Yu Must be Brn Again Jhn 3:1-10 The bk f Jhn is all abut belief and faith Jhn uses the verb believe 98x in his gspel. He asks questins like, hw des ne cme t believe in Christ? And, hw des a believer in Christ live and act? The bk is ne large petitin and persuasive argument fr genuine faith in Christ. [Frm that we can als deduce that many dn t have a genuine faith even sme at GBC.] In attempting t persuade his readers t trust in Christ, Jhn uses a variety f different means like the seven signs (first ne was in 2:1-11) and the seven I am statements. He als uses the interactin f Jesus with individuals, sme wh are believers and sme wh are nt, t demnstrate the necessity f belief in Him. In Jhn 3, we have Jesus interactin with ne f thse wh is nt a believer (thugh he evidently later became a believer) Nicdemus. Thrugh the interactin f their cnversatin, we see the significance f a dctrinal truth called regeneratin and hw ne becmes regenerate (we ll define this in a few minutes). The theme f the interactin between Jesus and Nicdemus can be stated this way: BECAUSE EVERY MAN IS A SINNER, EVERY MAN NEEDS THE NEW LIFE OF CHRIST. 1. All Men NEED Regenerating (vv. 1-3)! What KEEPS all men frm regeneratin (vv. 1-2)! What regeneratin IS (v. 3) 2. HOW Regeneratin Happens (vv. 4-8)! Regeneratin is a wrk f the SPIRIT (vv. 4-7)! Regeneratin is a gift f GRACE (v. 8) 3. What Regeneratin DOES page 1 / 7
BECAUSE EVERY MAN IS A SINNER, EVERY MAN NEEDS THE NEW LIFE OF CHRIST. 1. All Men NEED Regenerating (vv. 1-3) What KEEPS all men frm regeneratin (vv. 1-2) In these pening verses, we see clues abut the kinds f things that keep peple frm becming regenerate:! An attitude f mral superirity will keep ne frm regeneratin (v. 1). Ntice hw Nicdemus is identified in these verses: a man whatever it was that Nicdemus thught f himself, Jhn is careful in telling the stry t pint ut that it is a cntinuatin f chapter 2 the ne wh came was a man, whse heart and thughts were fully knwn by Christ (2:24-25). He came with credentials but Jesus evaluated him simply as a man in need f Christ and salvatin. f the Pharisees The name Pharisee is frm a rt wrd that means t separate and implies that these men separated themselves frm the mass f peple by living strict religius lives. These men (there were abut 6000 at the time f Christ) were strict interpreters f the OT Law wh defined it by adding massive amunts f their wn interpretatins and traditins t the Law. They added s many laws that the rdinary persn had n ability (r inclinatin) t learn all the nuances, never mind practice them. They cdified their interpretatins int a cuple f bks the Mishnah, which is their interpretatin f hw t apply the Ten Cmmandments t life (24 chapters n the Sabbath), and the Talmud, the cmmentaries n the Mishnah (inc. 156 pp. n Sabbath). These men were the experts n Law, s it was nt surprising they were interested in Christ. (Nte hw they tried t crrect Christ 8:13ff; 9:15ff.) And dn t frget Christ s evaluatin f them. In Matthew 23, Jesus ffers a scathing rebuke f the Pharisees (cf. vv. 13, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29). The heart f the cndemnatin is in vv. 1-4: Mt. 23:1-4 Then Jesus spke t the crwds and t His disciples, saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair f Mses; therefre all that they tell yu, d and bserve, but d nt d accrding t their deeds; fr they say things and d nt d them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them n men s shulders, but they themselves are unwilling t mve them with s much as a finger. a ruler f the Jews i.e., a member f the ruling class f the Sanhedrin. Sanhedrin was a ruling class f 70 scribes, elders and priests wh were t preserve the interpretatin f the Trah (OT) and were a Supreme Curt fr interpretive matters. Under Rman law, the Sanhedrin was als respnsible fr civil rule in Israel. page 2 / 7
They were a very pwerful and select grup f men. This was Nicdemus a man, in the eyes f Christ, but the man in the eyes f thers, and likely himself. While it is never stated what Nicdemus wanted, it was the pattern f the Pharisees t indulge in self-cngratulatin and in self-righteusness. And self-righteusness and pride will never (I use the wrd intentinally) prduce salvatin. Matt. 9:13 But g and learn what this means: I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE, fr I did nt cme t call the righteus, but sinners. Mark 2:17 And hearing this, Jesus said t them, It is nt thse wh are healthy wh need a physician, but thse wh are sick; I did nt cme t call the righteus, but sinners. Pride abut what yu think yu are spiritually, withut addressing the real cnditin f yur heart will keep yu in unbelief and keep yu frm experiencing abundant life. There is even a false humility that is really pride that says, My sin is t great Until we get t the place where we say with Paul that all f ur achievements are kitchen scraps, garbage, and even excrement, then we are hanging nt the pride f ur self-righteus psitin, and we will nt enjy the life f belief. Believing in the fullness f Christ als means believing in the fullness f yur wn sin.! An unwillingness t acknwledge sin will keep ne frm regeneratin (v. 2a). Ntice Nicdemus (this man Christ saw his heart ) came t Christ by night. Perhaps he came s that he culd have a persnal cnversatin withut crush f the crwd, when Christ culd devte individual attentin t him. Perhaps he came at night s he culd avid the watching eyes f ther Pharisees and Sanhedrin. Perhaps this was just an insignificant detail remembered by Jhn. But all Scripture is inspired and prfitable it may have been a detail, but it was an imprtant detail. And every time Jhn uses night, it has vertnes f spiritual and mral darkness: Jhn 9:4 We must wrk the wrks f Him wh sent Me as lng as it is day; night is cming when n ne can wrk. Jhn 11:10 But if anyne walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is nt in him. Jhn 13:30 S after receiving the mrsel he [Judas] went ut immediately; and it was night. Whatever else Jhn was saying abut Nicdemus, this much is clear: Nicdemus didn t want t be expsed fr wh he really was. Nicdemus and we need t recgnize that ur righteusness really isn t righteus; and we als must recgnize the depth f ur sinfulness. page 3 / 7
We dn t want ur sin expsed because we dn t really believe that we are that bad. Yet having ur sin expsed is ur nly hpe. When sin is expsed then it can be cnfessed and when cnfessed it can be frgiven. That s why James wrds, cnfess yur sins t ne anther is nt a fearful statement, but a hpe-giving statement. The nly value f 1 Jn. 1:9 is when we are hnest abut the cnditin f ur sinful hearts. T deny sin is bad news, indeed. The nly gd news is sin itself. Sin is the best news there is, the best news there culd be in ur predicament. Because with sin there s a way ut. There s the pssibility f repentance. Yu can t repent f cnfusin r psychlgical flaws inflicted by yur parents yu re stuck with them. But yu can repent f sin. Sin and repentance are the nly grunds fr hpe and jy. The grunds fr recnciled, jyful relatinships. Yu can be brn again. [Jhn Alexander, in CT, 2/9/98, 78.]! An attitude f dctrinal superirity will keep ne frm regeneratin (vv. 2, 4). Dn t miss the tne f arrgance in Nicdemus cmments we knw (v. 2; he and they really didn t!) Hw (v. 4) Hw? (v. 9). It s as if Nicdemus is trying t explain t Jesus, Yu knw that can t be s Nicdemus deficiency was nt that he didn t knw but that he arrgantly came t Christ as an enlightened man, presuming he had a knwledge that was superir t Jesus s. Nicdemus is discunting the deity f Christ and the authritative teaching Christ. This is typical f unbelievers they listen t Christ with the wrng ears they try t fit Gd int their wn system, rather than letting Gd define the truth (1 Cr. 2). The unbeliever is preccupied with his wn understanding f the way Gd shuld perate. The best thing any man can d is t acknwledge that he desn t knw all, but that Christ des.! SUMMARY: At the turn f the 20 th century, philspher William James asserted that, there are sme healthy-minded and well-adjusted peple wh have n need f cnversin r new birth. [Demarest, The Crss and Salvatin, 291.] The accunt with Nicdemus is given t reveal just the ppsite. Every persn everywhere needs regenerating. All are dead withut Christ and His life. The unregenerate are mrally evil (Gen. 8:21; Mt. 7:11; 12:34; Jn. 3:19) The unregenerate are spiritually sick (Mt. 9:12) The unregenerate live in spiritual darkness (Mt. 4:16; Jn. 3:19; Eph. 5:8a) The unregenerate are slaves t sin (Jn. 8:34; Rm. 6:6, 16-209) The unregenerate are under the sentence f physical, spiritual, and eternal death (Jn. 3:15-16) page 4 / 7
due t hereditary depravity the minds f the unsaved are blinded their wills are predispsed t sinful chices and actins, their emtins are disrdered, and their relatinships with Gd and thers are brken r strained. Frm the biblical perspective, nce brn persns cannt see Gd, and they cannt enter the kingdm f heaven. [Demarest, 292.] What regeneratin IS (v. 3)! Nicdemus and his mre passinate Pharisee and Sanhedrin friends believed an extreme devtin t the Law was all that was needed fr Gd s favr and abundant life.! Christ culd nt be mre clear: WRONG. They (and we) need a cmpletely radical rebirth (He says it three times in vv. 3, 5, 7).! Truly, truly (v. 3) is used 25x by Jhn (nne by thers); d yu want truth? Here it is.! And what Jesus says is initially incmprehensible t Nicdemus yu must be brn again. What?! T be brn again means t be regenerated t have yur ld sinful life remved and new life given t yu thrugh the pwer f the Hly Spirit. In regeneratin, Gd initiates and gives life t a dead man; we are acted n by Gd befre we respnd t Him. Sme bservatins: Regeneratin is frm abve. The wrd translated again (v. 3) als means frm abve, and suggests a cntrast with the belw (earthly) birth. Even a birth that cmes in lineage f Abraham isn t enugh! Brn is a favrite wrd f Jhn (18x) and means far mre than physical birth (1:13). It is a radical transfrmatin f ur entire nature. I have cme that yu might have life (10:10) des nt mean I came t make imprvements n what yu already are and have Yu cannt be brn again and remain the same. The Hly Spirit is in yu and will prduce His fruit. Titus 3:5 He saved us, nt n the basis f deeds which we have dne in righteusness, but accrding t His mercy, by the washing f regeneratin and renewing by the Hly Spirit, [surce f regeneratin] 2 Cr. 5:17 Therefre if anyne is in Christ, he is a new creature; the ld things passed away; behld, new things have cme. [result f regeneratin] Summary f regeneratin: It is instantaneus (and cmplete): in the same way that a child is brn in a mment f time and remains alive, s in regeneratin, the individual is made alive in a mment and remains alive frevermre. It is nt the result f human achievement. Man desn t regenerate himself anymre than a child births itself. Regeneratin is the slitary (mnergistic) wrk f Gd in salvatin (1:13). It prvides a new nature. By regeneratin, the believer has a capacity fr righteusness and is fundamentally changed int a new creature (2 Pt. 1:4; 2 Cr. 5:17). It prvides a new life. The regenerate man has a new min (1 Cr. 2:16), new heart (Rm. 5:5), and new will (Rm. 6:13). He is n lnger under death s dminatin, but alive in Christ. page 5 / 7
Regeneratin is what allws us t see (v. 3) enter (v. 5), and participate in the kingdm f Gd (t see and enjy Gd and have eternal life). This is ur nly hpe (and Gd initiated and did it)! 2. HOW Regeneratin Happens (vv. 4-8) Regeneratin is a wrk f the SPIRIT (vv. 4-7)! Regeneratin is the wrk f the Hly Spirit (vv. 5, 8). I fund apprx. 10 different interps. fr water and the Spirit. It mst likely is a reference t the purifying wrk f the Hly Spirit t cleanse the heart and sul frm sin (Ezk. 36:25-27; 37:9-10) spiritual renewal. Whatever the interp. f this particular phrase, dn t miss Jesus pint withut regeneratin, yu cannt and will nt enter the kingdm f Gd. The flesh prduces fleshly life, but the Spirit prduces spiritual life, which is why yu must be brn again. We have ur wn lng list f musts things which we believe must be. Christ said He must be crucified (3:14), He must rise again (20:9), we must wrship in Spirit and truth (4:20), and we must be brn again. We believe we need prblems remved; but what we must have is regeneratin. One pastr says in preaching t avid imperatives like must and shuld makes peple feel guilty. Except Christ Himself uses them they are ur freedm!! The whle pint f these wrds is t strip Nicdemus f his self-sufficient, meritrius salvatin if yu want t be saved, yu can t d it yurself (v. 6). Only the Spirit can and will save a man. In fact, the Spirit is wrking in cnjunctin with the entire Triune Gd (Jn. 1:13, 16, 18; 1 Pt. 1:2) t bring abut ur salvatin and regeneratin. Cf. als Titus 3:5-6.! N man regenerates himself; all believers have been regenerated by the pwer f the Spirit.! Yu need Christ s righteusness and perfectin. That cmes by appealing t Him fr His mercy Regeneratin is a gift f GRACE (v. 8)! The wrd wind is the same wrd fr spirit (and Spirit) the sense is this: just as the wind cannt be cntrlled and just as we dn t knw frm where it cmes r where it is ging, s the Hly Spirit acts independently f man s cntrl and understanding, thugh the effect f His regenerating wrk can be seen. He saves whm He wills.! Paul s wrds are helpful here: I was unwrthy the least f all the apstles but by the grace f Gd I am what I am (1 Cr. 15:10).! N ne is wrthy t be regenerated, but the grace f Gd des it anyway.! D yu want t believe? If yu wuld like t believe, then stp being an unbeliever stp cming t Him with yur mral wrthiness, stp hanging nt yur sin, stp pretending yu are His equal, page 6 / 7
and stp discunting His authrity ver yu in a wrd, humble yurself under His mighty hand, and ask fr Him t be merciful and save yu. Will yu ask Him t save yu even tday? Will yu ask Him t save yu and give yu this new life s that yu can live fr Him? 3. What Regeneratin DOES Regeneratin is nt an end itself; regeneratin prduces many manifestatins f this new life. One authr summarizes the effect f regeneratin this way: regeneratin breaks the paralyzing bnds f hlistic depravity and radically renews the sinner s heart, mind, and sul int the image f Christ. [Demarest, 297.] In mre cncrete terms:! Thrugh regeneratin, the mind is renewed; the believer can intellectually cmprehend what was incmprehensible t him previusly. He can think! (cf. 1 Cr. 2:12, 14-16; 2 Cr. 4:4, 6).! Thrugh regeneratin, the will is transfrmed; the believer is liberated frm bndage t sin and is free t chse and d righteus deeds (Rm. 6:13; Phil. 2:13; 2 Thess. 3:5).! Thrugh regeneratin, the desires and mtives are changed; the believer has affectins and lve fr Christ he lves what Christ lves (Rm. 8:15; 2 Tim. 1:7; 2 Cr. 5:9, 15).! Thrugh regeneratin, the mrals and actins are changed; the believer becmes like Christ in what he says and des (Rm. 8:29; Gal. 5:22-23).! Thrugh regeneratin, his relatinship with Gd is renewed; what was destryed in the Garden is made new. He has genuine fellwship with Gd as his Father and the entire Triune Gd (1 Cr. 1:9; 1 Jn. 1:3; Eph. 2:22). And in being restred t Gd, he als has relatinship with fellw believers; rather than living fr self, he lives fr thers and enjys fellwship with thers (Rm. 12:5; Eph. 2:14-15, 19-20). In ther wrds, regeneratin changes every aspect f the believer s life. Everything is new and gd. CONCLUSION: This was a passage that Gerge Whitfield apparently particularly enjyed preaching. And it was his custm t regularly say, Yu must be brn again! After ne message, a wman asked him, Why d yu keep saying, Yu must be brn again? And he replied, Because, Madam, yu must be brn again! Apparently Nicdemus did nt trust Christ at this interactin (cf. v. 11b), thugh he apparently did later (7:50; 19:39). If yu have been regenerated, give thanks fr Gd s amazing kindness in yur life. If yu have nt been regenerated, yu must be! And if yu believe in Christ and ask Him t change yu (3:16), yu will be brn again. BENEDICTION: Jude 24-25 page 7 / 7