Have you ever considered what it means to be born of God’s Spirit? It is who we are that is wrong, not so much what we do or do not do. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out. Jesus sensed in Nicodemus a deep hunger, an emptiness. Sensing this our Lord immediately puts him on the right track, saying to him, in effect, "You are wasting your time if you think you can enter the kingdom of God the way you are. There is a birth which supervenes on the flesh-be-gotten man, and it is supernaturally wrought by the Spirit of God. By the spirit, you're born again, you know you receive this fear of God, but it's not just to be saved is to enjoy life. This is the way to receive him. If people traveled around their city during the six days before the Sabbath, planting caches of food here and there so that they would have something to eat wherever they went, then they could call the whole city their home. Here our Lord is laying the foundation for that most unpalatable doctrine of Scripture that teaches we all belong to a lost race. He was one of the most religious men of his day. Topic For The Day: Born Of The Spirit: John 3:1-8. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Jesus is here answering Nicodemus' question, "How can a man be born when he is old?" So Jesus says to Nicodemus, "How can this be? Isn't it remarkable that this is still true today? Being Born of the Spirit Is the New Birth Being “born of the Spirit” is also referred to as the “new birth.” The new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit, who places the believer in a right relationship with the God of the Bible. As you know, the Ten Commandments speak about worshipping the true God and not having idols in your heart, honoring your father and mother, refraining from lying, adultery, and various other sins. BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT. 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. They do not want to admit that there is something basically wrong with them; they still cling to the idea that there is some good thing about them that God ought to accept, and if they do more good than bad he ought to let them into glory. What the baptism stands for is what is important. From a variation of genos; to procreate; figuratively, to regenerate. We have dropped that name. What is Born of the Spirit is Spirit provides reflections on Scripture texts associated with (Holy) Spirit and (human) spirit. This new birth has two elements; it includes being born of water and of the Spirit. We called the young men and women who were studying here, "scribes." In a most remarkable way they have transferred their lives to that child; they have imparted life. Paul speaks of "babes in Christ," (1 Corinthians 3:1). How can you, a teacher of Israel, not know about these things?". This is the way to be born again. 2 Corinthians 3:6). Being "Born of the Spirit" is also referred to as the "new birth." All rights reserved. They tied a rope at the end of the street they lived on and that made the whole street their home, therefore they could journey a thousand yards beyond that. The Christian understanding of this word includes all three of those meanings. (6) The sense suggested for the last clause, "In this manner is every one born who is of the Spirit," removes the necessity of finding something with which the work of the Spirit may be compared, and it is in this necessity that the received versions of the first clause really find their root. Notice how Jesus cuts right across that with a sharp and penetrating sentence that must have gone like a sword thrust right into Nicodemus' heart. Jesus then gives the outcome of all this in history: "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man." But if one spat on a rock there was no dirt involved, so one could spit on a rock on the Sabbath day but not on the ground. When I see these words, "truly, truly," I always see it in that light: a finger pointing at the important words that follow. The Promise Of A Baby Persecution Satanic Hatred. Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? So people began to look for loopholes in order to get around these laws. Do not ever take truth on the basis of a single witness. Nicodemus regarded Jesus as a successful teacher, because God put his seal of approval on him by doing miracles through him. Unborn babies float in a sack of amniotic fluid for nine months. I hope you recognize that this is a widespread, popular view of religion today. He wanted to put some letters after his name, but had never been to a university. Unless you have that new life you cannot see the kingdom of God. But as then he that was born of the flesh persecuted him that was born of the Spirit, so also now. He said to him, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Someone said to him once, "Why do you preach so often on 'you must be born again'?" It is the image of God in him, the seat of the capacity for the communion with God, which is the true principle of life. He illustrates this with another symbol: the wind. ", 4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Regeneration denotes a new birth. You will not be able to predict the purposes of God in an individual life; God will direct that life. That had already occurred. It has become so popular that it is used for all kinds of situations that have nothing to do with the way the New Testament uses it. Message transcript and recording © 1983 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. How can I do that?" This is a frequent reaction of many in the Gospel of John. It is a revelation of a fundamental reality about life; a basic, elementary fact that we need desperately to understand if we are going to live realistically in this world. Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" It is a work of God, not of humans. Jesus rebukes him further: "If I told you of earthly things (I have talked about wind, and birth, and water) and you do not understand what I mean, how can I reveal to you deep and marvelous truths, the heavenly things (the things which are under the invisible control of God)? God does what no man can do: he imparts his own life to that individual. You get a living spirit; your spirit is made alive. Just as there are 2 parents for physical birth, so there are 2 “parents” for spiritual birth: the Spirit of God (John 3:5) and the Word of God (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23-25). But when Jesus answers the question, "How can a man be born when he is old?" Born of The Spirit Home. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.". It was our Lord's understanding that the Scriptures (as he put it on another occasion) "are they which testify of me," (John 5:39 KJV). We had for a while here at Peninsula Bible Church a Scribe School. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. That he speaks truth `` how can this be the wind, but not one required. 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