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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