Has The Holy Spirit Made You New?

You can learn a lot about God and still miss the one thing you cannot manufacture: new life. We pick up part two of Born Again And Made New with Dr. Timothy Mann, and we sit with Jesus’ words to Nicodemus until they stop sounding like a slogan and start sounding like a rescue. The Holy Spirit’s work in salvation is not something we control or schedule. Jesus compares it to the wind: unseen, unpredictable, unstoppable, but unmistakable in its effects. 

From there, we get honest about the limits of religious tradition, emotional experiences, and even strong preaching. Information is not the same as regeneration. The Spirit gives life. Dr. Mann uses a striking picture of a defibrillator to show why a dead heart does not need advice; it needs power. And while salvation is supernatural, we are not passive: when the gospel is preached and conviction comes, we must “lift our sail” with repentance and faith, not delay or brush it off. 

Then we turn to Titus 3:4–7 for a clear, hope-filled summary of the gospel and the results of the new birth: mercy over merit, the washing of regeneration, the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, justification by grace, and adoption into an inheritance that cannot fade. We also talk about what real conversion produces over time: a new posture toward sin, a growing reflection of grace, and the steady confidence that biblical hope is certain because God promised it. 

If you’re asking, “Am I truly saved?” or you want deeper assurance of salvation and a stronger grasp of the gospel of Jesus Christ, this message is for you. Subscribe for more biblical teaching, share this with someone who needs clarity, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part challenged you most?

Transcript

Welcome And Series Context

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Welcome to the Foundations of Truth. Our mission is to help you build your life on the unstable foundation of God's Word, rooted in Scripture, anchored in the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today on Foundations of Truth, we continue our saved understanding God's Work in Us series with part two of the message, born again and made new. Here now is Dr. Timothy Mann.

The Spirit Moves Like Wind

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What we learn here is that the Spirit's work is mysterious, but powerful. Jesus said to Nicodemus, do not marvel that I said to you. In other words, don't be amazed by this. Don't be surprised by this. Don't act all astonished by this. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes? So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. And so Jesus here compares the Holy Spirit of God and those born of the Spirit to the wind. Unseen, unpredictable, and unstoppable. Anybody in this room ever been successful at controlling the wind? You can't control the wind, but you can't deny its presence either. You can't control the wind, but you can't deny its presence. You see the effects. The trees sway. Boy, we really see its effects when a hurricane comes our way. You see the trees sway, the leaves scatter, flags wave, the sails fill. And so it is with the Spirit of God. You can't chart his course or command his timing. But when he moves, you know it. You know it. Conviction grips the heart. Tears come in repentance. Faith is awakened and desires a change. Your desires change. New birth isn't a decision we schedule. It's a sovereign move of God that changes everything.

Life Not Information Or Emotion

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We also understand that the Spirit gives life, not just information. Some of us really like information. Nicodemus had information. He had scripture, he had theology. What he didn't have was life, spiritual life. Jesus later said in John chapter 6, verse 63. Jesus said this, and I quote our Lord and Savior. He said, It is the Spirit, capital S, who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The flesh profits nothing. It's the spirit who gives life. And then he said, The words I speak to you are spirit and they are life. That's why, I wish it were the case, but that's why sermons alone don't save. And Lord knows, especially when so-called sermons have nothing about sin and repentance and who Jesus is and what real salvation does. We have a whole lot of therapeutic, moralistic deism going on. We want to make you feel better. Feel better about yourself. We'll put you in therapy from the pulpit. Counsel you and give you psychology pop talks. Help you how to be nice, tell you how to be nice, be you know nice to each other and love everybody, whatever, and just believe in God. But even the kind of sermons I preach, those sermons alone don't save. That's why religious tradition or religious rituals won't change a heart. That's why, even, look, we can get worked up, lower the lights, and get the smoke going, and man, we can sway and wave and have all the songs that's popular and you love and hunger for. Listen, I'm telling you, that's why emotion, that's why tears and resolve on its own can't regenerate a soul. Only the Spirit of God can breathe life into dry bones. That's why we pray before we preach. That's why we plead with God in evangelism. That's why we depend on Him every time we share the gospel, because salvation is supernatural.

The Defibrillator Picture Of Regeneration

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We have a fibulator out there on the wall. Hope we never have to use it. Think of a heart that is stopped. You can talk to it. You can teach it. You can yell at it, but nothing will restart it. What it needs is a shock of power. It needs a jolt from a defibrillator. I got it right in the first service. It needs that jolt from that machine. That brings it back to life. That's what the Holy Spirit does. That's what the Holy Spirit does. He doesn't just advise us, he revives us. He revives us. He quickens the dead. He doesn't just coach us to do better. He quickens the dead. That's regeneration.

Lift Your Sail And Respond

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And the Spirit's work calls for our response. Now don't misunderstand. Just because the Spirit's work is sovereign doesn't mean we're passive. The wind of the Spirit may blow. But you still have to lift your sail. When the gospel is preached and the Spirit convicts, you must respond. You must believe. You must repent. Some resist, some ignore, but others receive and are made new. And so if perhaps you're in this room this morning and the Spirit of God is stirring in you today, don't harden your heart. Don't say, ah, later. Don't brush it off. The wind is blowing. Lift your sail. Come to Christ. And this applies to all of us. All of this truth in these verses applies to all of us. Maybe you are a mature believer. I want to remind you, you didn't save yourself. It was the Spirit who gave you life. So walk in his power. Yield to his leading. Trust his work in you daily. Maybe you've been a believer just for a short time, maybe for a few years. I want to remind you, you're born of the Spirit. So don't return to living by the flesh. Stay close to his voice. Stay rooted in the word. Be a part of a community of believers. Lean in to the church. Connect. Connect. That's on you. Oh, we'll try. We'll give everything we've got to help you connect. But you have to step up and do it. You have to commit. You have to be a part. Maybe you're still an unbeliever and you're going to be honest about it and say, Yeah, I'm still an unbeliever, but but you're seriously thinking this over. That's good. You cannot fix your heart. You cannot climb your way to God. But the Spirit can awaken you. Ask him to. Right now. Call on Jesus. Turn from your old ways. Ask him to make you new.

Titus 3 And The Results

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Let's go to Titus. I want you to see the result of the new birth. Titus chapter 3. Verses 4 through 7. Titus chapter 3. The Apostle Paul here gives us a beautiful summary of salvation in these verses. John 3 shows us how new birth happens. I mean, it's still mysterious, but in John 3 we see how new birth happens by the work of the Holy Spirit. But in Titus 3, it really shows us what it produces. What's the outcome of that for us? Let's read it again. Verse 4. But when the kindness and the love of God, our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. Through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that, having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Now this short passage right here unfolds the full gospel all the way from the heart of God to the hope of heaven in these verses. Let's touch them. So, what's the results of new birth? Well, we see here. We see first of all that God saved us by mercy, not by merit. By mercy, not by merit. It says, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy. Let that sink in. I mean, let that sink in. God didn't save you because you were good. He doesn't save us because we are good. He didn't look at your resume. He doesn't look at our church attendance. He doesn't look at our moral effort. He didn't do any of that and then decide after he looked at all that and then decided that you were worthy. No. He saved you because he's merciful. He saves us because he's merciful. You know what that means? That means we bring nothing to the table but our need, our sin. Not one ounce. Not one ounce. Not even a half an ounce. Not a quarter of an ounce. Nothing. Not one ounce of salvation is earned. It's all of grace. It's not just the broken and the immoral who need mercy. It's the moral. It's the respectable. It's the religious who need mercy. Everyone. Again, 32 plus years of pastoring has taught me this. The hardest hearts to reach are often the ones who think they're good enough. But Jesus didn't come for the righteous, he said. Not those who think they're righteous, the self-righteous. He didn't come for the righteous. He came for sinners. He came for the lost. And he saves. Not by works, but by mercy. It also says here that we're washed and renewed by the Spirit, the scripture, through the washing of regeneration. There's that word. Through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. I think these are two of the most powerful realities in the Christian life. The first one is regeneration. I'm talking about that moment that God breathes spiritual life into a dead heart, into your dead heart. And then there's renewal, the ongoing work of the Spirit to shape you more and more into the image of Jesus, into the likeness of Jesus. Regeneration is instant. You go from death to life. Renewal is ongoing. You grow, you struggle, you repent, you're shaped. The word washing here points to the cleansing power of salvation. Look, you're not just dusted off, you're washed clean. Your guilt is removed. Your shame is silenced. Your past is forgiven. You are not who you used to be. You're not who you used to be. And this isn't symbolic, it's real. The Spirit of God enters your life and he begins a complete renovation from the inside out. And when you stumble, and you will, and when you stumble, the Holy Spirit doesn't leave. Isn't that good? The Holy Spirit doesn't leave. He keeps working. He keeps shaping.

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He keeps renewing.

Listener Supported Ministry Message

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Foundations of truth is a listener-supported ministry in a culture filled with confusion and spiritual compromise. Your financial support helps proclaim the unchanging truth of God's word across radio, podcast, and digital platforms. If this ministry is strengthening your walk with Christ and encouraging your faith, would you consider partnering with us? You can give securely online at firm-foundations.org. Thank you.

Grace Poured Out Abundantly

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The word says we've received the Spirit abundantly. Whom? Whom? Talk about the person of the Holy Spirit of God, whom He has poured out on us, God the Father, poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. I'm glad to tell you this morning that God isn't stingy with his grace. He doesn't, he doesn't ration the Holy Spirit like some kind of precious commodity. It says here, he pours him out abundantly. That means this morning that you are not running on spiritual fumes. You are not scraping the bottom of the barrel hoping for one more drop of strength. If you are in Christ, listen to me. If you are in Christ, if you are indeed born again, you are filled, you are sealed, and you are indwelt with the Spirit of God. Now you may not always feel full. You say, Well, doesn't the Bible say we're to be filled with the Spirit? Yes. Hang on. You may not always feel full, full, uh filled or full, but the truth isn't based on your feelings. You have all of God the Holy Spirit. You have all of God the Holy Spirit. He is present, he is active, he is empowering, and he is sanctifying. 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 3 says, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. You don't need anything else. I gotta find the right book. No, you don't. You need the Spirit of God. I gotta go to the right preacher. No, you don't. You need the Spirit of God. Oh, I need to find the right YouTube guy with the right podcast. No, you don't. You need the Spirit of God. His power has given you everything you need for life and godliness. Get somewhere and get planted and dig in. You don't need more hype. You need to trust the fullness already there. You don't need more of him, but you do continually need to give him more of yourself. That's what the fullness is talking about. Let's get done. Look at this.

Justified And Made An Heir

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That having been justified by his grace, having been justified by his grace. This is a courtroom word. Justified. Courtroom word. It means being declared righteous. It means being declared not guilty. Not that you are righteous or not guilty in and of yourself. God is declaring it based on Jesus. Your faith in him. Justification isn't about how you feel, it's about where you stand with God. See, if you've been born again, if you're really born again, the Spirit of God indwells you, if you've been born again, you now stand justified. You are in right standing with God. You didn't earn that verdict. It's been given by grace. And you know what? It can't be overturned. It can't be overturned. You are no longer condemned. You are no longer under wrath. You are no longer outside the family. You are forgiven. You are accepted. You are made right with God forever. You're justified. Yes, sir. It's a legal term. And he says, We're also made heirs of eternal life. Look at this. That we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Now that's pretty stunning to me. Because not only are we forgiven, we're adopted. Not only are we saved, we are made heirs. We're not just rescued from judgment, as wonderful as that is, we're brought into the family and we're given an inheritance that will never fade. And this isn't just wishful thinking. The Apostle Paul calls it the hope of eternal life. And biblical hope is certain. It's not, I hope this works out. No, it's it's I know it's coming because God promised it. That's what it is. I know it's coming because God promised it. I mean, imagine a lawyer reading the will of a wealthy man, and there's a poor young man sitting quietly. He's thinking he has nothing to do with any of it, and then the lawyer says his name. He's stunned. He's shocked. He didn't earn a cent of it. He actually doesn't have a biological right to it because he wasn't in the line, but the inheritance is his because he was adopted. That's salvation. See, God doesn't just forgive your sins, he writes your name into his will. He makes you his own. And he gives you eternal life. And we now have, we live as a new people with a new purpose.

New Birth Produces New Behavior

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Titus 3 doesn't end with theology. Look, I just got to say this. If all of this is just about theology for you, and that's all it is, I'm very concerned for your soul. If all you want to do is get hung up on the doctrine, I've got the right doctrine. And there's no change, there's no difference. You're no different than you were when you learned the doctrine. You're not born again. As we'd say back in the mountains of North Carolina, you ain't saved. Because it's not about theology. That's important. Don't get me wrong. It's about transformation, it's about change. That's where it ends. Because new birth produces new behavior. You don't live the same way after you've been born again. You won't be perfect. You'll fall occasionally. Sometimes you'll struggle. But you will walk in the spirit. You fight sin when you're born again. You fight sin. You hate it. You don't love it. You hate it. You fight sin. You don't just welcome it in. Oh, yeah, I can do this and get away with it because that's all about grace. You don't understand. You don't get what salvation means. You fight sin because you hate it. You show mercy. You show love. You actually start to reflect the grace that saved you. Boy, now that's radical, isn't it? So let's apply.

Clear Applications And Final Appeal

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If you're a seasoned believer in here, you've walked with Jesus for years. I'm grateful for that. Praise God for that. You've walked with Jesus for years. Let me say to you this don't let the miracle of your new birth grow cold. Don't let it grow cold. You are justified, you are renewed, you are indwelt, you are an heir. And what all of that ought to do is it ought to renew your worship of God and it ought to fuel your faithfulness. All the way to the end. And then maybe you're a new believer. I've been doing this all that long. You're born again, though. And maybe you feel like, if you're honest, you say, I feel like I'm just still figuring things out. Join the club. Still figuring things out. That's okay. The Spirit of God lives in you if you're born again. He's renewing you. You are no longer who you were. So live like an heir, not a beggar. To the unbeliever, if you have enough guts within yourself this morning, enough integrity in yourself to say, eh, I'm not a Christian. Really not. You don't have to earn this. In fact, you can't. You don't have to clean yourself up first. You can't clean up enough. You need new life. And by the The mercy of God and the power of the Spirit. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, full of curiosity and confusion. He left with a confrontation and an invitation. You must be born again. That's not just a religious phrase, it's the heart of salvation. You can't see the kingdom. You can't enter heaven. You can't truly know God unless you're born again. But here's the hope. What you cannot do for yourself, God can do by his spirit. He gives new hearts. He washes away sin. He raises the dead to life. He saves. Not by works, but by mercy. So I ask you, have you been born again? If you're lost, don't delay. Come to Christ. Ask him to give you new life. Ask him to make you new. If you're new in the faith, walk in the Spirit, live with joy. Say the word. Press into the people of God. You're not you are. And if you are seasoned in the faith, rejoice in your salvation. Worship the God who saved you and tell others. Because salvation isn't about turning over a new leaf, it's receiving new life. That life is offered to you through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, all by the mercy of God. And to him be all the glory.

Contact Info Support And Book

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Thank you for joining us today for Foundations of Truth.

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Hey, this is Dr. Timothy Mann with Foundations of Truth. And if you listen to the program on the Word Orlando, 990 a.m. or 101.5 FM, I would love to hear from you. We're on at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday on The Word Orlando. If your listener would like to know, send me an email. Timothy Mann at Firm Foundations.org. That's Timothy Mann at Firm Foundations.org. I would sure love to hear from you. God bless.

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If this ministry is strengthening your faith and helping you grow in Christ, would you consider supporting this broadcast financially? We are completely listener-supported. Your gifts help keep biblical teaching on the air on the radio, online, and podcasts, reaching people around the country and the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you'd like to give a gift now, you can give securely online at firm-foundations.org.

SPEAKER_01 24:42

Before we close today, I want to tell you about a resource that I believe will be a genuine help to you. I've recently published my first book, Saved, Understanding God's Work in Us. In over 30 years of pastoral ministry, one of the questions I've encountered more than almost any other is this. How can I know that I am truly saved? It is a question that deserves a careful, biblical answer. And that is exactly what this book is designed to give. Saved, understanding God's work in us, walks through what the scripture teaches about salvation, what God has done for us, what he is doing in us, and the assurance that every believer can have because of his work. If you want to understand salvation more deeply, stand on firmer ground in your faith, or be better equipped to share the gospel with someone you love, then this book was written for you. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes Noble, and Books a Million, and pretty much anywhere you buy books. Just search Save Understanding God's Work in Us by Dr. Timothy Mann. I pray it strengthens your faith. Thanks for being with us today. God bless you.