, "Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God."--1 John 5:1.
"Therefore if any one is in Christ he is a new creature."--2 Cor.
5:17. This is not a mere theory. All down the centuries since the
Saviour came, there have been multitudes of notable cases where
hardened men and women, deep down in sin, have actually become new
creatures by being redeemed and being born again. Many are now living,
whose names could be given, who are widely known, who were once
notorious in sin, and they are now willingly and gladly wearing out
their lives in God's service, and are living godly lives: and this
change came in their lives, not by a gradual process, but in a moment.
God's word says it is a new birth. There is no other explanation. But
every one who is redeemed is thus born of God (1 John 5:1), and this
new nature will lead one to hate sin, and prompt to a godly life.

Second, the redeemed man is under the new motive of love to Christ
("if ye love me, keep my commandments,"--John 14:15) to prompt him to
a faithful Christian life. On this point James Denny in "The Death of
Christ" says, "The love which is the motive of it acts immediately
upon the sinful; gratitude exerts an irresistible constraint; His
responsibility means our emancipation; His death, our life; His
bleeding wound, our healing. Whoever says, 'He bore our sins,' says
substitution; and to say substitution is to say something which
involves an immeasurable obligation to Christ, and _has therefore in
it an incalculable motive power_." Let the reader note well, that the
purpose of God in saving men through Christ dying of their sins (1
Cor. 15:3) is to _purify the motive power_ and _make it effective_.
"He died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live _unto
themselves_, but _unto him_."--2 Cor. 5:15.

When men live in order that they may retain the promise of eternal
life, that they may attain eternal life hereafter, from fear lest they
should forfeit the promise and not attain eternal life hereafter, they
"live unto themselves." When men live because they already have as an
actual possession, eternal life, and realize that it is eternal, they
live from love, and not unto themselves but "_unto Him_."

And God's plan is effective. "The love of Christ constraineth us" (2
Cor. 5:14), _it does constrain_. Hence, Jesus says, "if a man love me,
_he will_ keep my words."--John 14:23. Again, "If God were your Father
_ye would_ love me."--John 8