Another class say, "Oh, yes, I am a Christian, because I was
baptized." Now, I want to say here that baptism is one thing, and
being born again is another. Because a person is baptized, you cannot
say that that is the new birth. Would you call that being born from
above? You cannot baptize a man into the kingdom of God. Now, bear
that in mind. If I could save men by baptizing them, you would not
catch me preaching. I would get water and baptize them; that would be
the quickest way. It would be no use to be praying and pleading for
men to flee from the wrath of God. But you can never get them into the
kingdom of God by baptism. Baptism is all right in its place. I am not
here crying down church ordinances; I am talking about the new birth:
and there are a great many, I believe, being deceived on this one
point, that because they have been baptized at some time in their life
they have become Christians. But that is not the new birth; that is
not being born from above and of the Spirit. Do not let Satan deceive
you, my friends, on that point, for it is a very important truth; and
we want to have every one here to understand, and I hope the Spirit of
God will make plain the difference between baptism and regeneration,
or being born of the Spirit.