The Necessity Of The New Birth
Text: John 3: 5-7
Intro: There are many things in life that are considered to be necessities. Among them, we might list things such as paying our bills, obeying the law, being a responsible spouse, parent, or citizen. Certainly, all of these should be of concern to us, since the Bible has much to say about these areas of our lives. However, the items just mentioned refer only to some necessities in the area of our personal responsibilities.
Sometimes, a person’s understanding of what constitutes necessity becomes confused, or obscured. For instance, some folks believe it’s necessary to wear only the finest and most expensive clothing. Others believe they must eat steak, rather than hamburger. Still others may feel that they must live in the most prominent area of town, and drive a Mercedes, rather than a Ford. But realistically, we all know that these things are not really necessities at all, only preferences. Being without these things do not spell disaster for anyone.
I’ve said all that to say this: There is one necessity that supersedes all other necessities, real or supposed—the necessity of the New Birth. Every need that man might have pales in comparison to the absolute necessity of knowing Christ as one’s personal Lord and Savior. No one can ever hope to live eternally in God’s presence apart from a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is this necessity I wish to speak of today.
Theme: The necessity of the New Birth is seen in…
I. THE MUST OF THE NEW BIRTH
John 3: 7 “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
A. It Is A Must Because Of The Nastiness Of Man’s Heart.
Gen.6: 5 “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Rom.3: 9 “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
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23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
NOTE: Folks, sin is not merely about one’s actions on the outside, for sin comes from within.
The Dirt Is On The Inside
A young boy asked his mother if he could help her wash the windows. She welcomed his offer and told him to begin with the one in the kitchen because it was the dirtiest.
He went outside and worked diligently until he thought it was clean. Then with a dry cloth he rubbed until his arms were tired, but the pane of glass still had many smudges. Frustrated, he called his mother and asked her what was wrong. Looking at what he had done, she said with a smile, “Why, you have been spending all your time washing the glass out here. What’s wrong is that the dirt is on the inside!”
The boy went into the house, and soon his efforts made the window clean and sparkling.(1)
B. It Is A Must Because Of The Need Of Humanity.
Acts 17: 27 “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
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30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”
Luke 13: 3 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
John 3: 7b “…Ye must be born again.”
NOTE: [1] Nicodemus was a rich man. But Jesus said to him, “Ye must be born again.” Jewish tradition holds that Nicodemus was one of the three richest men in Jerusalem. The fact that Nicodemus brought a very costly mixture of myrrh and aloes to be used in the burial of Christ, also leads us to believe he was a very wealthy person (John 19: 39).
[2] Nicodemus was a respected man. But Jesus said to him, “Ye must be born again.”
[2a] He was a “ruler of the Jews” (John 3: 11).
[2b] He was called “a master (teacher) of Israel” (John 3: 10).
[3] Nicodemus was a religious man. But Jesus said to him, “Ye must be born again.”
John 3: 1a “…a man of the Pharisees.”
[3a] The Pharisees were a group of Jewish fundamentalist, who prided themselves in their strict observance of the Law of Moses, and the traditions passed down by the Jewish fathers.
[3b] Nicodemus should have known of the necessity of the New Birth, since the Book of Ezekiel speaks of the need of God’s people to have a new heart.
Ezek.18: 31 “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
[3c] Nicodemus had either personally heard Jesus’ teachings in the temple, or heard about them. Yet, he was still ignorant of his need of the New Birth.
[3d] Nicodemus had respect for Jesus, but he wasn’t ready to receive Him. He said, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3: 2). The fact however was that Jesus was more than merely a teacher “from God,” for He was in very fact, God the Son.
[3e] When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he passed on the seed of sin to the whole human race (Rom.5: 12). That means that all of us were born wrong the first time, because we were born in sin. That’s why Jesus said, “Ye must be born again” (John 3: 7b).
C. It Was A Must Because Of The Nature Of Heaven.
John 3: 3c “…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Rev.21: 23 “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
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27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
NOTE: [1] Notice that Jesus told Nicodemus that it was impossible to enter the kingdom of God apart from being “born again” (John 3: 3c). The word translated “again” means, “from above.”(2) Jesus was essentially saying that possessing only a physical, earthly birth wasn’t sufficient for one to enter God’s kingdom. I don’t know who made the statement, but I have found it very true: “He who is born once must die twice; but he who is born twice must die only once.”(3)
[2] Peter tells us that when a person experiences the New Birth, they become “…partakers of the divine nature…” (2 Pet.1: 4). You see the nature of heaven is such that, “…before you can expect to get into heaven, heaven has got to get into you.”(4)
[3] “Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.” “Ye must be born again” (John 3: 7).(5)
II. THE MYSTERY OF THE NEW BIRTH
John 3: 4 “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”
NOTE: [1] Anything that is divine in its character is bound to be shrouded in mystery. But dear sinner friend, you must not avoid salvation because of its mystery. Dr. Jerry Vines tells the story of an unbelieving professor who once advised his students not to believe anything they couldn’t understand.(6) However, that’s an illogical approach to life in general, and to salvation in particular. Why, if we’d taken that approach to electricity, we’d never have benefited from its wonders, which we enjoy today.
[2] Can you imagine a man standing at the second floor window of a building engulfed in flames saying, “I’m not jumping into the canopy until you guys tell me how the fire started, what sort of accelerant was used, and which room it started in first?” Of course not! The only thing that would consume that man’s thoughts at a time like that would be that he was about to be consumed. No sane person would require an explanation, only an escape. Folks, I don’t understand everything about the work of God in salvation, but I know it’s real, because I’ve experienced it.
A. Jesus Illustrated This Mystery With Physical Birth.
John 3: 5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
NOTE: [1] Jesus is seeking to help Nicodemus understand the fact that in order to enter the kingdom of God, a man must have two births: one physical, and one spiritual (v. 5). He then explains that the product of each type of birth naturally bears the characteristics of its source (v. 6).
[2] Though physical birth and spiritual birth are two separate things, there are some similarities between the two:
[2a] Both physical and spiritual birth is one’s entrance into life.
1 John 5: 12 “He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
[2b] Both physical and spiritual birth is never repeated. Jesus told Nicodemus that there must be a physical birth and a spiritual birth. Just as physical birth takes place only once, so does spiritual birth. Jesus did not say, “Ye must be born again, and again, and again.”
[2c] Both physical and spiritual birth is a definite experience. It takes place at a definite moment in time. Anyone who has ever been given birth is usually aware of it.
[2d] Both physical and spiritual birth involves pain. Every mother has suffered in childbirth. It is said that a woman goes to the very doors of death in order to give birth to her child. Jesus not only suffered the agony of the cross, but literally died, that He might give eternal, spiritual life, to all who would receive Him (Isa.53: 4, 5).
B. Jesus Illustrated This Mystery With The Passing Breeze.
John 3: 8 “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and wither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
NOTE: Salvation is like the wind in that it is not a tangible thing. Though one can’t hold it or touch it, it does produce visible results. The New Birth cannot be held in one’s hand, but is possessed in one’s heart. And that which takes place in and is a possession of the heart changes the whole life.
III. THE METHOD OF THE NEW BIRTH
John 3: 9 “Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”
NOTE: When it came to getting things done, my dad had a rather simple maxim that he sought to drive into my young head: “You can do it my way, or you can do it the wrong way. The wrong way is not an option.” Folks, when it comes to salvation, only God’s way is acceptable. Doing penance (reparation, self-punishment, an apology) can’t save you. Joining the church can’t save you. Doing good works, or keeping the Ten Commandments can’t save you. God has prescribed only one right way to be saved; and that is by faith in Christ and His work on Calvary on your behalf. Let me illustrate my point this way:
Bruce Revel tells about taking a cruise on a large ocean liner. Soon after boarding the craft, he found out that everyone would be required to participate in a lifeboat drill.
“One requirement was that everyone had to wear a life jacket. When the alarm sounded, all passengers and crew gathered at the appointed location.
“The scene was amazing. Every man, woman, and child on that ship was wearing the same kind and color of life jacket. Finely dressed ladies with expensive jewelry were wearing exactly the same kind of life jacket as the cleaning women. Men in elegant tuxedos wore the same life jacket as the men who worked in the kitchen.
“This is a beautiful illustration of the reality of the church. Every time the people of God gather, it is like that lifeboat drill. No matter what our status or economic level, everyone must have the same life preserver—Jesus Christ.”(7)
John 3: 17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
Col.1: 14 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
A. There Is The Savior’s Part.
John 3: 13 “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
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16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
NOTE: Just as the Israelites, bitten by the serpents of God’s judgment, had to look in faith to the brazen serpent lifted up in the wilderness, in order to be healed, even so must every lost sinner look in faith to Jesus, who would be lifted up on the cross of Calvary, in substitutionary death for the sins of the world.
B. There Is The Sinner’s Part.
John 3: 15 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
NOTE: Jesus said, “Ye must be born again” (John 3: 7). The Scriptures tell us further, “And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev.22: 17b).
Theme: The necessity of the New Birth is seen in…
I. THE MUST OF THE NEW BIRTH
II. THE MYSTERY OF THE NEW BIRTH
III. THE METHOD OF THE NEW BIRTH
End Notes:
1. Source unknown. Acquired from pastorlife.com.
2. The Holy Bible, King James Version, Copyright by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; pg. 1557.
3. Source unknown.
4. Dr. Jerry Vines, Interviews With Jesus, Copyright 1981 by Broadman Press, Nashville, Tennessee; All rights reserved, pg. 120.
5. Ibid, pg. 120.
6. Ibid, pg. 121-122.
7. Clergy Journal, Apr. 1993, pg. 36.
