Jesus teaches on the New Birth/Regeneration P3

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

We have in our study of the New Birth/Regeneration defined it to be a work that comes from God, comes with change for the heart and includes faith and repentance.  In our past two blogs we have looked particularly at Jesus' teaching on the New Birth in John 3, noting the following:
1. It is a demand made John 3:1-8
2. Jesus describes the New Birth  John 3:9-13
3. Jesus demonstrates the reality of it  John 3:14-19

In today's post we want to finish out Jesus' teaching on the New Birth by observing His teaching about the delights that should flow from the New Birth experience.

Delights flowing from the New Birth John 3:20-21

1. The Born-Again Person Will Progress in the Light.
We read in John 3:21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” The word translated "practices" speaks of a "progression" or "habitual re-occurance". Truly born-again people should be moving in two directions in their Christian walk - onward and upward. I like how the various English translations render this word "practice", since they all capture the point Jesus is making concerning the Born-Again person to the light of Jesus:
-NIV = "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light"
-NLT= "those who do what is right come to the light"
-ESV = "But whoever does what is true comes to the light"
-KJV = "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light"
The reason Born-Again people practice what is right and do the truth is because they were Born-Again.

2. The Born-Again Person aims to please God, and to see others praise God, which pleases God.
To please God does not mean doing more to make God like you (for God's love for His people cannot be added unto nor diminished, since it is infinite love). Rather to please God means to bring pleasure to Him. Thus we ask the question: why does the Born-Again person desire to continue to progress further into the light? Jesus answers in the second half of John 3:21 - "so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” By living out the Born-Again life, others will see the fruit which the Spirit as been working in us following our New Birth by faith. Hebrews 13:14 states - "And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Such good actions by those born-again in salvation lends to others around giving praise to our Father in Heaven. (Matthew 5:16) The sum total of a Born-Again person's Bible reading, prayer time, church attendance, witnessing, moral living and any other activity will be geared in a Christ-ward direction. 

Conclusion
In conclusion then this is what we glean from Jesus' teaching of the New Birth in John 3:1-21:
1. He makes the demand for people to be born again.  John 3:1-8
2. He describes the New Birth in John 3:9-13
3. He demonstrates the reality of the New Birth in John 3:14-19
4. He shows the delights that should stem from the New Birth in John 3:20-21

Jesus' Teaching on the New Birth/Regeneration P2

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

It cannot be emphasized enough that the New Birth represents the entry way through the gates of salvation.  We have learned from previous studies of the New Birth that it comes from God, comes with change for the heart and includes faith and repentance.  Just as life naturally begins at conception, New life in Jesus Christ begins at this juncture called "The New Birth".  As we began to explore Jesus' conversation with Nicodemas on this most fundamental subject of salvation, we noted two ideas brought out by our Lord:

1. He demands people to be born again. John 3:1-3
2. He describes what it means to be born again. John 3:4-8 
Today we continue on with Jesus, observing further how He demonstrates the New Birth. 
Jesus demonstrates the New Birth John 3:9-19
In this conversation between Nicodemas and Jesus, Nicodemas raises two questions, the first one being a two part question in John 3:2 - "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?"  The question of course is dealing with the need for clarification and description, which Jesus does in John 3:4-8.  With the description of the New Birth complete, Nicodemas asks the second question in John 3:9 - "Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?”  It is in answering this question that Jesus aims to demonstrate the reality of the New Birth to the inquisitive Nicodemas by three types of testimony. 

1. Divine Testimony demonstrates the New Birth 3:9-13
Jesus demonstrates the reality of the New Birth by starting with first hand testimony from the Triune God.  How do we know Jesus is speaking of Himself in union with the Father and the Spirit?  He has already explained to Nicodemas about the role of the Holy Spirit as the Agent of the New Birth. (John 3:3-8)  With the Holy Spirit being a member of the Trinity, that leaves two Members.  Jesus identifies Himself as being included in this Divine testimony, asserting what is probably one of the clearest declarations of His Deity in John 3:13.  The Scripture elsewhere describes the believer being united to Christ at the time of the New Birth/Born Again experience. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)  Thus we are left with the person of the Father, Whom scripture ascribes as Being the Father of the New Birth, its Proper Orgin and Author. (James 1:17-18; 1 Peter 1:3,23)  God in all Three Persons is the Divine Testifier of the reality of the New Birth. 

2. Historical Testimony demonstrates the New Birth  3:14-15
For this Jewish Teacher of the Old Testament Law, no greater example of history could be cited than Moses Himself.  In appealing to Numbers 21, wherein Moses was commanded to raise up a brazen serpent to stave off a plague, Jesus is connecting the basis of the miracle of healing to what would be the basis for the miracle of the New Birth.  The people of God had grumbled against God, which resulted in a judgment of fiery serpents biting them.  By fashioning this serpent, God said all who look to this symbol raised on a pole would be saved from physical death.  Christ was showing Nicodemas that a far greater miracle was being referred to by Him - the New Birth.  What was its base to be?  The cross!  So powerful was the cross that not only can it reach forward into time and be the grounds of the New Birth for all who believe, but it could reach back as well.  Salvation is a miracle that is grounded in the historical event of the cross - the greatest testimony ever. 

3. Living Testimony Demonstrates the New Birth 3:16-19
If Divine and Historical testimony were not enough, Jesus appeals to the third demonstration of the reality of the New Birth - Living Testimony.  We all hear John 3:16 all the time, but do we ever stop to realize what it is really saying?  The miracle of the New birth is real.  Furthermore, faith and repentance are not only necessary, but sufficient means for receiving and experiencing the New Birth.  In this particular set of verses, Jesus deals mainly with the faith expression of the sinner.  It can also be just as easily included to that repentance is involved, since those who have not believed on the Only Begotten Son are those who love darkness rather than light. (John 3:19)  A person who is truly born again believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and in repentance loves the light and hates the darkness. 

More tomorrow.......

Jesus' Teaching on the New Birth/Regeneration - P1

 John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Review
Yesterday we looked at James' teaching on the New Birth or what is called "regeneration".  We observed the following characteristics of the New Birth:
1. New Birth Comes from God. James 1:17
2. New Birth Brings a Change of heart. James 1:18
3. New Birth Involves Repentance and Faith. James 1:19-21

These characteristics are mentioned in Baptist Faith and Message's definition of regeneration: "Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace."

In today's blog we are eager to see what Jesus teaches on this fundamental doctrine of biblical salvation in John 3:1-21. 

You must be born again or born from above - how James' teaching corresponds with Jesus' teaching about the New Birth
Jesus says in John 3:7 “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again."  That phrase "born again" in the original Greek of John's text could be easily rendered: "you must be born from above".  Just as in James' text, Jesus teaching on being Born Again or "The New Birth" is identical: namely it comes from God, brings a change of heart and includes faith and repentance.  In John 3:18-21 we see the accompanying change of heart that comes with the New Birth - namely a changed inclination from wanting to practice sin to that of practicing righteousness.  Then of course we cannot forget that no biblical understanding of being Born again is complete without the inclusion of faith and repentance, which we readily see in John 3:14-18. 

What Jesus specifically teaches about being born again
The wider unity of scripture on any given doctrine is important to consider when coming to any specific text - since our interpretation of specific scriptures must be guided by the general testimony of scripture.  With that said, what is Jesus specifically teaching about the New Birth in this text of John?  Let the reader take note:

1. The demand of the New Birth John 3:1-3, 7
As much as being born again is a work deriving from God, it is a demand that we issue forth to all men and women.  Why?  Because as much as it derives from God and brings change to the human heart, it also involves faith and repentance.  In John 3:7 Jesus tells Nicodemas that He must be born-again.  In our presentations of the Gospel, we  make this demand on our hearers.  God's Sovereign work of salvation includes the means of reception: namely faith and repentance.  Furthermore, He has willed that anyone who is Born Again by grace through faith does so by means of verbal communication of the word. (Romans 10:11-17) Without the New Birth, no one will be able to see, understand, enjoy or abide in the Kingdom of God - that is - in the totality of relationship with Him in His reign and work. 

2. The description of the New Birth John 3:4-8
So what is the New Birth or Regeneration? Clearly this truth is something of which Nicodemas, a teacher of the Old Testament should had known.  Passages such as Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31-33 all predicted the New Birth work of the Holy Spirit.  Nicodemas' issue was not an intellectual gap so much as a moral and spiritual one.  The New Birth, in contrast to natural birth, involves God the Holy Spirit uniting with me in my human spirit. (John 3:6; 1 Corinthians 6:17)  The miraculous nature of the Born Again work is that it is done by the Spirit of God.  As Jesus points out in John 3:8 - “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

The employment of the imagery of wind to compare the Spirit's work in regeneration is referring to the cleansing, purifying and driving away of all that obscures the sinner's heart from seeing and hearing Christ calling him to faith and repentance.   Again the Baptist Faith and message 2000 is instructive on this point: "It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." 

More tomorrow...........

Defining the New Birth

James 1:17-18 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

Defining The New Birth in Christian Salvation
I figured since we are entering into a new year, it is only fitting that we explore a fundamental truth of Christian salvation that has the word "new" in it.  The above text deals with the beginning of one's salvation - what the Bible calls "The New Birth" or "Regeneration". The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention) defines the "New Birth" accordingly:  "Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace."


The source, the effects and the activities involved in the New Birth
The New Testament speaks of the beginning of Christian salvation as being that of a "New Birth".  Jesus for example in John 3:1-8 discusses with Nicodemas what it means to be "born-again".  Peter too talks about being "begotten" or "born again" by God in 1 Peter 1:3 and 23.  This language of "birthing" and "regeneration" to describe saving faith is used in Titus 3:5 - "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." 

James 1:17-21 is the text I want us to specifically focus upon in understanding the New Birth, since James was the first New Testament Book.  As you go down through James'  treatment, you discover the following about the New Birth or as it is sometimes termed "regeneration":

1. The New Birth Comes from God. James 1:17
This is clearly the origin of the New Birth.  This tells us that salvation by its very nature is a genuine miracle.  We could call this first thought the "source" of regeneration or the New Birth.

2. The New Birth Brings a change of heart.  James 1:18
The New Birth, being a work of God, brings with it the grace that accompanies salvation.  As we will see in later blogs, whenever you and I have been born again - there must needs had been a change of heart.  We could term this the "effects" of the New Birth or regeneration.

3. The New Birth Involves faith and repentance. James 1:19-21
Any definition of the New Birth must include "faith and repentance".  Apart from faith and repentance, the New Birth simply will not occur.  James speaks about both repentance (James 1:19-21a) and faith (1:21b) in this authoritative definition of "The New Birth".   We could call this last point the "activities involved" in the New Birth. 

I would encourage the reader to study over James 1:17-21 and the other texts mentioned in today's blog to gain a better understanding of this essential truth of Christian salvation - The New Birth.  More tomorrow..........
 

Gaining Spiritual Ground in 2013: Emphasize Obedience

Hebrews 4:11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

Numbers 36:10 Just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did

For the past several days the aim has been to offer a map for gaining spiritual ground for the Lord in the upcoming New Year.  We've so far demonstrated that emphasizing prayer and regular time in the scriptures will yield advancement in the Christian life.  The Old Testament gives us the concrete language we need to understand the spiritual realities of the Christian life.  For example, New Testament passages such as Ephesians 1:3; Romans 8:14-16 and Galatians 4:1-6 all speak of the Christian being an "heir of God and co-heir with Christ".  These truths become crystal clear when we look back to the Old Testament people of God striving their way to possess the physical land of their inheritance. 

As we once again consider how we can gain spiritual ground for Jesus Christ in 2013, we want to look at a third emphasis: namely emphasizing obedience.

Faith the root, obedience the fruit of true advancement for God
As we look at Numbers 36, we see the daughter of Zelophehad obediently following the word of God spoken to them.  Numbers 36:10 plainly says: "Just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did." These daughters were not just hearers of the word - but doers.  When we look at how the Christian walk practically moves forward, it requires prayer, the scriptures and obedience.  Obedience is how you and I carry out what God shows us in prayer and what He tells us in His Word. 

When we come to the New Testament, we see abundant evidence of obedience being the premier sign of the presence of saving faith in the Christian life:

1. Matthew 7:17-20 17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.

2. Luke 8:21 - "But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

3. James 1:23  "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror"

As we see in Hebrews 4:11-16, the whole emphasis is upon gaining spiritual ground.  Hebrews 4:11 tells us "to be all the more diligent" - meaning that the way we know that we have entered into the rest of God is by the obedience that issues forth from saving faith.  Hebrews 4:10 speaks of us as Christians "having entered the rest of God" - i.e saving faith.  In verse 11 we see the need to "strive to enter into God's rest" - i.e sanctifying faith.  Obedience to the known will of God is the only way I can practically measure how much I'm operating by faith in my heart. 

By regular prayer and reading of the scripture, the obedience in these areas will become more of a matter of delight rather than duty.  True gaining of spiritual ground is indicated by what began has a "have to do" turning into an "I want to do".  In this upcoming New year, may you and I be a people who gain spiritual ground in the New Year by emphasizing prayer, the scriptures and obedience. 

Gaining Spiritual Ground in 2013: Emphasize the Bible

Hebrews 4:11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

Numbers 36:2 "and they said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land by lot to the sons of Israel as an inheritance, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters."

Yesterday we talked about gaining spiritual ground for the New Year.  We focused upon emphasizing prayer - establishing the truth from both Numbers 36 and Hebrews 4 that no advance for God can be made without prayer.  Today we want to consider another emphasis: namely the scriptures.  Just as no spiritual ground can be gained for God apart from prayer, the same must be said for the believer's relationship to the scriptures.

How the Old Testament saints appealed to God's Word in laying claim to God's inheritance
As we look back to Numbers 36 once again, we see these elders of the Tribe of Manesseh appealing to Moses and the Elders on behalf of the daughters of Zelophehad.  The daughters already had grounds to lay claim to their deceased father's estate, as articulated in Numbers 27.  The appeal made on behalf of these daughters in Numbers 36:2 refers back to God's instructions in Numbers 27.  Knowing what God had said was the ground they stood upon as they advanced their case to Moses. 

The New Testament Christian must have a close association with God's word if they are to gain ground for God
Hebrews 4:11 reminds the Christian: "Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. "  This exhortation to gain ground for God is not an option - but a command.  In order to gain ground for God in the New Year, you and I must do it with the Word of God.  Hebrews 4:12 makes one of grandest statements about the scriptures:  "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." As we include verse 13, we can note the specific reasons as to why emphasis upon the scripture is so crucial to gaining ground for God in the upcoming New Year:

1. The Bible is a Living Book.  (Hebrews 4:12) 
Apart from scripture, no spiritual life is possible, since by it God initiates saving faith (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23) and sustains the believer's post-conversion Christian walk. (Colossians 3:16)

2. The Bible is an Active Book. (Hebrews 4:12)
The Bible not only brings life, it enables you to be active in your Christian walk.  How can we know how to live for God, or what God's will is, apart from the scripture?  God uses the scriptures to stir us up to active faith.

3. The Bible is a discerning book. (Hebrews 4:12)
The writer here uses the language of the Old Testament sacrifices to convey his point of the discerning character of the scriptures.  Just as the Old Testament priest would ritually cut the sacrifices to make offerings to the Lord, the scripture is God's sword that prepares the Christian for spiritual service to the Lord. (Romans 12:1-2)  Only through the scriptures can my spirit (where the Holy Spirit dwells) have priority over my soul (where my fleshly desires are located).   When the scripture is doing its work, my soul comes more in line with my spirit.  When I am not exposed as often to God's Word, my soulish realm will rule my spirit.  I find that only through constant exposure to God's Word can I be a more discerning Christian. (Hebrews 5:14)

4. The Bible is a wide-opening book. (Hebrews 4:13)
Gaining ground for God means I know what He desires and that I want to act out what He says.  Hebrews 4:13 states -  "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." When you and I excercise ourselves in the scriptures - things that we found to be difficult to grasp suddenly become open to us.  All the time people are wanting to know God's will for their lives.  Scripture alone is the sufficient basis for discovering His Perfect and pleasing will. (Romans 12:1-2)

If we were to treat our Bibles like our wallets, our cell phones and our personal time, we would have an explosion of personal revival.  People all the time accidently leave their Bibles at church for instance.  Yet I have rarely if ever seen a cell phone left behind at church.  Whenever I have misplaced my wallet, I can recall turning the house upside-down looking for it.  How often do we set aside calendars and rearrange our family budgets for a few hours of personal recreational time? 

Cell phones, wallets and personal time are very important components of our twenty-first century life - yet think of how we emphasize those things in comparison to our time in the scriptures?  To make the necessary advancement in our spiritual walk with the Lord - we need to emphasize the reading, studying and interaction with the scriptures. 

Gaining Spiritual Ground in 2013: Emphasize Prayer

Hebrews 4:11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

Numbers 36:1 "And the heads of the fathers’ households of the family of the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the heads of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel"

The Christian life or participation in their spiritual inheritance is pictured by the land of Israel
Hebrews 4:11-16 represents one of the sections in the Book of Hebrews that exhorts readers to strive towards knowing and following Jesus Christ.  The word for "diligent" in Hebrews 4:11 refers to "hasten, be zealous, eager, make every effort".  So the question is: what is it that the author is wanting his readers and us to be diligent about?  Answer: to enter into the "rest" of God.  This statement fits into the larger section of Hebrews 3:7-4:16, wherein the comprison is made between the Old Testament Israelites and their relationship to the land of Canaan to New Testament Christians and their growth in the Christian life.  The Old Testament promises of land for Israel are concrete illustrations used by the Bible to illustrate the Christian's inheritance and Christian life in Christ. 

With that basic understanding established, we can legitimately draw the conclusion that excercising the "diligence to enter into that rest" equals gaining spiritual ground. 

Gleaning principles for gaining ground in the Old Testament: Emphasize Prayer
As we pointed out, the Jews and the promised land in the Old Testament picture for us the Christian and their Christian walk in the New.  The idea of inheritance is mentioned nearly 20 times in Numbers 36, making it the perfect place to understand this concept of gaining ground.  The heads of a tribe in Israel was appealing to Moses on behalf of five daughters who were attempting to obtain their late father's inheritance.  The father's name was Zelophehad, and being that he had no sons, the question of course would be whether or not his daughters could claim the right to inherit his possessions.  Back in Numbers 27 these same people had appealed to God and Moses, with the Lord telling to Moses to grant their request.  It was now a matter of them laying claim to what was rightfully theirs. 

So what was it that these people of God did to gain their share in God's inheritiance promised to them in the promised land?  Notice what they emphasized: prayer. 

Numbers 36:1b states - "came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the heads of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel."  Where did these people draw near to speak to the Prophet Moses about this right of inheritance?  According to Exodus 33:7 "Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp."  Over time this "tent of meeting" came to be associated with the tabernacle. (Leviticus 1:1; Numbers 3:25). They drew near to the place where God's people go to speak to God and to hear God by way of the priest.  The priesthood in turn would perform sacrifices and go into the tabernacle to represent them in prayer. 

Gaining spiritual ground in the New Testament entails emphasizing prayer
In Hebrews 4:11 we read of the necessity for the Christian to "strive" or "be all the more diligent" to enter into God's rest.  That "rest" is the spiritual counterpart to the "land" and physical inheritance we see in Numbers.  What is it that we are to do today as Christians in gaining ground for God?  One of things spoken of in Hebrews 4:11-16 is the need to emphasize prayer. 

The writer employs the language of the tabernacle and priesthood.  Hebrews 4:14 and 16 - 14 "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.... 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Specific areas of gain that can occur when we emphasize prayer
Just as the people of God drew close to the entrance of the "place of prayer", the "tent of meeting", so are we as New Testament believers.  No gaining of spiritual ground is possible apart from prayer.  Take note of significant New Testament passages that emphasize the place of prayer in Christian growth:

1. Ephesians 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

2. Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

3. 1 Timothy 2:1  "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone. 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity."

4. Jude 20 "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit."

As we gain ground for God in 2013 by way of prayer, we can expect to have clearer thinking (Ephesians 6:18), more peace of mind (Philippians 4:6-7), greater ability to change our communities (1 Timothy 2:1-2) and be stronger personally in our pursuit of God (Jude 20).