Sermon Central
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Born Again - Part 2
Contributed by Dr. Jonathan Vorce on Dec 21, 2016 (message contributor)
Summary: This series addresses the very real question, "What does it mean to be born again?"
Born Again - Part 2
Lakewood | Pastor Jonathan Vorce | 1-4-2015
Powerpoint is available by emailing jvorce14@gmail.com
I. …that He gave…
A. It was GOD that GAVE Jesus to be a ransom for all…
1. Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would come.
(6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace
(15) Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
B. God Gives… We Receive
1. How do I receive the gift of Salvation?
a. Accept – the Gospel Message of the death, burial & resurrection of Jesus
b. Believe – that Jesus is the who He says He is (The Son of God)
c. Confess – That Jesus Christ is Lord… to the glory of God the Father
II. …His only begotten Son… - “Only begotten” comes from the Greek word monogenes, which is found nine times in the New Testament.
A. Five of these times it speaks of Christ — John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9.
B. The Lord Jesus was declared to be the Son of God by:
1. The Prophets (Isaiah 9:6);
2. Angels (Luke 1:32);
3. The Father (Matthew 3:17);
4. Himself (Mark 14:62);
5. His disciples (Matthew 16:16);
6. His enemies (Matthew 27:54); and,
7. By the power of his resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4).
III. …that whosoever believeth on Him…
A. “Whosoever” goes along with the them of this verse with the word “All”
1. God’s Plan was to send Jesus to die on Calvary to save “all” of humanity. However He will not force Himself on us so He simply said “…whosoever believeth on Him…”
2. God knew that there would be philosophers, agnostics and atheist, educated and uneducated people alike that would take a look at His plan of salvation for man. Therefore, He said, “WHOSOEVER”!
(15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
(16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
B. The word “believeth” is a present tense participle, literally, therefore, “the keeping on believing ones.”
1. The verb “believe” in the Greek New Testament is pisteuo. In addition to the acknowledgment of the historical data, and a trusting disposition, the word also includes the meaning, “to comply,” as Liddell & Scott observe in their Greek Lexicon, (Oxford, 1869, p. 1273); and, as they further point out, it is the opposite of apisteo, which means “to disobey. . . refuse to comply” (p. 175).
2. Prof. Hermann Cremer noted that “faith” (pistis) both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament “is a bearing towards God and His revelation which recognizes and confides in Him and in it, which not only acknowledges and holds to His word as true, but practically applies and appropriates it” (Biblico-Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, T. & T. Clark, 1962, p. 482; emp. added).
3. W. E. Vine declared that faith involves “a personal surrender” to Christ (Expository Dictionary, Vol. II, p. 71).
C. Faith and Obedience work hand in hand.
(36) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
(14) For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
(15) While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
(16) For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
(17) But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
(18) And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
(19) So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
2. While John 3:16 promises eternal life to him who believes, Hebrews 5:9 promises eternal salvation to those who obey.
(26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
IV. …should not perish…
A. Should not… We have to keep believing.
1. The choice to believe is ours!
B. This speaks of eternal suffering which is the result of separation from God.
1. As Vine pointed out: “the idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being” (Expository Dictionary, Vol. I, p. 302).
