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Friday, July 22, 2016

P2 Jesus' teaching on the New Birth in John 3:1-21


John 3:1-3 "Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Introduction:
Yesterday we considered Jesus' conversation with Nicodemas and His teaching on the New Birth. We noted the following two enabling realities of the New Birth:

1. The New Birth enables one to see the unseen Kingdom. John 3:1-3

2. The New Birth enables one to access the inaccessible Kingdom. John 3:4-5

Today's post aims to conclude our look at this watershed conversation between Jesus and Nicodemas. In other words, what other enabling qualities does Jesus teach concerning the new birth? 

The new birth is enabled by the Holy Spirit. John 3:6-8
Jesus' remarks about the agency of the Holy Spirit in the new birth reminds us that we as human beings cannot bring about this miracle. Just as it works in the case of natural birth, whereby the infant is born by causes outside of itself, in like manner the work of the new birth is wrought by the agency of the Holy Spirit. 

For certain, the miracle of regeneration never occurs apart from faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). People are not simply "zapped" by God's saving work apart from their willing participation and trust. With that said, how is it that, on the one hand, the unwilling sinner running away from God suddenly turns to Jesus in faith while on the other hand, the sinner is brought to saving faith without forced coercion by God? 

For starters, the logical and theological priorities of regeneration and faith tells us that the Holy Spirit is the One who makes the first move, with faith quickly on the heels of such a work. In practice of course, one cannot discern the orderings of the work of regeneration and the response of faith, since both occur at the same moment. 

In other words, the Spirit's regenerating work and the response of faith are, practically speaking, simultaneous. To borrow Jesus' word-picture of the Spirit's work of regeneration as comparable to that of the wind, think of the wind blowing leaves on an Autumn day. We cannot divorce one from another in practice, even though in the logical scheme of things the leaves would not move lest the wind was coursing its way upon the ground. It would seem this is as close as one can get to understanding this relationship between regeneration and faith. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000's article on regeneration (see above) spells how this relationship seems to operate. 

Reflection on other scriptures reveal the Holy Spirit's enabling agency in the new birth:

a. The Holy Spirit imparts the nature of God into the believer that is responsible for the new birth (John 3:5-6; 1 Peter 1:23)

b. The Holy Spirit brings down the presence of God that characterizes the new birth (John 3:7; James 1:17-18)

c. The Holy Spirit brings in the life of God as fresh air in the new birth (John 3:7-8; Titus 3:5)

d. The Holy Spirit imparts the miracle of regeneration in the context of saving faith (John 3:1-8; 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9)

So we've seen how the Holy Spirit enables the new birth to begin, as well as how the new birth enables one to see the unseen kingdom and enter the inaccessible Kingdom. Let's now consider two more truths about the new birth...

The new birth enables understanding of the things of God
John 3:9-12
As Jesus continues on with his discussion, he takes Nicodemas back to the text of Numbers 21. In that chapter we find the people of God being bitten by serpents as a result of their murmurings and disobedience. God tells Moses to fashion a bronze serpent that will be placed upon a pole and which will function as a remedy to heal the snake-bite of those who look upon it. 

The remedy is sufficient for all, and yet the promise of God and His saving power will only work in those who actually gaze upon it in desperate hope. Jesus' point in this illustration is to show Nicodemas that such an earthly physical illustration and its spiritual significance as a act of God can be discerned once the heart has been changed. 

The New Birth brings with it the ability to understand and embrace the things of God. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."

So the New Birth enables understanding of the things of God, is wrought by the Spirit of God and enables seeing the unseen and entering the inaccessible kingdom of God. As a final thought, we can note...

The New Birth is experienced by saving faith in Jesus Christ. John 3:13-21
The whole point of these closing remarks by Jesus to Nicodemas is to bring home the reality and relationship of saving faith to the New Birth. In truth, John 3:1-12 and 3:13-21 function as two distinct parts on one conversation, with 3:9-12 transitioning from the New Birth to the relationship of saving faith to it. We have already labored to show how saving faith is necessary for their to be a New Birth. We could add that the Holy Spirit is the Agent of the New Birth and that faith is the means of receiving such. 

Faith is a divine gifting from God that transforms into a free-decision of the human will at salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). The faith one exercises in salvation is that person's volitional trust or free-decision. Such a decision or trust in Jesus Christ occurs in the context of the working of the Holy Spirit in the human heart. This is what was mentioned earlier concerning the new birth and faith. In practical terms, the new birth and faith are simultaneous. Ultimately, one cannot have one without the other. 

Just as light from the sun cannot occur without the sun itself, faith cannot occur apart from the working of the Spirit. Faith is the reaching up of the hand of man to receive the graceful hand of salvation extended to them by Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit opens eyes and unstops hears to discern where this hand of grace is and from whence it is coming. In saving faith, I do reach out to God, but only because He in love first reached down to me (see 1 John 4:19).

Closing thoughts
We have considered Jesus' conversation with Nicodemas and His teaching on the New Birth. We noted the following five enabling realities of the New Birth:

1. The New Birth enables one to see the unseen Kingdom. John 3:1-3

2. The New Birth enables one to access the inaccessible Kingdom. John 3:4-5

3. The New Birth is enabled by the Holy Spirit. John 3:6-8

4. The New Birth enables understanding of the things of God. John 3:9-12

5. The New Birth is experienced by saving faith in Jesus Christ. John 3:13-21. 

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