SF895 - Let The Church Be The Church - 5 of 10 A Biblical Understanding of Conversion (John 3 1-21)

John 3:1-21

Introduction

The Marks of a New Testament Church:

A New Testament Church Has a Biblical Theology

A New Testament Church Has a Biblical Understanding of Worship

A New Testament Church Will Preach the Word

A New Testament Church Has a Biblical Understanding of

Ø the Gospel

Ø Conversion

Ø Evangelism

Ø Church Membership

Ø Church Discipline

Ø Church Leadership

Ø Church Growth

Can a person really change?

The world says no, but the Bible says yes – called regeneration, new birth!

It should be noted that regeneration is only one aspect of salvation. Scripture teaches us that there are a least three aspects of salvation.

Ø A Christian is truly saved right now (Ephesians 2:8-9, “have been”).

Ø A Christian is in the process of being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18, “are being saved”)

Ø A Christian is waiting in hope to be fully saved in the future (Romans 5:10; “we shall be saved)

In John 3, Jesus answers two critical questions for us. First, why is the new birth needed? Second, what is the new birth?

1A. Why is the New Birth Needed?

1B. Because of the nature of man

Nicodemus was a well respected man (3:1)

Ø He was a Pharisee

Religiously exclusive

Separatist by belief and practice

Maintained the oral law ‑ traditions of men

Ø He was ruler of the people

Literally “great man”

Member of the Sanhedrin

One of the three richest men in Jerusalem

Nicodemus was a sincere man (3:2)

Ø He believed that Jesus was a good teacher

“Teacher” (didaskalos) teacher, doctor

He believe that Jesus as only a teacher

Nicodemus was a lost (unregenerate) man (3:3)

Nobody by nature delights so much in the character of God that he hungers after the true God.

Ø We are by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).

Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me."

Ø We come into the world bent on being independent from God and loving the things of the world.

Ø Something has to happen to us if we are to be saved from the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 1:10). We must be profoundly changed.

2B. Because of the nature of the new birth

Ø We are slaves who must change masters; we must cease from being slaves of sin and become slaves of God (Romans 6:17-23).

Ø We must die with Christ and be raised to newness of life (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:12).

Ø We must put off the old man and put on the new man created after the likeness of God (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10).

Ø We must repent, that is, we must experience a change of mind that causes us to turn from trusting man to trusting God's mercy (Acts 2:38; Luke 3:3, 8).

Ø We must receive a new heart according to Ezekiel's prophecy:

Ezekiel 11:19 “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh”

Ø We must become a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Ø We must become like children.

Matthew 18:3 “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

From cover to cover the Bible declares that human beings must change. If we do not change, we will not be saved: no peace with God, no hope for eternal life, but only wrath and fury (Romans 2:8).

So there is nothing more important for any individual than that he experience this change, this new birth, as Jesus called it.

2A. What is the New Birth?

1B. The new birth is spiritual not physical (3:4-6)

The word “flesh” in John refers to our humanity.

John 1:14 (NASB) And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Ø So Jesus is saying here, your human birth merely makes you human.

1 Corinthians 2:14-15 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.

Ø Paul's terms for the person before and after new birth are "natural man" and "spiritual man."

The connection then between verses 5 and 6 of John 3 is this:

We must be born of the Spirit, because until we are, we are unfit for the Kingdom of heaven.

2B. The new birth is supernatural not natural (3:7-13)

The mandate of the new birth - “you must be born again.”

Ø The new birth involves A fundamental change in the sinner’s heart (John 3:7; Romans 8:5-8)

Ø Faith is the most beautiful, God-honoring and humble act that a human can perform, and therefore we must not imagine that it can be performed by a "natural man" who "does not welcome the things of the Spirit of God."

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB) 17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

The mystery of the new birth - we can neither control nor predict it. (3:8)

Ø The new birth operates independent of man’s control

Ø Therefore, for you or I to try to determine or control God’s exercise of His grace is pointless.

Ø God both initiates and completes salvation. (John 6:44; 64-65; 1:12-13)

The manifestation of the new birth - The new birth always results in repentance and faith

Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Ø It must be remembered that the new birth (regeneration), repentance, and faith are so closely connected that in experience we cannot distinguish them.

The means of the new birth – the preaching of the gospel (Romans 10:8-17)

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Ø The emphasis in Scripture is not on the manner, process, or order in which God calls and saves men, but on the means by which He does so.

Ø God’s Spirit takes God’s Word and so applies it to the heart of lost men in such a way that those who once opposed God now desire Him and willfully turn from their sins and place their faith in Christ.

Ø Only God can accomplish this work and He has chosen the means of the proclaimed gospel to do so.

Application

Six biblical truths concerning salvation…

1. Man must repent and believe in order to be saved. (Acts 16:30-31)

2. Every one who repents and believes the gospel will be saved.

John 6:37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

3. Man must personally, knowingly, and willingly repent of his sin and place his faith in Christ. (Luke 13:3).

4. Man in his natural lost condition will not and indeed cannot repent and believe.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

5. God in His grace must change man through regeneration before man can and will repent and believe. (Titus 3:4-7)

Titus 3:4-7 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

6. Faith and repentance are the evidences not the cause of regeneration. (John 3:3; Acts 16:14)

John 3:1-21

1A. Why is the New Birth _______________________?

1B. Because of the _______________________ of man

Nicodemus was a well respected man (3:1)

Ø He was a Pharisee

Ø He was ruler of the people

Nicodemus was a _____________________ man (3:2)

Ø He believed that Jesus was a good teacher

Nicodemus was a _____________________ man (3:3)

Ø We are by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3; Psalm 51:5)

2B. Because of the nature of the new birth

Ø We are ________________ who must change masters; we must cease from being slaves of sin and become slaves of God (Romans 6:17-23).

Ø We must die with Christ and be raised to newness of life (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:12).

Ø We must put off the old man and put on the new man created after the likeness of God (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10).

Ø We must repent, that is, we must experience a change of mind that causes us to turn from trusting man to trusting God's mercy (Acts 2:38; Luke 3:3, 8).

Ø We must receive a new heart according to Ezekiel's prophecy: (Ezekiel 11:19)

Ø We must become a new creation. (1 Corinthians 5:17)

Ø We must become like children. (Matthew 18:3)

2A. What is the New Birth?

1B. The new birth is ___________ not physical (3:4-6)

The word “flesh” in John refers to our humanity. (John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 2:14-15)

2B. The new birth is ____________________________ not natural (3:7-13)

The mandate of the new birth - “you must be born again.”

Ø The new birth involves A fundamental change in the sinner’s heart (John 3:7; Romans 8:5-8)

The ____________________ of the new birth - we can neither control nor predict it. (3:8)

Ø God both initiates and completes salvation. (John 6:44; 64-65; 1:12-13)

The manifestation of the new birth - The new birth always results in repentance and faith (Acts 2:37-38)

The _____________________ of the new birth – the preaching of the gospel (Romans 10:8-17)