Assurance of True Salvation — Keith Daniel

The Necessity of the New Birth

I suppose the chapters of this holy book that have been singled out through the centuries of dealing with a soul concerning salvation have been limited to especially the chapter contained in John, chapter 3, where the Lord Jesus is speaking to a deeply religious man, and a good man, an honest man, and a man who knew much of God's word and of God's ordained religion.

But Jesus turns to this man who comes fearful of others judging him for being clean with Christ, who is now causing chaos and bitterness and hatred and jealousies amongst the religious leaders who couldn't bear his presence.

But this man, deeply religious, comes and he asks Christ concerning the things of eternity. And the Lord turns to this man and staggers him and us through the generations with these words,. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

There is no hope of eternal life. There is no hope of him ever seeing God in eternity. Unless a man, except a man, be born again, he cannot, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Well, this man was as confused as you and I would be had we never heard such a statement.

Nicodemus looks staggered and says, but how can that be? Can a man, when he is old, be born to his mother's womb a second time? And Christ looks at this man steadfast, steadfastly and continues to expound.

And ultimately what Christ says is all given in one amazing statement in verse 6. That which is born, that which is born of the flesh is flesh. And that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. No one is born a child of God, is what Christ is saying.

When you are born, you are a child of your father and mother. But you are not a child of God. You must be born again. You must become God's child. No one is born a child of God. All you are is a child of your father and mother.

Salvation by Grace Through Faith

To become a child of God, to have a spiritual birth, you have to have a physical birth. Because a baby can't do this. Of intellect and their own free will, by grace, through faith, you are saved. You embrace, of your own free will, you embrace the shed blood of Christ.

The salvation of God through Christ. And at that moment, because of your faith, God saves your soul. God gives birth to you spiritually. You become His child. In one moment, you are born of God. You are born of the Spirit.

You become God's child through intellect, embracing, by faith, the promises of God concerning the shed blood of Christ. Nothing in my hands I bring. Simply through the cross I cling. Being justified freely by grace.

Through faith in His blood, Romans says, you are justified. You are made righteous, the righteousnesses of God by faith. Not having my own righteousnesses in the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ.

The righteousnesses of God by faith. In one moment, God, by the blood of Christ, declares you righteous. You will never be judged. Your sin is blotted out. You are redeemed by the blood of Christ. But this is operational.

This operation, this moment of birth, is by grace through faith in the blood of Christ. God, the Holy Ghost, comes upon your life and gives you a spiritual birth whereby you become God's child. I'd like to ask every one of you, every one of you, I'd like to ask you from my heart tonight, to do something maybe no priest will ever ask you again.

So be careful now to do this. I want you to answer this question. Not with your lips, but with your hearts. To God. Just you and God. When were you born again? Not when you became religious. Not when you started being consistent in church.

Not even when you started getting tired. Not even when you started making sacrifices of your life for religion. When were you born of God? When the Holy Spirit bears witness with your spirit that you are my child.

He that believes in the Son of God hath a witness in himself. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God's child. When you are born again, God's Spirit bears witness. You know we have no condemnation.

There's no condemnation. We know we've passed from death unto life. Peace that passes all understanding. When did you know by God's Spirit bearing witness with your spirit that as a result of your doing what God says, if you do he will make you his child, you will be born spiritually, you become a child of God, which no one is until that by grace through faith in the promises of God concerning the shed blood of Christ.

When were you born again? When did God's Spirit bear witness that you knew you've passed from death unto life and you face no condemnation from God? When? When did that happen in your life? I want every single one of you, no matter how young you are, no matter how old you are, and even if you're a preacher.

The New Birth and Religious Profession

I had an elder in one church, very indignant, and some message I preached and he came undone and he said, but you don't understand. You can't preach these things here. You speak like we're all going to hell.

I'm an elder, don't you understand? I'm an elder. I said to him, well sir, I think Christ even meant that an elder must be born again. God didn't choose you to be an elder if you're not born again, men did.

Men who aren't even saved, that's why they chose you. Blind leaders of the blind, in the pulpit. How many ministers? Brethren, you would not believe. I want to write a book on this one subject alone. Blind leaders of the blind.

I've preached sermons and how many preachers have come up to me of all denominations across the world. Men who've been in the ministry for thirty, forty years, one, forty years. Brother, he says to me, while you were preaching tonight, for the first time in my life, I realized I'm going to hell.

I've preached for forty years. I've been a blind leader for about everyone that's followed me to go to hell. Everyone that looked to me for truth, to know what God's message is to mankind, who've been in hell everywhere.

But while you were preaching, out of fear of hell, I trusted God to save my soul. And you know, while you were preaching, God always said, this is my spirit for the first time in my life. Now I have to go back to my pulpit and tell my people they're going to hell, because I was going to hell.

Oh, everyone, even if you're a preacher. For forty years, sir. When were you born again? When did God's Holy Spirit bear witness with your spirit that you knew, you knew one minute before you didn't know.

You didn't know, you couldn't say it. You'd be hypocritical if you said you knew. But you knew! If you die right now, you're going to heaven. There's no judgment. There's a peace that's part of you. That God tells us must be ours.

Why did that happen to you, dear friend? When were you born again? One of the great tragedies people face in this world is when a child is born, and fearful complications are experienced at the time of birth.

When a child is born, but fearful complications are experienced at the time of birth. During the delivering of a baby, many sadly die at birth. The hope and expectation of a life about to be given to a family results in its death.

Its beginning was a dead. It was born dead. It was born dead. But even more tragic, in the light of this holy book, is the complications often surrounding the spiritual birth of so many multitudes of Christians.

And even more tragic, in the light of God's word, that is, is the complications often surrounding the spiritual birth of so many multitudes of professing Christians. I have three sons, and my wife was told she could have no more children.

We wanted ten. But God knew, in His perfect wisdom, He needed three, and I wouldn't change them for a thousand. But our second son, Roy, he's six foot something, I think six foot seven by now. Oh my, how life just goes.

When he was born, my wife had terrible complications. And our final child also, where we nearly lost Jenny. And I had to hang on to God. But our second child, Jenny, had so many complications. There were so many problems that a gynecologist, a specialist, had to be consulted.

And he, in love, though he wasn't saved, he didn't charge us anything for all the times we had to be with him until the birth of Roy. But he, though he was a Jew, didn't charge us because he was a missionary.

He didn't charge us a cent. You've got to be pretty hard in Africa to charge a missionary, no matter who you are. But he loved Jenny. He had the most incredible respect for her. Everybody does. He had put Jenny in a home at the time when it was close to her giving birth to Roy, which had a very high reputation, a good hospital.

And I don't know how the devil did this. I don't know how the devil managed this. But when Roy was about to be born, in that hospital, a terrible argument broke out amongst the staff. It must have been something brewing for a long time.

It was like all hell broke out in that hospital. And I couldn't believe it. What was going on, the way they were, eventually the whole lot behind doors had been closed and the screaming was still out there.

It was terrifying how they just turned their back on all those patients. Not just for five minutes. They couldn't function, because they just lost it as unsaved people and lost their sense of responsibility and decency.

How the devil managed that, I don't know. But all I do know is my wife never complains, I thank God for that. Never. She's a rebuke to my life today. She never complains, never. In the darkest moments you'll see something to praise God for.

But it's like an incapability of saying something negative, no matter what she's facing. And I love her for that. But my wife began to scream out, help me, or I'm going to die. I heard her praying, let me die, God.

Don't let this baby die. And I went into this room and I stood there and they all looked at me, scowling. And I said, please help my wife, please help my wife, she needs help. This maiden shouted and said, it's too late, now go, get out of here.

So I walked out and after a while, beside Jenny, I realised this baby was bringing it to the world. I tried to help her, but I looked at her and realised my wife's in trouble and I was probably going to lose her.

And I so panicked that I went into this room and I said with a loud voice, my wife is giving birth to the baby and I fear she's going to die. If there's anyone left in this room that has a conscience, please won't you help me?

And I began to cry. Well they panicked and they ran out of that room, screaming when they did see how far the baby was virtually born. And they saw Jenny convulsing in pain, she had just lost conscience.

When this gynaecologist finally got there, through some amazing event, Roy was virtually born and he looked at Jenny and just burst out into tears. He sobbed. The maiden just sobbed, standing there, not knowing what the end of this would be.

And he helped. Between helping Roy and helping my wife, putting her to sleep and giving her medication, which he should have had from the beginning. Eventually, I just looked there and he turned to the hospital staff standing around him and he shouted loudly that he would never, ever, ever perform any operation or anything to do with this hospital again.

On principle, he called them incompetent failures and they just hung their head down in shame. Then I began to look at Roy and I must say I was thinking, what will the repercussions be for the rest of his life of such neglect where he needed assistance at the moment it is expected he would be given assistance and those who it is expected would help him come into this world neglected him totally.

What are the repercussions going to be on his life? That was what was in my heart. And I saw these big feet, of course, and I said, why is his feet so big? Is he abnormal? So the doctor smiled. Tears coming down his face, but he said, no, when a child has big feet, it doesn't mean he's going to be very tall.

Well, here he is. So the doctor was right. My children have a reputation of having big feet. But anyway, there were repercussions, tragic repercussions for many years in his life where he couldn't control himself in situations.

He didn't understand why he couldn't control. Nor did people. Children can be cruel. And he suffered. Always suffered. Not understanding himself. And when we went for help, which we had to go often for, it was always pointed back that it was that neglect at the time of birth that caused these repercussions, the aftermath of neglect upon someone who needed help.

Well, I'm grateful to say to you, through prayer and much fasting for years, Roy is totally healed. He is a perfectly human, normal human. And he's not only normal, he is an extraordinary human. He is an extraordinary human.

I say that with love in my heart to God. When I look at other children, they came into the world with complications. I thank God for Roy. He's turning the world upside down in his love for Christ and his incredible mind.

It just baffles humans, how a human can have such incredible mind as this boy has got. But he's bringing multitude to Christ, even now as a young Christian. He turned 21, by the way, a few days ago. I've never been there for their birthdays, hardly ever.

I thought I might make his 21st birthday, but we didn't. But he's never ever held it against us. He would be ashamed if I came back just for a birthday. How tragic it is to see so many who profess to be born again of God, how tragic it is to see so many who profess to be born again of God, who struggle to survive spiritually because of neglect at the time of their spiritual birth, neglect of correct teaching, diversions that were made that took them away from the true thrust of this book onto things that kept them from anything that could have meant something for the true kingdom of Christ.

How tragic it is, of incorrect teachings, compromises from pulpits, for fear of man, for fear of losing the man who gives his tithing, so we'd better bypass his sin and we'd better put away the sharp heads of the sword, you know.

Can't lose them. So let's just broaden this word and give one big apology to why Christ couldn't have meant what he said. But they give an amount of truth of the gospel that brings about a birth, but the incredible repercussions for the rest of the lives due to complications of neglect of those who should have been there helping, assisting to truth as a person was coming through for Christ, making sure this was a healthy, solid birth, neglect or compromising in living of the people they're born into that confuses them when they come out of the world and suddenly think, but is this like the world?

No difference apart from the language. They go to the same places, it's the same. Why, they even sing the same as the last nightclub I went to. Only this time they're using Jesus' name somewhere here and there because you can hear the words.

How tragic that there's an element of truth enough to bring a new birth that makes people struggle to survive on any level according to this book. It just doesn't tell you the confusions and the doubts and the staggerings and the suffering and struggling for survival and truth because of the moment of birth, the neglect of correct doctrine or follow-up.

Some babies need to be put in an incubator because of real need of care and neglect of care. Oh, how they struggle. Those that should have done what they should have just been there and followed them up and made sure they come through till it's strong before they let them stand alone or try and survive alone were many of them just born dead and now have a profession without ever having experienced possession of Christ.

How many have a testimony of a rebirth through some going through the norms and the forms and functioning but they never ever really experience Christ but through they've been impressed on Him that this is the new birth, this now.

Now you say they maintain in faithfulness holding on to some form of a profession but they've never ever been born of God in truth. They believe a lie. They believe a lie. They were born dead physically.

If there's a premature birth many survive but many don't. But in the spiritual rebirth none survived premature birth. No one. There's no such a thing. If it's forced on a person before they've counted the cost of what God says of repentance from all sin of deliverance of becoming a new creature in Christ if any man be in Christ.

He is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Who are you, sir, to say that doesn't matter that that didn't happen in your life? I did the norms. I never repented. Nothing changed. I have a profession but never possession of truth.

This is tragic. None survive in the spiritual rebirth if there are premature births. I know a man, I'm going to preach in his church in Rochester near York, the old Paul's Baptist Church. Now that's something to go to.

You take some time to recover if you go in that church. They're different. The two pastors there, Joe Camillari, he's Italian. That's a complication in itself. Well, I hope no one's Italian here. One of my closest friends in South Africa, he's Italian.

He's fearful, you know. German, Jew, and Italian. They really are complicated people. But when they get saved nothing can touch them. Nothing stops them. They just do disaster to the devil's kingdom. From the day the moment they're saved to the day they die.

It's almost unheard of for a German or a Jew or an Italian when they truly get saved to ever backslide. It's almost an unheard of thing. It costs them too much. You see, they get saved normally. You've got to deny Rome.

We've got to deny Jew and be ostracized. Of course, Germans, I don't know what they have to deny but they're strong characters and difficult people. But oh, I love them when they get saved. In our country, oh my, the Germans.

But now this Joe Camillari is an Italian. My word. He can really set you ablaze within minutes or make you run and you never stop running till the day you die. One of the two. They really set the world afire, these two.

Joe Camillari and J. Volker. Right. They have a wonderful large auditorium where they have godly. You want to know if God's in the building. Look at the young people. Look at the youth. Well, they're godly.

Separated from the world. In every aspect of life. Outwardly and their faces. And they're happy. If they're sad, you worry. Because then you know Mother made them dress like this. Not God. You see, you can't put the cart before the horse.

You've got to get them saved. Then they won't do it for God. Nothing is agonizing in this world but someone who's in Christianity for someone else other than God. It's horrific. It's sad. But these two now have really got an amazing movement going on.

Open-Air Preaching and the Gospel Call

But Joe Camillari was telling me a strange incident. They go for open air. Not everybody likes open air meetings where you stand in the street and you have a loud speak and you cry out to people to come to Christ.

Most of us do that with great dignity and sensitivity but Joe and Jay are different. You are going to hell! And they quote a few verses concerning that hell and what Christ tells you. He will return in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will return in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power.

The smoke of their torment will burn them up forever and ever. They have no peace day or night. Oh, they cry out. And then they cry out so straight as they die because they're scared that those few minutes that person accelerates his speed and starts running once he starts hearing God's word about dozens of words he's never heard in his life normally from any pulpit he's sat under now suddenly it's people quoting from the same Bible but things they've never heard.

Don't worry. So Joe goes, Ah, you can't run from God! Oh, oh my. Nonetheless, he was telling me in one of his wonderful open air meetings that were taking place that normally people start running in fear so they make sure the minute or two they've got them they hear the whole gospel about the blood of Christ especially.

Well, Joe said he was standing there one day and pulling his heart out of his loudspeaker to those passing and there was a little boy a small little boy who came and stood underneath him intrigued, swept up and amazed at this man shouting like this you know, and Joe noticed him looking up couldn't move, couldn't breathe or what but eventually this little fellow who was a character obviously and very bold he started repeating what Joe said so Joe says to the new group coming now Ah, we're all born in sin and there's none righteous this little fellow holds it we're all born in sin there's none righteous.

No, not one. So he looked up now carry on, you know. So Joe was very taken up with this little fellow now as much as the little fellow was taken up with him and so he said I was a filthy sinner going to hell 23 years ago.

So he suddenly hears this little thing. He didn't expect this. I was a filthy sinner going to hell 23 years ago. Now Joe really is shocked and he says what must I say when he noticed the whole lot of people now standing he was getting a congregation listening to the little fellow.

I mean now people weren't running as much as smiling and looking at the little fellow. So he thought well and he said but God saved my soul in one moment 23 years ago he looked at the little fellow before he could speak.

Joe put the mouth to him. God saved my soul 23 years ago. I became a new creature in Christ. I became a new. All things passed away. Oh and he went on you know my life. And now I know there's no condemnation.

I know well he hadn't even been born 23 years ago. But here he's now. Oh my when I heard of this little fellow I sat there but by the time I got on my knees oh sermon's always going in this poor man's mind.

My wife doesn't know what to do with me right through the night I sit up once revelation comes when a sermon's been born you don't wait till the next day you lose it. But I went from that conversation on my knees there and I suddenly was thinking of this illustration.

I thought you know tragically how many people they know. They hear the terminology. They hear how a person gets saved. They hear what to say. They're born into circumstances where they hear all the terms.

They sit from childhood listening and they know all the words that need to be said. But they've never experienced it. They even become conscious of daddy and mommy and the church's cry and longing for them to have this experience.

And they react not so much for God. It's just the smile of daddy. It's just the smile of the church. It's just to be accepted to have a testimony. But there's nothing from the heart. So they take and suddenly they know just what to say.

They've heard it so many times and they say it. They have a profession but they've never had a possession. Isn't that tragic? I mean that really is tragic. I have a good son. He's 22 years old now he's my eldest boy.

He's about to turn 23. But he was so good that he was unbelievable. I never had to discipline his child. He lived for one thing in life. He lived for my smile. He lived for the smile of mommy and daddy.

There was nothing that gave this boy more joy than to know he's doing the right thing for his father and mother just giving them joy. He adored us. He was staggering to the degree that this boy would do anything.

And you know he even had a testimony of salvation. He even had a testimony that I believed because of the goodness of his life. But then he reached teenage years. Now tragically in my country we didn't have homeschooling until now.

It's only bloody. Africa's 20 years at the minimum behind America in everything even in your sin. But homeschooling was something nobody did. One year a few hundred miles away you hear somebody else did but it was something anatomical.

We didn't even have the government who was allowed to be intellectual. They were coming down on them. But now that it's been proved in America to work and we see the fruit. It's like a tidal wave across southern Africa.

People are just coming in their scores in their hundreds. You just see this amazing growth. And I think within a short while give it a short while most people who have any decency will be homeschooling because there's nothing but moral decadence in the school.

Now we no didn't have that my eldest boy he had to go to a very good school he had to and it was a very good school that we couldn't even afford others were paying for it. Who demanded we send them to something good.

Even though we're missionaries we can't let them be deprived just because they're born into a missionary home. It was God. But he went to a very good school. But this boy of mine once he reached teenage years ooooh then we peer pressure.

Now I didn't realise to what degree because he was so popular. He was such a lovely person. The godly loved him but the ungodly wanted him too. And he told me yes little daddy you couldn't believe the degree that they came.

They were always the godly. But the ungodly were fighting for my friendship. They were there dragging me aside. I didn't know how to handle it. Oh peer pressure. Oh thank god for homeschooling to get them away from this devilish system that destroyed so many Christians homes the children of Christian homes.

Well this boy under peer pressure was beginning to do things that when we heard my heart sank into such deep grief that I don't know if I've ever known such grief in my life. I so grieved that I went on my face for the whole night just sobbing and he didn't even know I knew.

Oh he just went down. And for about a year and a half nearly two years this boy aged me and his mother. I came to your country and I remember being in war the other side of the world as I walked down your streets trying to prepare for the sermons and just crying out and bursting sobbing in the streets.

God help my son. I didn't thank god thank god. There was a moment when he tore himself away from every friend he had in life at that stage because the god he had forsaken him ripped himself away from them with such desperation screaming I believe get out of my life forever.

I beg you that I can find god without you forcing me to go. And they left him every single one of them to the state. They ran from him in fear of someone wanting god even if he had to be alone and he sought god.

He took days seeking god so desperately he was so smashed he was so crushed under a moth and guilt and hatred and bitterness of soul toward what had been done to me and his mother. You see he still loved us.

But it was time to set you free. You shall be free and you can't set yourself free. But he only became conscious of how much he was just a sinner without god's protection. When he reached teenage years in school under peer pressure I came to god.

He came to god and I spent days thanking god. Not just days praying for his salvation but days thanking god when he did come just thanking my god this poor soul and spirit worshipping god and love weeping as much as I wept when he was unsafe.

But one day my boy got hold of me. He has an amazing way of getting hold of his daddy. He says I want to take you for a meal from a little boy. Even he used to say daddy I saved all my savings just for one thing to take you for a meal when you come home.

So I knew he wanted to speak to me. That was his way. And he looked at me for a long while before he spoke that night. And he said daddy I need to tell you why I sent like that and why I made daddy become old.

He said daddy you know I so love you and I'd do anything to please daddy and mommy. And I knew you wanted me to have a kiss to me. When I was a little boy I knew you were waiting. I even overheard you praying and for your sake daddy I think it was for you not just stupidity.

I came out in a meeting I prayed he could point you to the place where he gave his life to God. It wasn't a meeting sorry and I believed that testimony. But it wasn't he said daddy I knew exactly what to say as I was learning from a baby language.

I heard about being born again. Everything was the first caliber of conversation. This was the how I grew up was just the spiritual terminology of salvation and doctrine and everything. I knew it. I knew just what to say to convince people that I was saved.

To impress people. Daddy I even knew what to say to make people believe. I was on fire for God. I knew just what to say and the way to say it. I'd watched I'd listened and I would say it. But daddy my heart condemned me.

It just kept on condemning me because there was something so missing of reality of sincerity between me and God alone. It was just for people. It was just to pacify those who wanted to hear. It was just to be accepted in circles.

And I knew just what to say. But my heart condemned me daddy. And I knew as I got a little bit older I knew there was something radical. But daddy I believe you can profess Christianity and even convince your own father to a point.

But there's a point that comes out that you're not saved the moment you're under pressure from friends. There's something that'll draw you eventually if you're not saved to want it when I went to high school.

But I have ridden myself of every friend that influenced me to go into sins and wrong. And I'll never let them back in my life. Trust me about that daddy. And I'm really saved now. I know beyond any doubt it was between me and God.

I am saved now. It wasn't for you daddy. It was for me and for God. And daddy maybe I don't impress people like I used to. I used to watch everybody because I was Keith Daniel's son. Oh everybody this is what a true Christian should be.

Like the way he dresses the way he speaks purity of the boy you know love for his father and his beard. Oh daddy maybe I don't impress people like I used to. But that doesn't matter. Daddy at least I'm real.

At least my heart doesn't condemn me when I testify. My testifying doesn't grieve God because it's a lie. At least now God knows I only want to say and I've asked God with all my soul. Only let me say what I mean what I live what I've experienced.

Don't let me utter anything. Don't let me sing a hymn if it isn't to thee God let me then grieve thee with such words that people think I'm really singing praise. He walks with God now in a very staggering way but he seldom speaks my other son.

He speaks all he's careful but I appreciate. Oh no not speaking too easily because I see now. And he doesn't see it yet. I see what he's doing for God now in this world these staggering people who live a lie and they're lying even to themselves when they watch this boy and send his testimony.

The little few words that he says condemns multitude of young people and they thronged in their masses to go in here and preach. And I remember going hearing this fellow in one big auditorium where great hordes of people from across the city had come to hear him.

And then one day we were shocked when in the front page of the newspaper there was his name in his photograph. And the depravity he was living in while he was preaching. Oh the devil's children get hold of that.

It's the front page. Never the second page. Even if there's a world war going on it's the front page. Because this can do more damage to God's name. You see the devil's children gloat in that. Because they're the devil's children.

They didn't leave out any details. They loved to hop on this one thing. It kept on coming up. It wasn't just for a few months proven through the years. While he preached for others to come to God he would leave the pulpit and go to depravity.

Such depravity it's unmentionable the way he was living. He sent ripples of shock across that country of mine and they became so careful. A lot of those pulpits closed their pulpits to outside preachers because of him alone.

And the terrible stomach block came to many many multitudes who had responded under his ministry. God did that. There's something about even just the fact that he mentions certain verses of God the Holy Ghost could have used in his mercy to those that were sincerely wanting something.

I don't know how to explain it doctrinally. How so many multitudes who still profess to know God even now after that could have come to God through him. I don't understand that. Perhaps God would have to explain to us one day.

But this boy brought such shame on our land and in the name of Christ. And then he disappeared. No one ever saw him. His father and mother didn't know what happened to him. They died prematurely. They just died broken-hearted.