The Necessity Of The New Birth

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?”