Born Again - July 8 AM
Sunday AM July 8, 2007
BORN AGAIN
John 3:1-8
Opening Prayer
Jesus is teaching the first doctrine of the Christian faith:
REGENERATION, BORN AGAIN, SPIRITUAL REBIRTH, or NEW BIRTH
Without being BORN AGAIN we cannot see the kingdom of God,
or receive eternal life or salvation through Jesus Christ.
These are some important facts concerning being BORN AGAIN.
1. BORN AGAIN is re-creating a spiritual life in our human heart,
by God the Holy Spirit. (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:22-24 and Titus 3:5-7)
Through this process,
eternal life from God Himself is imparted into our heart,
and we become a child of God,
a new creation in Christ.
(John 3:17-18; II Peter 1:4; I John 5:11-12; John 1:12-13; Romans 8:16-17; Galatians 3:26;
II Corinthians 5:17-21 and Colossians 3:9-10)
We no longer conform to this world, Ephesians 4:24 teaches
we are “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
2. Being BORN AGAIN is necessary because all people,
prior to turning to Christ,
are in there natural nature.
Sinners, who are spiritually dead,
Incapable of obeying and pleasing God.
(Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 8:7-8; I Corinthians 2:14)
3. REBIRTH comes to those who repent of our sins,
we turn to God,
we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone,
for our salvation. (Matthew 3:2)
4. Our REBIRTH involves a change from our old life of sin
to a new life of loving obedience to Jesus Christ. (Galatians 6:15)
If we are truly BORN AGAIN we are set free from sin’s bondage,
we receive a spiritual desire and personality to love God and follow
the leading of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 6:14-23 and Romans 8:13-14)
We live righteous lives. (I John 2:29)
We love other believers. (I John 4:7-8)
We avoid a life of sin. (I John 3:9 and 5:18)
We do not love the world. (I John 2:15-17)
5. Those BORN AGAIN of God cannot make sin a regular practice in our lives.
As a believer, our desire is changed so as to love God sincerely and try,
from our heart to please God and to avoid evil. (I John 1:5-7)
This is accomplished only through the GRACE given to us by Christ,
through a continuous relationship with Christ and through a dependence
on the Holy Spirit. (I John 2:3-11; 2:24-29; 3:6-24; 4:20 and 5:1; and Romans 8:1-14)
6. Those who continue living in sin and giving themselves to the world’s lifestyle,
no matter what they confess with their lips,
show that they are NOT BORN AGAIN,
they are still children of Satan.
7. Just as we can be BORN AGAIN of the Holy Spirit by receiving the life of God,
we can choose to break relationship with Christ and thereby we die spiritually
because of ungodly choices and unrighteous living.
Romans 8:13 says, “If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die.”
Thus, sin and the refusal to follow the Holy Spirit
overpowers the life of God in the believer’s soul and
causes spiritual death and keeps us from entering God’s kingdom.
(Matthew 12:31-32; I Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Hebrews 6:4-5; and I John 5:16-17)
8. This NEW BIRTH cannot be compared with our physical birth,
for God’s relationship with us is a matter of Spirit rather than flesh. (John 3:6)
Therefore, while our physical tie of a father and child can never be canceled.
The father and child relationship that God desires with us is voluntary and not
permanent during our trial time on earth.
We can change our minds.
That relationship remains conditional and based on our faith in Christ throughout our
earthly existence,
a faith demonstrated by a life of sincere love and obedience to God.
(Timothy 2:11-13)
Are our lives the example of God’s Love?
Do we live our lives by God’s Word?
Is there anything in the way that we live that we should change for God?
Does the world see Jesus when they look at us?
We need to ask God to help us live the life that He desires us to live.
We need to ask God to help us have the heart that He desires us to have.
Closing Prayer