Born Again

[2nd cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us,]

15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.** [for ever, everlasting,] 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Nicodemus came to Jesus confused. And really that seems to be the way a lot of folks are today, there are many today that don’t understand what it means to be born again, it seems that like Nicodemus, they are tied up in works instead of simply receiving Jesus by faith.

Jesus was not like the typical rabbi. And he was not what they thought the Messiah would be like either, but for Nicodemus, the miracles that Jesus worked were undeniable.

Pharisees thought of the faith as a list doctrines to be believed and rules that must be followed.

And let me say, that these rules were studied over and over. And they were added to and redefined so that no one could keep them all. –You and I might look on these rules as a lot of works, because we believe the bible and understand what grace is today.—

In order to pretend to keep these religious rules, there was an system of bypassing the laws that the Pharisees had developed.

This is always the problem with legalism. It always results in hypocrisy; the Pharisees didn’t mind applying the biblical laws with special strictness to others while excusing them selves. It seems their self-made standards would strain at a gnat and swallows a camel. It was critical, judgmental and narrow-minded.

It picks at the speck in other’s eyes, and misses the timber in its own eye.

It condemns breaking the Sabbath while it plots murder. It has a twisted way of missing the real point while wearing the garment of self-righousness. It elevates oneself while condemning others.

~Have you ever noticed in many churches today there seems to be the [church police?] People are afraid to really be them selves because it might offend the so-called church police. ~

Some preachers today have got real good at, “spear throwing”. That is, they make remarks about certain people sitting there without calling names. I’ve seen it 1st hand. And that’s not edifying the church, instead its sowing discord.

And God says He hates it. Proverbs 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Well, Nicodemus thought he had everything figured out.

Jesus goes right to point. He talked of being born again — a spiritual rebirth. This rebirth results in a new relationship with God. One man said it was an explosive power of a new affection.

~~When a person is born again, it is because of realizing we’re lost sinners and turning against our selves and our sinful ways and turning to and agreeing with God, when that happens the Holy Ghost of God imputes the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ to us, Rom.4: 22-25 And therefore it was imputed to him* for righteousness. 23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification -