Grace and the New Birth
We believe
a. That in order to be saved, sinners must be born again, (Jn 3:3, 7)
b. That the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus, (II Cor 5:17)
c. That it is instantaneous and not a process, (Acts 16:20-33; I Jn 5:1)
d. That in the new birth, the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God, (II Pet 1:4; Rom 6:23)
e. That the new creation is brought about by our sovereign God in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel, (Jas 1:18; Eph 2:1, 5; Col 2:13; Jn 3:8)
f. That its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life. (I Thess 1:9; Rom 1:8; II Cor 5:17)