Featured Ye must be born again !

The teaching of the Lord Jesus as He spoke to Nicodemus could hardly be more clear; the mighty power that gives new life to sinners comes from God, the Holy Spirit, and from Him alone. We see this first of all in the very term, born again. Our Lord could have used a variety of terms for this which Nicodemus might have found easier to understand; “You must start again….”, “…..take a new path”, “…..make a new beginning”. But all these terms involve things that we can do for ourselves. The one event in our lives over which we have no control is our birth. The time, the place, our gender, our weight and so forth are absolutely nothing that we ourselves can influence. The time simply comes for us to arrive and we are born.

We can then go on to look at the Greek word translated here as ‘again.’ This word, anothen, can also mean’ from above’. Indeed, that is its meaning in every other instance where it appears in John’s Gospel. For example, later in this very chapter (v31) John uses the word when he says, ‘He who comes from above is above all’.

Anothen appears in Matthew 27:51 when, as Jesus died, ‘The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom’, and in James 1:17 where we are told, ‘…..every perfect gift is from above’. Only in Galatians 4:9 does anothen clearly mean again. Here in John 3:3, most translations have rightly rendered the word as again because of the context. Nicodemus obviously understood it to mean that since he replied (v.4), “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter into his mother’s womb and be born a second time?” It seems to me that the Apostle John chose the word (under the influence of the Holy Spirit) deliberately to bring out this second meaning. “Nicodemus”, our Lord seems to be saying, “You need a birth that all your learning and religious observance cannot give you; you need a birth that comes from above”.

The same point can be seen in what is key verse in John 3, ‘That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit’. As we have seen, the word flesh (Gk. sarx), when it is contrasted with Spirit (Gk. pneuma) usually refers to sinful human nature (eg. Rom. 8:4ff). What this verse tells us is that anything that comes from Man, from the flesh, is flawed at source, and to suggest that there can be any human agency in the New Birth is to say that the flesh can give birth to spirit. Why is this? Why is Man so helpless to do anything to make himself right with God? Consider Ephesians 2:1; ‘And you [God] made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins’. Mankind’s condition is one of spiritual death. Now, it is all very well calling on men and women to put their trust in Christ; it is all very well to tell them how wonderful it is to be a Christian, to warn them of the perils of Hell and to entice them with the blessings of Heaven- all these things are right and proper- but if they are dead, then unless Almighty God breathes new life into their hearts, all your efforts will ultimately be in vain because dead people can’t hear. Gospel preaching is certainly of the utmost importance (1Cor 1:21), but only as God uses the preached word to bring sinners to salvation.

 

Just in case not everyone is convinced by the evidence presented so far, consider John 1:11-13; ‘He came to His own (i.e. His Jewish compatriots, God’s chosen people under the Old Covenant), and His own did not receive him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God’. Do you see what this is saying? Coming from a Christian family (“blood”) cannot make you born again; nor can your own fallen will (“the flesh”); nor can some human third party help you, to the front and having some minister or evangelist pouring water over you, laying hands on you or praying over you (“the will of man”). It is God, and God alone who saves. Look at Romans 9:16; ‘So then, it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God Who shows mercy’, or James 1:18; ‘Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth.’. Finally, to see how the New Birth comes about in practice, let us turn to a few verses in Acts:-

Acts 2:47b: ‘And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved’. Who added people to the church? Was it the Apostles, with their signs and wonders (v43), or the people themselves making ‘decisions for Christ’? No, it was God Himself drawing men and women to the Lord Jesus (John 6:44).

Acts 14:48b: ‘And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed’. Not one more nor one fewer, but exactly those to whom God gave new birth.

Acts 16:14: ‘Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God’. Lydia was a God-fearer, a Gentile who attended the Jewish synagogue and tried to follow the moral teaching of the Old Testament, but she still needed to be born again, so did Paul open her heart to respond to God? Or did she open her own heart as she listened to Paul? Not at all. ‘The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken to her by Paul’.

Perhaps someone is thinking to himself, “Just a moment! This can’t be right. It is I who has to repent and to believe in Jesus (Mark 1:15), so being born again must depend on me to some extent”. This is perfectly true as far as it goes. Repentance and faith are, as it were, the two legs on which we enter the Kingdom of God, but it is the Lord Himself Who enables us to turn from sin, and to put our trust in the shed blood of Christ upon the cross to make us right with God. Look at Acts 11:18; ‘When they heard these things they ….glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life”’ and then at Eph. 2:8; ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God’. So both repentance and faith have their origin not in sinful Man, but in Almighty God. As an old hymn goes:-

‘Not the labour of my hands
Can fulfil Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears for ever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
[Augustus Toplady]

People may feel that I have laboured this point rather, but there are a number of important issues which flow from this, the Doctrine of Free Grace. The first is that of assurance; if anything relating to my salvation depends on me, then I cannot be completely sure that I have done it properly, or perhaps there may still be something I still need to do of which I am unaware; but when I have seen myself as a helpless sinner who can do nothing in his own strength to make himself right with God and when I put my trust completely in the Lord Jesus Christ and in Him alone, I can be absolutely sure that I am saved, because, ‘He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them’ (Heb. 7:25).

The second issue that flows from the Doctrine of Grace is the supremacy and sufficiency of the Bible. If it is God, and God alone who saves, then why listen to the opinions of men when you have the very words of the Lord before you? Every preacher and every writer must be judged against the Scriptures. ‘To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them’ (Isaiah 8:20). Far too many Christians are being led astray by un-biblical teaching because they do not know their Bible well enough to detect it, or because they are over-awed by the reputation of some famous evangelist or Bible teacher. Yet, ‘God respecteth no man’s person’ (Gal. 2:6 A.V.). Also, if the New Birth comes from God alone, and if the Bible is the word of God, then why listen to those who speak of miracles, dreams or prophesies? Take a few moments now to read through Jeremiah 23, and perhaps to pray about it.

The same principle should apply to the churches’ evangelistic outreaches. If we believe salvation comes only from God, then we are completely dependent upon Him for conversions and church growth. Therefore we will seek above all to be faithful and obedient to His word in all our activities and avoid the gimmickry that is increasingly common today. We will also refrain from pressurizing seekers into making false professions of faith, but rather present the Gospel clearly, truthfully and earnestly, yes and winsomely too, and trust God to bless our work. Nowhere in the Bible are we called to be successful, but rather to be faithful; the success of the Gospel is ultimately God’s business (Psalm 127:1; Matt. 16:18b). How precious therefore will be the church prayer meeting, when the whole congregation comes together to seek God’s blessing upon its work, in humble reliance upon Him (cf. Acts 4:24ff). I am deeply concerned that much of what passes for evangelism today involves seeing how little Gospel truth can be conveyed in persuading people to ‘accept Christ’ more as a lifestyle accessory than as Lord and Saviour. Accepting Christ. What a ghastly phrase! It conjures up in my mind the sort of letter that employers write to job applicants:-

Dear Mr. J. Christ,

I am pleased to inform you that your application for the post of saviour has been accepted, on a trial basis, subject to the usual terms and conditions.

Yours sincerely,

A. Sinner.

Another term which one hears today is, “I gave my heart to Jesus”. Oh, really? According to the Bible, ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked’ (Jer. 17:9) and, ‘From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit……’(Mark 7:21f). Hardly an acceptable gift to offer to the Lord! Salvation is not, ‘giving one’s heart to the Lord,’ but Almighty God saying, ‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you’ (Ezek. 36:26). The man or woman who really knows his or her heart despairs of it, and cries out, ‘O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?’

 

Amen!

It is HE, that has quickened us unto Salvation, by the workings of the Holy Spirit. "Born from above" means born of and by the Unction of the Holy Spirit. Once convicted by the Holy Spirit, which was to come to convict the world of it's sins. That is why salvation is not done by the working of fleshly works, but by HIS Gift, the Gift of the Faith of Christ, given by God the Father!


Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
AMEN!

 

AMEN!!!!!!
Praise His Glorious name, which is above ALL names!
Free will has nothing to do with it!
It's ALL the works of God granted and given to WHOM HE desires to grant it to......which is a GIFT!
The Lord bless you abundantly!
In HIS love.....

 

The first man is of the earth, earthy: From 1 Cor 15:47
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: From 1 Cor 15:48
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, From 1 Cor 15:49

Is that above a reference to the following?
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Gen 2:7
Forasmuch then as the children (?of Adam?) are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Heb 2:14


1 Cor 15:50,51 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

Is that above because of the following? From John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh;

 

No. 1 Corinthians 15:50-51 is speaking of the bodily resurrection. John 3:6 is the new birth, 2 Corinthians 5:17.

 

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Rom 8:20
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
When does that take place? The following?
Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. [It just dawned on me, is this the age of flesh and blood, the soul of the flesh is in the blood Lev 17:11 ?] “But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; “nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. Luke 20:34-36---- Is that the revelation of the sons of God?

Now consider the Spirit of Adoption [Rom 8:15] of which those, in Christ,[2 Cor 5:17] have the first-fruit there of; What does Paul state relative to that? Rom 8:23 YLT And not only so, but also we ourselves, having the first-fruit of the Spirit, we also ourselves in ourselves do groan, adoption expecting -- the redemption of our body;

Convince me from scripture all of that isn't speaking of the exact moment as 1 Cor 15:47-54

for in hope we were saved, and hope beheld is not hope; for what any one doth behold, why also doth he hope for it? and if what we do not behold we hope for, through continuance we expect it. Romans 8:24,25

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13

 

But they are speaking of 1 Corinthians 15:47-54.


1 John 3:2, ". . . Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. . . ."

 

Behold, I was (2) brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother (1) conceived me. Ps 51:5 NKJV

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. [fn]” The Greek for again also means from above; also in verse 7. John 3:3 NIV

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Rom 8:15 NKJV
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Rom 8:11 NKJV

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 1 Cor 12:13 KJV
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn (see Col 1:18 out of the dead) who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb 12:22,23 NKJV
But Jerusalem which is above (Heavenly Jerusalem, Mt Zion) is free, which is the mother of us all. Gal 4:26 KJV

Has the Spirit of Adoption put us into the mother of us all, the church of the firstborn from the dead, Mt Zion, for the adoption to whit, the redemption of the body unto the praise of his glory (Eph 1:14)? Will Zion give birth to her children?

Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Isa 66:7 Col 1:18 Acts 13:30,33

Isa 66:8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

 

You are ignoring the context of the passages you are quoting. The restoration of the Kingdom of Israel is the physical picture of the promise of God as found in the Old Testament. And just as the physical Kingdom (which is yet to come) is a picture of the Eternal Kingdom established by Christ (which no man will be "co-ruler of), even so the restoration of Israel is a picture of the reconciliatory Work of God in Christ.

Regeneration and the New Birth are one and the same. One is not regenerated and then born again. I would agree we could use a "seed analogy," however, one must keep in mind that the seed of the believer is dead. We are, at birth, born dead. The reason is because we do not have the life Christ came specifically to give man. No man had the life of Christ prior to the coming of the Comforter at Pentecost, and it is at this time that men began to be born again. We are saved when we baptized with the Baptism with the Holy Ghost:

Acts 11:11-17 KJV

11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.

12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:

13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;

14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

Consider:

18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.


We receive the Life Christ came to bring, Eternal Life ... at salvation.

John 3:16 KJV

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.


Keep in mind that the Gospel was yet a mystery (unrevealed truth) during Christ's ministry. For Nicodemus, "the Kingdom of God" would have been a reference to the Millennial Kingdom, not the Kingdom we now know Christ established. While we can understand what the Lord meant, and what Kingdom He meant, Nicodemus did not. The Lord will go on to explain to Nicodemus how the New Birth would be made possible:


John 3:9-14 KJV

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:


John 3:16 KJV

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.


It still remains true, no man will enter into the Kingdom, the Millennial Kingdom that is, apart from being born. That is why we are taught by Christ about the Sheep and Goat judgment: all unbelievers will be destroyed at that judgment, and only those who have been born again during the Tribulation will enter. This can also be seen in the Great Supper of God in Revelation 19 and Ezekiel 39.

There is only one moment of regeneration for the believer, and that is at salvation. This is the New Birth.

God bless.