The Meaning of the New Birth

John 3:1 – 21

John 3:1–21 (NLT)

1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.

2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.

6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?

11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony.

12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.

21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

INTRODUCTION:

What does it mean to be born again?

I. A SPIRITUAL BIRTH HAS OCCURRED. (JOHN 3:1-6)

John 3:1–6 (NLT)

1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.

2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.

6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

A. It is a spiritual burst that all men are in need of.

(John 3:3-5)

John 3:3–5 (NLT)

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.

1. A person cannot get to heaven without this birth.

(Revelation 20:15)

Revelation 20:15 (NLT)

15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

(Revelation 21:27)

Revelation 21:27 (NLT)

27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

B. This birth is different than the physical birth.

(John 3:6)

John 3:6 (NLT)

6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

1. The two births are totally separate events in the life of a person.

a) Example 1: the apostle Paul (Acts 9:1-7)

b) Example 2: the Ethiopian (Acts 8:27-40)

II. A LIFE HAS BEEN CHANGED BY GOD (JOHN 3:8).

John 3:8 (NLT)

8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

A. Believer is a new creature that has been created in Christ Jesus.

1. The old life is gone and the new life has come.

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

a) This new transformed life is a necessary experience.

(Galatians 6:15)

Galatians 6:15 (NLT)

15 It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.

(1) Mel Trotter’s conversion

B. You can’t see it happen, but can see the effects.

1. It’s like the wind. You can’t see the wind, but can see the changes that it brings.

III. CONDEMNATION FOR SIN HAS BEEN ERASED (JOHN 3:18)

John 3:18 (NLT)

18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

A. Unbelief guarantees condemnation.

1. The unbeliever is already condemned because of his unbelief.

a) Because of his rejection of Jesus.

b) Because of his rejection of the father’s testimony.

(1 John 5:9-13)

B. The believer has escaped condemnation.

(John 5:24)

John 5:24 (NLT)

24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

(Romans 8:1)

Romans 8:1 (NLT)

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

1. This condemnation brings death.

(Romans 6:23)

Romans 6:23 (NLT)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. The New Birth reverses this process.

IV. A LIFE HAS BEEN SAVED FROM DESTRUCTION (JOHN 3:17)

John 3:17 (NLT)

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

(The term translated “saved” is used 57 times in the New Testament)

A. God’s desire is to save people.

1. It is not his desire that anyone perish.

(2 Peter 3:9)

2 Peter 3:9 (NLT)

9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

B. Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ.

(John 14:6)

John 14:6 (NLT)

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

1. There is no other way of salvation.

(Acts 4:12)

Acts 4:12 (NLT)

12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

V. ETERNAL LIFE HAS BEEN GUARANTEED (JOHN 3:14-16)

John 3:14–16 (NLT)

14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

A. Your salvation was purchased by Jesus on the cross.

(John 3:14)

John 3:14 NLT

14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

1. Jesus’s death was substitutionary.

(1 Peter 3:18)

1 Peter 3:18 (NLT)

18 Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

(2 Corinthians 5:21)

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)

21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

B. The life given by Jesus is “eternal life.”

(John 3:15-16)

John 3:15–16 (NLT)

15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

1. The Greek word for eternal life means perpetual, never ending life.

2. Eternal life is also guaranteed by the Holy Spirit.

(Ephesians 1:13)

Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)

13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

CONCLUSION:

A- This experience is a matter of personal choice.

(John 3:19-21)

John 3:19–21 (NLT)

19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.

21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”