Faith is Evidence of the New Birth

          Charles Spurgeon writes about faith and the new birth:


          "Read the third chapter of John's Gospel and do not dwell alone upon its
     earlier sentences.  It is true that the third verse says: Jesus answered and said
     unto him, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he can-
     not see the kingdom of God.'

          "But, then, the fourteenth and fifteenth verses speak:  'And as Moses lifted
     up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up:
     that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.'

          "The eighteenth verse repeats the same doctrine in the broadest terms:
     'He that believes on Him is not condemned:  but he that does not believe is
     condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of of the only
     begotten Son of God.'

          "It is clear to every reader that these two statements must agree, since they
     came from the same lips, and are recorded on the same inspired page.  Why
     should we make a difficulty where there can be none?  If one statement as-
     sures us of the necessity to salvation of a something, which only God can
     give, and if another assures us that the Lord will save us upon our believing
     in Jesus, then we may safely conclude that the Lord will give to those who
     believe all that is declared to be necessary to salvation.

           "The Lord does, in fact, produce the new birth in all who believe in Jesus;
     and their believing is the surest evidence that they are born again."