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Question 6

The Anabaptist reply—“If your faith is as you say, why do you not do the things which he has commanded?”—targets people who claim regeneration and the Spirit; what do you think the chapter is demanding as evidence that the new birth is real, and which common modern markers of being “saved” would it consider unreliable?

Another way to ask: When Anabaptists asked, “If your faith is real, why don’t you do what Jesus commanded?”, what proof do you think the chapter expects that the new birth is real? Which common “saved” signs today does it treat as shaky?

Direct Answer The chapter demands observable obedience and Spirit-produced fruit as evidence of the new birth, not merely claims of regeneration, sacramental steps, or correct beliefs. It would treat verbal profession, formal religious acts, and even dramatic spiritual activity as unreliable if a person “practices lawlessness.”

Support from Transcript:

The Anabaptist reply challenges mere claims: “If your faith is as you say, why do you not do the things which he has commanded… Repent and keep the commandments.”
The writer says if someone claims new birth and Spirit but lacks “wisdom, power, and fruits,” then those claims are “vain and dead.”
Bercot says it’s not enough to believe in Jesus as Savior; he must be Lord “as lived out” in actual life.
He argues the Kingdom’s essence is “power,” meaning not words/theology but a transformed life under the Spirit.
He cites Jesus’ warning about miracle-workers: “I never knew you… you who practice lawlessness,” showing that wonders and religious activity can coexist with disobedience.

Discussion Follow-ups What “markers” do we rely on (a past prayer, church attendance, gifts) that might mask disobedience? What fruit would our community expect if new birth were treated as the starting point?

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