P3 Why God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e

Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Introduction

The last couple of posts have endeavored to answer the question: "why is God worthy of praise?" We have considered four reasons from Romans 11:33-35

Power of God

Revelation of Jesus Christ

Attributes of God

Inspired Scriptures

In Romans 11:36 we are taken to the peak of Paul's mountain of praise: "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." Only when God's grace is brought to the eyes and senses of the sinner can the conclusion be drawn: "God is worthy of praise". Moreover, the converted heart finds the power of God, revelation of Jesus, attributes of God and inspired scriptures as desirable and worthy of praise and thanks to God. Today we will consider two final reasons why God is worthy of praise to complete our acrostic p.r.a.i.s.e.

Spirit of God

In Romans 11:33-36 we find that the Holy Spirit is the Person within the Godhead who brings to us the greatness of God. This idea of the Holy Spirit being the Ambassador of God's Greatness has been written about in past posts, as referenced in the link here: http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2016/07/how-holy-spirit-acts-as-ambassador-of.html 

Without the Person and work of the Holy Spirit brought "down" to us, the greatness of the Father and His Son Jesus Christ would never be personally accessible. Apart from the Holy Spirit, no person could truly say "God is great". The Spirit of God is the fifth reason for why we can say God is worthy of praise. Now let's consider one final reason...


Excellency of His Being
Romans 11:36 is truly like a little Bible in one verse. "From Him" speaks of God as Creator; "Through Him" points to His work in redemption and "To Him" brings us to His culminating history and eternity unto Himself through the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. What if God had not created the world, or provided redemption or had plans to bring history to a close: would He still be worthy of praise? Yes. Why? God is great whether the world exists or not. This fact about God is what makes Him God: He in and of Himself is great and worthy of praise. The excellency of His being, within Himself, apart from all other things, makes God worthy of praise. His actions only amplify this reality of God's greatness.

Closing thoughts
We have considered over the last few posts why God is worthy of praise from Romans 11:33-36. We looked at the following six reasons as to why God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e

Power of God
Revelation of Jesus Christ
Attributes of God
Inspired scriptures
Spirit of God
Excellency of His being

P2 Why God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e

Romans 11:33-35 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?

Introduction:

In our last post we considered why God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e. This, in all honesty, ought to be obvious. God, after all, is the Greatest Conceivable Being. He is Maximally Great, possessing great-making properties such as omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. Just as people who conclude the Grand Canyon to be a good enough destination to travel thousands of miles because of its "worthiness" of being a vacation spot, God far exceeds His creation and ought to be seen as most supremely worthy. Sadly, sin and the fall have rendered our spiritual eyes blind and our spiritual senses dead. What "ought" to be obvious ends up being ignored by the unbeliever. Authors such as the late Christopher Hitchens will write books like "God is not Great" to express the epitome of unbelieving man's attitude toward God. The Holy Spirit of God is necessary to open eyes and resurrect the spiritual senses for people to see God as worthy of praise.

We saw yesterday that God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e due to His power and the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Today we carry on to contemplate more reasons why God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e.

Power of God

Revelation of Jesus Christ

Attributes of God

We see God's characteristics or attributes mentioned in Romans 11:33-35. God's knowledge, wisdom, judgments and ways are described as "unsearchable" and "unfathomable". In verse 35 we find reference to God's mind, as well as indirect reference to the Trinity by mention of the Person of the Holy Spirit. God's qualities act as rays of the sun directing our spiritual eyes and senses back to the source. We experience God's energies, which are the sum of His essence, which no man has seen nor can see (1 Timothy 6:16). God's revelation in Jesus enables us to truly know God in the Person of the Son and His power demonstrates His worthiness to be praised. Hence, God's attributes are cause for praise. But now let's notice a fourth reason...

Inspired Scriptures

The Apostle Paul's doxology in Romans 11:33-35 is a quotation of verses from Isaiah 40:13 and Job. God has seen fit to disclose Himself in three primary ways: general revelation in creation, fullness of revelation in Jesus and special revelation in the scriptures. God's wisdom and voice is conveyed by them (Psalm 19:7-14). It is by the scriptures that God conveys His will (2 Peter 1:20-21); gives His instructions (2 Timothy 3:16); exercises His authority (1 Timothy 4:13-16) and reveals His redemptive purposes. Paul's doxology expresses all that Paul has concluded from his own inspired letter to the Romans as well as the other texts quoted in his writings. 

So God is worthy of praise due to...

Power of God

Revelation of Jesus Christ

Attributes of God

Inspired Scriptures

Next time we will consider two final reasons from Romans 11:33-36 as to why God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e.

P1 Why God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

Introduction:

The Apostle Paul closes out his supreme exposition of the Gospel in Romans with the explosion of praise we find in Romans 11:33-36. As one studies over this explosion of praise that is called a "doxology", the clear message is this: God is worthy of praise. This stretch of verses represents one of the most amazing statements about God found anywhere in the Bible. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 notes the following about God with respect to worship: "To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience."

Today we want to begin considering why God is worthy of praise by taking that word p.r.a.i.s.e and spelling out six reasons why God is worthy of our praise. We will draw mainly from Romans 1-11, since the doxology occurs following Paul's masterful exposition and prior to his practical section of Romans 12-16. 

So why is God worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e? Let's consider firstly the...

Power of God. 

God's power is the first reason we can give as to why God is worthy of our praise. Romans 1:20 describes how God's power is known to all people: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen,being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." God's power is the source behind the Gospel (Romans 1:16). The power of God is described in scripture is displayed in the heavens (Psalm 19:1-6) and is responsible for the beginning of the universe (Psalm 33:6). God's power amazes the angelic hosts, prompting them to exclaim how God is worthy of all praise in Revelation 4-5. 

God's power is displayed in creation and in the many miracles recorded throughout the scripture. God's deliverance of the Israelites across the Red Sea is testified throughout the Old Testament as God's supreme Old Testament display of redemptive power in the Old Testament. 

In the New Testament we find God's power being most supremely displayed through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (Acts 1:1-2; Romans 1:1-3). Is it no wonder that Paul writes what he does in Romans 11:33? God's power is the first reason for explaining why God is worthy of praise. 

Now lets consider one more reason before concluding our post today.........

Revelation of God in Jesus Christ

Again we refocus our attention on Paul's words in Romans 11:33 "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!" Think about what Paul has been writing about: God's revelation of salvation in Jesus Christ. We find the praise-worthiness of God explained most fully in what some have termed the "four-number-ones" of the New Testament: John 1:1-18; Colossians 1:13-16; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1. In these "four-number-ones" we discover masterful expositions about the Lord Jesus Christ. 

We could add Romans 1:1-7 as that "fifth-number-one", since the Person and work of Christ is shown to be the center-piece of the Gospel. As Paul carries on through Romans 1-11, we find the Lord Jesus Christ as the cause for praise. The desperation of all human beings separated from God in old Adam is contrasted with the hope believers find in Jesus - the New Adam (see Romans 5). 

In Romans 9:4-5, we discover: "who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen." 

Jesus' unparalleled life, substitutionary death and glorious resurrection are great cause of praise to God. Jesus Christ is God-incarnate. To praise Jesus is to praise God. God's power and revelation in Jesus Christ are two reasons for saying that God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e. 

More next time.......

How the Holy Spirit acts as the Ambassador of God's Greatness

Isaiah 40:13-14 "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,Or as His counselor has informed Him? 14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?"

Introduction:

When I was growing up at home there was a period of time where we had the opportunity to become acquainted with what I would call “an ambassador of goodness”, otherwise known as “The Schwan’s ice cream man”. Whenever Friday would come, my sister and I knew that in addition to finishing up school, we would get to sometimes see that yellow and white truck back into our drive way. My dad would go out to greet this diplomat of the tastiest frozen desserts this side of eternity (I don’t think I exaggerate). 

Back then as a boy I had no trouble eating as much ice cream as I could stomach. My dad quickly developed the habit of eating ice cream for his lunch, all thanks to the goods delivered by the Schwan’s ice cream man. While we received these bi-weekly visits from the “Schwan’s” home deliver truck, I soon began to notice the commercials on T.V and then it dawned on me: “hey, that guy is delivering to us what is on the commercial”. As a young boy, all of this was an amazing experience. We thought we had it good with the ice cream from the store. However, when the Schwan’s man came into our lives with his frozen treasures of ice cream, why would anyone want to turn back?

No one back then needed to convince me to get excited about home-delivery of Schwan's ice-cream. Why? Because of the Schwan's ice cream man. When it comes to the desire to worship God, can we in our flesh see that God is worthy of worship? It that were the case, no one would need the Holy Spirit.  

Today’s post aims to show how the Holy Spirit, the Ambassador of God’s greatness, brings down to people this great truth – namely that God is great, and greatly to be praised. So as we shall see, our main point of application will be that: the Ambassador of God’s greatness brings to you and me the greatness of God. 

Who is the Holy Spirit

Just like the Schwan’s ice cream man who brought to my family and me the “goodness of ice cream”, the Person of the Holy Spirit as the Ambassador of God’s greatness brings to us the greatness of God. To give us some friendly reminders from scripture regarding the Holy Spirit: First, The Holy Spirit is not a force, nor a “it”, but a “He”, a Person Who acts as “God coming to us”. (John 14:16-17; 15:26-27; 16:12-13) 

Secondly, the Holy Spirit is a sharer in the Divine nature with the Father and Son and thus is God. (Psalm 139:7; Matt 28:19; Acts 5:4-5; 2 Corinthians 3:17) 

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit brings forth the life and energy of the Father’s purposes that are structured by the Son. (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104; Romans 8) With those quick reminders, we can note that all of creation sees God’s greatness from afar in the sky above (Psalm 19:1-3). Humanity in particular knows about God within the conscience (Romans 2:15). However, The Holy Spirit brings God to us because He Himself is God. He gives the sinner a heart to worship God because He is gloriously God Himself.

The Holy Spirit is the Ambassador of God's Greatness
The Christian life begins with a visitation from what we could call "The Ambassador of the Trinity" - The Holy Spirit. Who is the Ambassador of God’s greatness. When I speak of this One and only “Ambassador of God’s Greatness”, I am speaking of the Holy Spirit. Romans 11:33-36 spells out more clearly than any other scripture the greatness of our God. As we already mentioned, only when the Holy Spirit illuminates our minds and transforms our hearts will we then delight to enjoy God's greatness. As Christians, we must ever be led by and filled by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). He has been given as the deposit of the fuller and richer reality of God's future for His people - since He Himself is God (Ephesians 1:13-14). Because of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, the ability and desire to worship God is made a reality for the Christian. May we delight in the greatness of God by depending on the Ambassador - The Holy Spirit. 

Four Amazing Truths about God's Eternal Presence

Revelation 4:1-3 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.

Introduction
As the Apostles John is taken by the Spirit of God into this incredible place, the four underlined phrases in the text tells us four things about God's Eternal presence. Heaven is undoubtedly God-centered. This vision of John, stretching for two chapters, confirms just how God-centered of a place that Heaven is and will be.  Please note the four truths of God's eternal presence revealed in these four verses:

1. Unendingly Holy.  The very first thing that John experiences in this vision of the Heavenly throneroom is the sound of a trumpet.  The sound of a trumpet in the Bible is often associated with God's revelation of Himself. We see this for example in His touching down atop Mount Sinai in Exodus 19, when He revealed the Law of God to Moses and Israel.  At the end of Hebrews 12 we read of that same scene from Exodus 19, wherein the the mountain shook at the sound of the loud trumpet-call of God's voice.  The sights and sounds were so terrifying that the Hebrews, gathered around the base of Mount Sinai, begged Moses to speak to them, rather than God.  No doubt, God is unendingly Holy - whether revealed on earth or in Heaven.

2. Unquestionably Sovereign.  God is not only Holy, but Sovereign.  To be Sovereign simply means that God is in comprehensive control of all places at all times.  Again we are reminded of previous visions and revelations of God in scripture.  Isaiah, the prophet, saw God seated upon a throne.  Ezekiel, another prophet of Israel, saw God seated upon the throne with shining wheels.  Daniel, the prophet thrown into a lions' den, sees God as the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7.  No matter what time we look at in redemptive history in the Bible, God is on His throne.  As Psalm 47:8 records - "God reigneth over the Heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness."

3. Undeniably Precious.  John sees in this vision a set of precious stones in the description of God's glory recorded in this chapter.  The use of precious stones in the Bible points to the goodness, the eternal value of God.  He is the Good God, worthy of our worship.  1 Peter 2:7 reminds us that this Lord, Jesus Christ, is precious to those who believe.  The presence of these stones in John's vision hearken back to the precious stones worn by the High Priest as he represented the nation of Israel before the Holy presence of God.  God is so good as to provide for us Representation.  He has done so in the Person of the Eternal High Priest - Jesus Christ - who is called the chief, precious cornerstone (please compare 1 Peter 2:7).

4. Unfathomably Faithful.  The final detail we will focus on today is the rainbow situated around the throne.  Why a rainbow?  If you will recall what God revealed to Noah back in Genesis 9:12-16 - He revealed to Noah a Rainbow.  That Rainbow was a sign that God would never destroy the world with a flood of watery wrath.  Likewise, all who by grace through faith trust in Christ as Savior, Lord and Treasure, personally experience the faithfulness of this unendingly holy, unquestionably Sovereign and undeniably precious God. Believers in Jesus Christ has the promise that when they approach the throne - the blood of Christ shed for them will protect them from the coming wrath of God on this world (please compare 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 2 Peter 3). He not only is faithful to our future, but also our present. God has promised to never leave nor forsake His people. 

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. 

P1 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:
Today's post aims to consider what Jesus meant when he spoke of being "born-again". This phrase "born-again" is referred to by a couple of other similarly related titles, such as the "new birth" or God having "begat us" (James 1:18). Peter of course uses the term "born-again" to refer to the beginning of salvation (1 Peter 1:23). The Apostle Paul uses phrases such as "washing of rebirth" and "regeneration" (Titus 3:5); "new creation" or "new creature in Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:17). To be sure, the Old Testament had a less-potent version of the miracle of regeneration in what it called "circumcision of the heart" (Deut 10:16; Jer 4:4). Such a lesser-version of the change of heart indicated that salvation still operated in the same ordering fashion: God's grace alone through faith alone in His Promise of salvation. The Old Testament prophecies of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 pointed to a time when the much fuller and more robust version of a Divinely wrought change of heart (i.e regeneration or the New birth) would occur. 

These introductory remarks will serve to give us background to all that Jesus and Nicodemas would discuss in their evening conversation about the miracle of the New Birth. The Baptist Faith and Message gives the following definition of regeneration or the New Birth: "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."

So having defined the New Birth and its synonyms, we can now enter briefly into John's narrative of the Master teaching Nicodemas about the nature of the New Birth. We will consider what Jesus has to say about the new birth by noting what the new birth enables or makes possible with respect to salvation.

1. The New Birth enables one to see the unseen Kingdom. John 3:1-3
By the time we reach this point in John's Gospel, Jesus' private world and public life have fully splashed onto the canvas of 1st century Jewish life. Jesus has already done His first miracle, was announced as the Lamb of God by John the Baptist and has cleansed the temple within the first two chapters. It is clear that Jesus has captured the watchful eye of the Jewish authorities. Nicodemas' meeting with the Lord under the cloak of evening is as much intentional as it is for fear of being noticed by his peers. At bear minimum, Nicodemas recognizes the Divine favor that rests on Jesus miracle working power, something of which he could had said about Old Testament prophets such as Moses or Elijah. 

But Jesus is very quick to point out that Nicodemas' seemingly profound insight falls far short. In essence, Jesus exposes what are the limitations of the religious mind and the reasoning intellect: namely what one can gather through the five senses. Jesus states in 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.” When a person experience the miracle of salvation - regeneration - in saving faith through the Gospel, the eyes of understanding are opened. The Apostle Paul writes concerning natural-minded inability to perceive correctly the things of God in 1 Corinthians 2:14 "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised."
The Kingdom of God is God's pervasive influence and Sovereign reign in the affairs of men, over the whole universe and in the hearts of His people. The Kingdom is by nature unseen. Only a converted, regenerated heart can see the unseen and grasp such by faith. For poor old Nicodemas, this bit of news unsettled him in his religious posturing and caused him to inquire Jesus further. 

So, the New birth enables one to see the unseen Kingdom. Now notice secondly...

2. The New Birth enables one to access the inaccessible Kingdom. John 3:4-5
Nicodemas attempts to discern Jesus' statement regarding "born again". Surprisingly, Nicodemas, a theologian of the Old Testament, misses the connection between Jesus' statement and the predictions of the New Covenant ministry of the Holy Spirit in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36-37. Nicodemas takes Jesus' statements literally and proposes that he might mean some bizarre form of a fully-developed person crawling into his mother's womb. Jesus wasted no time in mildly rebuking Nicodemas and referencing back to those New Covenant texts in the Old Testament. 

Without going into much detail, the Old Testament predicted that the New Covenant age would be marked by the Holy Spirit indwelling His people and changing them from the inside out. The power to live Godly lives would be granted. Such images as water, wind and other word-pictures were used by Jeremiah, Ezekiel and other prophets to convey to their Jewish audiences about the pending reality of the coming New Testament era. Jesus indicated by his words and ministry that such a New Covenant age had dawned in His arrival and Person. The miracle of regeneration or the New Birth would enable entry into the invisible Kingdom. We could say that one could enjoy and experience God's invisible Kingdom rule and power in a manner hither-to-fore unknown by the Old Testament saint.  

The Apostle Paul references the miracle of the New Birth with respect to the Kingdom of God in Romans 10:6-10 that sheds light on Jesus' comments: 

"But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

So the New Birth enables one to see the unseen Kingdom and to access this otherwise inaccessible kingdom.

More tomorrow......