?  Do you have to know all about what’s in this medicine for it to heal you?  No, you just have to take it.  Do you have to believe the bible is the infallible word of God? Do you have to have all of your doubts gone? Of course not, you just have to be exposed to it.  There’s life in it.  There’s power in it.  You cannot be born again unless you are exposed to the truth. . . .

On the one hand, it’s a definite event.  You either are a Christian or you’re not.  Christianity is not a function of your moral attainment.  You must not think of Christianity as always trying to be more and more like Jesus.  We’re told here that what makes you a Christian is if you have the divine life in you.  You either have it or you don’t.

On the other hand, many times it’s not a conscious moment.  You can look back and say, It must have come in somewhere in there, but you don’t know where.  If you feel the need to make your new birth fit the mold of someone who had a dramatic experience, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble.  Cheer up.  If you’re saying, I wish I could believe: I really want to believe; I don’t know how to do it, you’re already being watered.  Maybe, you’ve already been planted.  Go to him (Tim Keller, edited transcript).

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For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith (Romans 3:23-27).

The gospel is so hard to really believe.  Even for Christians.  Especially for me.

Why are you downcast, my soul?  Hope in God!

The Gospel Coalition has overflowed YouTube with clips of Christ-centered answers to some weighty questions.  Check out their channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheGospelCoalition.