You Must Be Born Again

John 3:1-8

We know that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We know that we must believe that He is the Son of God is the Way the Truth and the Life. We know that we must trust in His finished work on the cross. We know that when we come to faith in Christ He becomes our hope and joy and treasure. We know all of these things, but how does it work? How do sinners, dead in their sins, come to faith in Christ?

Nicodemus seeks Jesus

Nicodemus was a leading teacher of Israel

He was a Pharisee, which was an esteemed group of Jewish teachers

He was a member of the Sanhedrin

The Sanhedrin was the judicial authority for the Jews

He came to Jesus in the night

This can be interpreted a number of different ways

It is simply a historical detail with no real significance

He did not want to be found out by his fellow Pharisees

The night time meeting is emphasized in order to give symbolism for spiritual darkness

John often uses the word “night” to express a sense of spiritual or moral darkness

In the context of this passage and the writings of John, it seems likely that there is some symbolic significance here

John clearly wants him to be seen as someone to whom Jesus did not entrust himself

Last weeks bridge passage takes us from the belief of people who saw Jesus cleanse the temple, a specific example of those to whom Jesus did not entrust Himself

Nicodemus calls Jesus Rabbi, which would have been a significant thing for someone like Nicodemus to do.

He also professes that Jesus is no ordinary teacher, and does not dismiss Him to be an agent of Satan like the other Pharisees did

However, Jesus does not simply accept Nicodemus’ words and pat him on the back. He points out what Nicodemus lacks.

You must be born again

That which is born of the flesh is flesh

The natural man

Ephesians 2:1-3- And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

That which is born of the Spirit is spirit

Washed clean in Christ (v.5- water and Spirit)

Ezekiel 36:24-25- I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

Given a new heart

Ezekiel 36:26-27- And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules

Made a new creation in Christ

2 Corinthians 5:17-18- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

Ephesians 2:4-5- But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God

No amount of effort, works, or faith conjuring can do this

Millions of people in the church today are just like Nicodemus:

They know a lot about the Bible

They believe many truths found in the Bible

They have a form of belief in Jesus

They have not been born again and remain dead in their sin

You must believe in Christ to be saved

You must be born again to believe

1 John 5:1- Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

Either you are born again by the Holy Spirit or you will be cast into hell forever to receive the due payment for your sin against God

The Spirit blows where He wills

There is nothing that any person contributes to New Birth. It is completely of God

John 1:9-13- The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Spirit blows in accordance with the predestined will of God

Ephesians 1:3-12- Bible

Romans 12:8-18- Bible

This is not simply foreknowledge, it is His Sovereign

He does this in accordance with His wisdom for His glory

Ephesians 1:5-6- he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Romans 9:22-23- What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory