WHAT IS THE NEW BIRTH
John 3:3
I. Intro.
A. what is
the New Birth: this is one of the most
important questions we will ever consider
1. all
questions of legislation, science, and learning are insignificant in comparison
to this
2. when
seeking an answer to this question, we must keep close to the teaching of God's
Word
3. this
subject is too vital and precious, to be jeopardized by anything other than a
Supreme authority
4. in
this matter, we must sit only at the feet of the Divine and Heavenly Teacher,
before whom we are to stand in judgment
B. in this
conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus pressed home the fact that great change
occurs in salvation
1. He compared salvation to a
birth
2. because
spiritual life is unknown to the first or natural birth, He designates
salvation as the second or new birth:
"born again" means born over again
II. The Nature Of The New Birth
A. the new
birth consist of a new life
1. our
first, or natural birth, brought us into a new world of being, of thought, and
feeling
a) our
first birth ushered us into a new state of existence, in which all things were
new
2. here
we find a strong and significant resemblance between first birth and the New
Birth
a) in salvation,
the soul is brought into a new, spiritual world
b) the
first birth brought us into the natural world, the second brought us into a
spiritual world
c) the
first birth brought us into a world of sin, and woe, and death; the second
birth, into a world of holiness, and happiness, and life
3. the
new birth is represented as a quickening - Ephesians
2:1, 5
a) it
is described as having "passed from death unto life" - John 5:24
b) it
is also represented as a resurrection - John 5:21
4. the
New Birth takes us out of a state of spiritual death, and into a state of
spiritual life
a) it
entirely reverses our moral being
b) the
truly-converted soul is a living soul, quickened from a death of sin, into a
life of righteousness
c) the
new-born life is the life of God, which is impart to us by our union with
Christ, who is our life
(1) this
life is new, spiritual, holy, and deathless
(2) the
glory, the reign, and the power of a divine and new-born life has enter the
soul
B. the new
birth is the restoration of the Divine image, to the soul - 2 Peter 1:4
1. the
moral image of God was obliterated in the fall of the first Adam
a) the
righteousness and holiness, in which God originally created us, gave way to the
reign of sin
b) the
image of a foreign sovereign became stamped upon our soul
c) the
New Birth is the restoration of that lost image of God in man - Ephesians
4:24
2. by
Christ, the soul of man is legally and permanently recovered
C. the new
birth involves a new or changed heart - Ezekiel 36:26
1. a
new heart is essential for the great spiritual change that takes place
2. by
nature, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked
3. by
grace it becomes a loving and holy temple for the Spirit, home for the Savior, and
shrine for God
a) the
rebellious heart has become penitent; the proud heart, humble; the unclean
heart, pure; the selfish heart, loving
b) the
heart that despised Christ, now embraces Him
c) that
which was at enmity against God, now loves Him
d) that
which strove with the Spirit, is now His willing sanctuary
4. this
is where the New Birth begins
a) this
is where it begins, carries on and finishes its mighty transformation
b) its
beginning is so gentle and veiled; its advance, so gradual and progressive; its
victories, so unseen and noiseless
(1) we
would be ignorant of our depraved nature, feel nothing of the vileness of our
heart, and never lament over the desperate evil within, were we not quickened
to life by the Spirit
(2) the
Divine hand has withdrawn the veil from our heart, revealing the plague, the
darkness, and the sin of this chamber
(3) the
same hand of love will perfect the work that was divinely and effectually begun
D. the new
birth is a spiritual change from life lived in darkness, to life lived in the
light - 1 Peter 2:9
1. the
spiritual darkness of the unrenewed mind, of the alienated heart, of the
rebellious will, is so deep, and impenetrable that no light can pierce it, but
God's
2. God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined into our hearts, to give us the light of life
- John 8:12
E. the new
birth transports us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Christ
- Col 1:13
1. our
nature, in its unregenerate condition, is under the dominion of the prince of
darkness, Satan
2. every
individual in the human race is either a subject of Satan or of Christ
3. the
new birth is a divine translation from the shameful power of darkness, into the
light and privileges and liberty of the kingdom of Jesus
4. in
the new birth there must be this emancipation from the bondage of Satan, before
there is the translation of the soul into the kingdom of Jesus
5. the
two dominions cannot co-exist in the soul; we must be drawn out of the pit of
corruption, before we can be placed in the kingdom of Christ
a) this
deliverance from the power of Satan is not such a deliverance that totally
frees us from the indwelling of sin, or entirely emancipates us from the
temptations of Satan
b) those
who are born again must contend with sin and temptation until life's last hour
c) that
which is born of the flesh, remains flesh, until this corruption puts on
incorruption - 1
Corinthians 15:53-54
d) in
spite of this, it is a blessed and glorious deliverance which grace achieves
III. To Be Born Again, Is To Be "Born Of The Spirit,"
But How Does The Holy Spirit Produce This Great Change - John 3:6
A. first He
convinces of sin
1. He lifts the veil that covers
the heart, and shows us its plague and sin and defilement
2. He makes the sinner to know
himself; this is the first step in real conversion
3. flesh
and blood will not reveal this to us, it is the Holy Spirit who shows us our
blackness and vileness
4. this
revelation is meant to bring us to the place where we will cry out, "what
must I do to be saved"
B. the Holy
Spirit then leads us to Christ
1. He does not deals cruelly
with the poor sinner, revealing the plague, and not the remedy
2. when
He makes the soul to feel the sickness of sin, He leads us to the Great Physician
a) He brings the trembling soul
to Jesus, and unveils His love, and grace, and merits
b) He leads a person to believe
and trust in Christ; to find rest and hope in Him
3. Jesus is just the Savior we
need, and just the Friend we seek
a) He took our sins, endured
our curse, bore our condemnation, paid our debt, and now invites us to the
cleansing fountain of His blood
b) we
do not need to doubt His ability or His willingness to accept and save - Matthew
11:28
IV. Conclusion
A. is your
conversion of such a nature as this; are you spiritually, and truly born again
1. forget
about rites and rituals, forms and ceremonies, morals and virtues, "You must
be born again"
2. the
soul beautified with virtue, is not a soul sanctified by grace
3. the
life regulated by laws, is not a life quickened by the indwelling Spirit of God
B. apart from
the New Birth, there is no true holiness, and without holiness no man can see
the Lord
1. an
unholy being could not exist for one moment in glory; its atmosphere would be
too pure, its society too holy, its worship too spiritual, and its enjoyments
too refined
2. to
be forever with the Lord, we must partake of His nature, cultivate His image,
be constrained by His love, and confess His name