You Must Be Born Again! Part II
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I'm sorry that I have waited so long to put in the second installation to the study on the new birth. I hope you will join me and my outline and add your own thoughts to this subject. I'll help as much as I can and we are looking to some outstanding Bible teachers to give us their observations, as well. Please enjoy and may God give us all light to view one of the greatest themes in the Bible.
III. The doctrine of the Apostle John.
A. In the introduction to his Gospel: John 1:12-13: “As many as received Him, to them He gave
the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who
were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man,
but of God.” In contrast to those,
who did not know or receive Him in v. 10 and 11, this birth comes in
conjunction to those who do receive
Him (accept, rather than reject) and believe in Him. They believe that it is
true, but also they believe it to the degree that they place all their trust in
Him. Here, it means, that they trust His person. Then, there is a very strong
statement made insisting that God must bring about this birth, which has
absolutely no human element involved. There is a triple denial of anything that
man might do to participate in this work.
(Wesley) “They became
sons of God” not according to bloodlines (blood), pedigrees, such as being sons
of Abraham, by natural generation (desire) or by will of man (choice or
adoption). “It takes place in ‘the heart’, understanding
it to be the center of the personality, which will control the whole being. It
is not only a change in relationship or truth, but we are changed because the
principle of life is placed within us. .” (Lloyd-Jones). Old Testament
saints also were born again. … one great covenant in grace… they were born
again “Anyone who receives Christ will be
born again and enter the family of God” (Wiersbe).
Of course, birth involves
life; and spiritual birth from above involves God’s life. John uses the
word life thirty-six times in his Gospel. The opposite of life is death,
and the person who has not believed on Jesus Christ does not have God’s life,
eternal life, abundant life. You do not manufacture
Christians any more than you manufacture
babies! The only way to enter God’s family is through the new birth.
B. In the teaching of Jesus to Nicodemus: John 3:3,7: “Jesus answered
and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God.’”… “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You
must be born again.’” This occurrence
opens the understanding to the Kingdom of God. It gives entrance into that
Kingdom. It must happen, because nothing else is of any value, if this doesn’t
take place. We cannot please God without it. Along with the principal of
forgiveness, must come a change in nature, or we will continue to be an
agitation to God, continually inciting His wrath, still in a state of enmity. Nicodemus
is a prime example. He needed everything that Jeremiah and Ezekiel wrote about.
We have to go back into
chapter two to see what was happening in the religious society: 2:23-25…. “When He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the
feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But
Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men,
and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself
knew what was in man.” Now, Nicodemus
comes. He is a man who has attained much and is considered to be a
distinguished leader among his people. He is a moral man, a serious advocate of
righteousness. But alas! He is not born again. An additional teaching, attached
to the vast knowledge which he has already attained will not help. He is
mistaken in this, but he has come in sincerity and he has come with a certain
recognition of need. In vs. 7 the you
is plural. It is a message to all, to the whole body of people.
1. Wind. We can say three things
about the “Wind” in verse 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.” 1)
It blows where it wishes, confirming that this is a work of a Sovereign God
alone. 2) Its effects are noticeable; you can’t miss the sound thereof. 3) It
does not leave a pattern to be followed and understood. It is unique in each
case… like the snowflake, like the fingerprint, the works of God are infinitely
diverse one from another. You cannot tell how or when it began and you don’t
know how it will end.
2. Water. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is
born of water and Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (v.5). We need to mention the water, here and again in Titus 3:5. “Not by works done
in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved
us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” We might also refer to Ephesians
5:26, “washing of water with the word”. The word of God, the Scripture, is an essential part of
evangelism, leading to the New Birth. The word must be proclaimed. You have it
in James 1:18: “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.” You have it in 1 Peter. 1:23: “Being born again… through the living and enduring word
of God.” We can and should immediately
rule out physical water or baptism in water. Baptism? 1) Baptism is
connected with death, in biblical symbolism, not birth. 2) Physical water can
never do a spiritual work. Temporal water cannot do an eternal work. Earthly
water cannot do a heavenly work. You are born from above. 3) True people of God
have never seen that baptism can produce a new birth. Watch out for those, and
there are many, who teach such things. They are under a delusion that leads
away from salvation by grace.
A more modern interpretation
is that the water Jesus refers to is the first
or natural birth, but this doctrine has not stood the test of time and we
must be extremely suspicious of “new teaching”. It is the Word of Scripture,
alive and powerful under the unction of the Holy Spirit that leads people in
the direction of the new birth. It is preached to you. That’s Peter’s teaching
on the new birth.“The Word
brings to the birth. The medium is the word. It is not, however, in the act of
generating. First, the heart must be opened”(Lloyd-Jones). The water of which Jesus speaks to Nicodemos, is the same
water of which he spoke to the Samaritan woman. Water cleanses and quenches.
Always a cleansing action takes place and then it pours life into the being.
C. In John’s epistle.
1 Jn.2:29 (begotten
of God): “If you know that He is
righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of
Him.” Those who are born of God are like the one by Whom they are begotten.
Principally, John teaches that those who are born of God practice righteousness.
They are righteous, made so, according to the righteousness of Christ. The pure
Lamb took sin upon Himself, and then took it away, through His sin sacrifice,
by which we are declared not guilty. Now, their lifestyle follows in agreement
with their birth in Christ.
1. Everyone who
practices righteousness is born of Him and everyone who is born of Him
practices righteousness. “ALL His
children are like Him” (Wesley). There
is no doubt that God is righteous and we can be sure that His children practice
righteousness. It is impossible to do righteousness without the new birth. 1 Jn.3:9: “No one who is born
of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin,
because he is born of God.” The one, who does not practice righteousness is
an impostor, not truly born of God. He is of the devil (v.8) The true Christian
cannot continue in sin, according to the divine seed within. His seed = God’s
seed. This is very similar to Hebrews 12:14
“Santification
(or holiness) without which no one will see the Lord.” The holiness principle is implanted through the new
birth. Peter quotes Leviticus 11:44, when he teaches, “You shall be holy, for I am holy”
(1 Pe.1:16). It is
the divine seed within, which obligates us, by nature, to pursue holiness.
2. Divine love (agape) is imparted through the new
birth. 1 Jn. 4:7-10: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love
is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who
does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was
manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so
that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but
that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” It is the motivating force of the new nature. If agape is not evident in a life, it is proof
that that person has never come to know God. He may love, according to human,
natural love, but not by agape love.
If he only walks in natural love, he has not known God, for God is agape… true love. The love of God is
made known to us, because we live and love through Christ. True love does not
originate in the human heart, but is manifested to us through the work of the
cross and is manifested through us because of the new birth. This is unique
love that only comes from God and is proof that we have been born again.
Warren Wiersbe:
God is love. This does not mean that “love is God.” And the
fact that two people “love each other” does not mean that their love is necessarily
holy. It has accurately been said that “love does not define God, but God
defines love.” God is love and God is light; therefore, His love is a holy love, and His holiness is
expressed in love. All that God does
expresses all that God is. Even
His judgments are measured out in love and mercy (Lam_3:22-23).
Much that is
called “love” in modern society bears no resemblance or relationship to the
holy, spiritual love of God. Yet we see banners saying “God is love!” displayed
at many festivals, particularly where young people are “doing their own thing”
— as if one could dignify immorality by calling it “love.”
Christian love is
a special kind of love. 1Jo_4:10 may be
translated: “In this way is seen the true love.” There is a false love, and this
kind of love God must reject. Love that is born out of the very essence of God must be spiritual and holy, because
“God is spirit” and “God is light.” This true love is “poured out within our
hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom_5:5,nasb).
Love, therefore,
is a valid test of true Christian faith. Since God is love, and we have claimed
a personal relationship with God, we must of necessity reveal His love in how
we live. A child of God has been “born of God,” and therefore he shares God’s
divine nature. Since “God is love,” Christians ought to love one another. The
logic is unanswerable!
Not only have we
been “born of God,” but we also “know God.” In the Bible, the word know has a much deeper meaning than
simply intellectual acquaintance or understanding. For example, the verb know is used to describe the intimate
union of husband and wife (Gen_4:1).
To know God
means to be in a deep relationship to Him — to share His life and enjoy His
love. This knowing is not simply a matter of understanding facts; it is a
matter of perceiving truth (cf. 1Jo_2:3-5). “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep
His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him’ and does not keep
His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever
keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this
we know that we are in Him.”
We must
understand “he that loveth not knoweth not God” (1Jo_4:8)
in this
light. Certainly many unsaved people love their families and even sacrifice for
them. And no doubt many of these same people have some kind of intellectual
understanding of God. What, then, do they lack? They lack a personal experience
of God. To paraphrase 1Jo_4:8, “The person who does not have this divine kind of love has
never entered into a personal, experiential knowledge of God. What he knows is
in his head, but it has never gotten into his heart.”
What God is determines what we ought to
be. “As He is, so are we in this world” (1Jo_4:17). The fact that
Christians love one another is evidence of their fellowship with God and their
sonship from God, and it is also evidence that they know God. Their
experience with God is not simply a once-for-all crisis; it is a daily
experience of getting to know Him better and better. True theology (the study
of God) is not a dry, impractical course in doctrine — it is an exciting
day-by-day experience that makes us Christlike!
3. God has done the work of
regeneration in us. We see it again in 1 Jn.5:1…
“Whoever
believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father
loves the child born of Him.” Through
faith we have trusted Jesus. We believe He is the Christ and we have thrown
ourselves upon him, and answering to that faith, the new birth within us recognizes
all other children of God as brothers, whom we love with the love of God. It is
the love of like natures. They are loved, because their life and nature
proceeds from the Father.
4. In verse 4, John teaches that “whatever is born of God overcomes the
world”, particularly through the faith given to us by God. It is in the
tense of already being accomplished. John has already said (2:15-17) that “if anyone loves the world, the love of the
Father is not in him…” he is not born of God, because agape is not in him. James
confirms it, “The friendship of the world
is hostility toward God… whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes
himself an enemy of God” (4:4). Because the child of God has the love and the faith of
God in him, he is not overcome by the world. The one who is overcome by the
world, is not born of God. Faith does not fail the believer, even though the
believer fails (as Peter), faith will bring him back. Faith in God and His Word
aims the believer towards heaven and above the world’s temptation.
5. Now, John gives us
tremendous assurance, as he ends his epistle, 5:18:
“We
know that no one who is born of God sins (continues to walk in habitual sin);
but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him”. Through the new birth, we have One living within us to
keep us. Peter, of course, concurs, inspired by the same Holy Spirit as John. 1 Peter 1:3,5: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who… has caused us to be born again… who are protected by the power of God
through faith…” That was the Psalmist’s
confidence, “My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps
you will not slumber nor sleep… The Lord is your keeper… The Lord will protect
you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out
and your coming in from this time forth and forever” (121:2,3,5,7). Jesus gives
us His word, as our faithful Shepherd (Jn.
10:28): “No
on will snatch them out of My hand”.
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