1130. You Must Be Born Again, Part 2

Welcome to The Daily Platform, sponsored by Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.

Today's speaker is the president of Bob Jones University, Dr. Steve Pettit. Once again, we'll be in John 3, continuing the study from yesterday, You Must Be Born Again. John chapter 3 this morning, yesterday, we started by considering John 3 and verse 7 where it says, Marvel not that I said unto thee, you must be born again. And what we began with yesterday in John 3 is that Jesus addresses a very fundamental and basic theme in John 3 of the whole Bible. And that is, in order to enter into God's kingdom, you have to be born again, or as we affirm this morning as we did in our creed, the new birth through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

And yesterday we looked at why Jesus, when he spoke to Nicodemus said, don't be surprised or don't marvel at this. And I think we all are somewhat surprised by the statement, you must be born again, even in response since yesterday's chapel to me personally, either by email or other forms of communication. It's already evident to me that the Lord is working even in some of your hearts about your own relationship with God and that is, have you been born again? So today, I'd like us to look at the second half of chapter 3 and verse 7. And we will look at other verses this morning when Jesus said, you must be born again.

And today I'd like to try to answer two questions. Question number one is, what is born again actually mean? And then secondly, how is someone actually born again?

How does this actually take place? And we will see that this morning in this passage of scripture. Notice what Jesus said in John 3 and verse 3 to Nicodemus. He said, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again or literally be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

What does the word born again actually mean? And I think that we can illustrate this really through a biblical illustration that even Peter himself uses. And that's the illustration of a physical conception. In other words, how did you get into this world? You got into this world, you were birthed through a physical conception. That is, it is when the seed of a man impregnates a woman and it creates a child. That's how we all got here. Unless some of you are homeschooled and you still believe in the stork.

Other than that, that's how you got here, alright? Now, this is what Peter uses to help us understand the new birth. 1 Peter 1 23, being born again not of corruptible seed, that's human seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God which lives and abides forever. The new birth takes place when the eternal life giving word of God, the seed of God's word, through the powerful act of the Holy Spirit brings forth a conception in your heart. A new spiritual life or a new heart within you. Paul said it this way, if any man be in Christ he's a new what? He's a new creation, a new creature.

The old has passed away, the new has come. The word born again means regeneration. Or you could say it this way, a second birth, a spiritual birth, likened unto your physical birth. To be born again has the idea of being born from above. Someone has described it as the life of God coming down into the soul of man. I think it's important for you to realize that just like you do not participate in your first birth, I mean what did you do to get here?

You just showed up. You were conceived and you came into this world. So it is important to realize that when we speak about regeneration or the new birth, we're not talking about something you do. Because you have to understand you cannot change what you are by nature. You cannot go in and change your own heart.

It is impossible for you to do that. Only God can do that. And John affirms this in John chapter 1 and verse 13. He says when he speaks of our salvation which were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. This is a supernatural work of God that he does within your own heart. And I think it's also important to say that just like physical birth only happens one time and it is a completed work. That is when you're born you can't get born any more than you're born. So likewise when you are saved it is a completed work.

It is irreversible. Once you are born again this is eternal. Fact is eternal life does not start when you die. Eternal life begins the moment that you're born again. So that leads then to this question.

How is someone actually born again? And Jesus explains the new birth in this passage of scripture and he does it in three ways. Number one, there's a promise. Number two, he presents a mystery. And then number three, he shows us an illustration of a miracle.

So let's look at those three things. The first is a promise. Now the Bible tells us that we're born again through the promises of God's word. 2 Peter 1 whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be a partaker of the divine nature. How is it that I'm born again? I've already said it's through the seed of God's word.

But we could also say it this way. It is through his magnificent promises. Exceeding great.

You could almost say jaw-dropping. Or you could say it's putting the wow back into wow. God has given to us these incredible promises to us of what he'll do. So where is this promise found in John 3?

Notice he tells us in verse 5. Jesus answered, speaking to Nicodemus, 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. This is a promise that God gives us where we are actually born of water and of the Spirit.

Now what does that mean? Well, some have suggested that being born of water and the Spirit is in reference to physical birth and also spiritual birth. So just like when you were born, your mother's water breaks, the amniotic fluid breaks and shortly after that comes childbirth, the water is referring to physical birth and then being born of the Spirit is referring to spiritual birth. Or we would say it this way, in order for you to get into heaven, you have to be born not once, but you have to be born twice.

Now that's not what I believe it means. I actually think that there's a clearer illustration of what it means and that is that it's in reference to an Old Testament promise, a magnificent promise. And where is that found, this birth of water and the Spirit? It's found in Ezekiel chapter 36 and I'd like you to turn there if you will and look at verse 25 through verse 27. I'll read it to you, but I want you to take note of this because I believe that what Jesus is doing when he says born of water and the Spirit is referring back to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 36 25 says, Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean.

From all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgments and do them. Now this Old Testament prophet Ezekiel is presenting a wonderful and magnificent promise and that is God will cleanse the Jewish people from their sins and he will give to them a new heart. And in this passage water refers to cleansing from sin. Spirit refers to creating a new heart.

Now here's the question. What is Ezekiel speaking about here? What is he referencing to? And I believe what he's referring to and what Jesus was saying in John 3 is he's referring to the new covenant. Jeremiah said it. He said the days are coming declares the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel.

I will put my law in them and I will write it on their hearts. There is coming a day when there's going to be a new covenant. Now the question, when did the new covenant start? When did it come into full force? Well, do you remember on the night before Jesus was crucified?

What did he do? He had his last supper. It was the Old Testament Passover meal of the slain and the roasted lamb. And during that meal Jesus held up a little cup of wine and he sent these words to his own disciples drink ye all of it for this is my blood of the new testament. Literally new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Do you realize folks that one half of your Bible the Old Testament and the new covenant that what we have beginning in Matthew all the way through Revelation is this magnificent promise that Jesus Christ would come and die on a cross and he would bring into force he would ratify a new covenant and through that new covenant our sins would be cleansed and the Spirit of God will make us new people. And what did Paul call his own ministry? In 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 6 he says we are ministers of a new covenant not of the letter but of the Spirit. Paul also says in chapter 3 verse 5 of Titus he says not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us. By the washing of regeneration and by the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. So the Old Testament promise of being born again is actually this new covenant.

And folks I want you to understand it is in full force right now. And that is in this gospel age those who put faith in Jesus Christ enter into this new covenant and they enter into this magnificent promise of God. I think this is what Jesus meant when he said to Nicodemus you must be born of water and of the Spirit and surely Nicodemus should have understood this. But then there's a second illustration that Jesus uses in helping us understand what it means to be born again. And that's found in John 3 and verse 8. And notice here he uses a mystery. And it's really a mystery from nature that we all understand.

Look at what it says. The wind blows where it listeth. And the listeth simply means where it wants to go.

Its own wishes, its own desires. The wind blows where it wants to go. You hear the sound thereof but you can't tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. Now Jesus is saying that when a person is born again it's like the blowing of the wind. It's a mystery.

Why? Because we really don't know where the wind comes from. Where does the wind come from?

Do you know? We don't know where the wind comes from. Where's the wind going? You go outside on a windy day and the wind comes flying by. Well where is it going to?

I don't know. But what we do know is we recognize the presence of the wind because we can hear the wind and we can feel the wind and we know the effects of the wind because they are clear and definite. What Jesus is saying here is that the Spirit of God like the wind moves in the heart of an unbeliever. The Spirit of God is the animating power of God to work in our lives.

And he works in our hearts and you could say blows upon us like the wind. And I want to go back if I could in the Old Testament and illustrate this for you. Because in the Old Testament it's very interesting that the word the Hebrew word for wind the Hebrew word for breath and the Hebrew word for spirit are all the exact same word. It's the Hebrew word Ruach. For example in Genesis 1 verse 3 it says the Spirit of God moved on the face of the earth to bring creation in. That word Spirit is Ruach. In Genesis 2 and verse 7 it said God breathed into man the breath of life same exact word Ruach. And there's a very interesting and dynamic illustration in Ezekiel chapter 37.

So that's the next chapter up from chapter 36 that we just looked at. In Ezekiel chapter 37 we see the power and animating force of God through the Ruach. And what is the story in Ezekiel chapter 37? Well you've probably heard of it before or maybe you've heard the song Dim bones dim bones dim dry bones. That's from Ezekiel 37.

And what is it? It's when the Lord takes Ezekiel to a valley of dry bones. And what does God say to Ezekiel? He says son of man can these bones these dead bones live?

Ezekiel responds he says oh Lord God you know. And God said to Ezekiel prophesy upon these bones and say unto them oh ye dry bones hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God into these bones behold I will cause breath Ruach to enter into you. And you shall live and I will put breath in you and you shall live. Prophesy the word and I will breathe life into these dead bones.

So what happens? Well as he prophesies suddenly there's a rattling of these bones. And all these bones come together. And what happens? Suddenly their ligaments begin to form between these bones. And then there is flesh.

And then suddenly there's skin. And then God says to Ezekiel he said prophesy unto the wind prophesy son of man and say to the wind thus saith the Lord God come from the four winds oh breath and breathe upon these slain that they may live. So I prophesied and he commanded me and the breath came into them and they lived and stood upon their feet as an exceeding great army. He prophesied the word and the breath of God the life of God came and suddenly that which is dead comes to life. And then Ezekiel finishes by explaining his interpretation.

This represents Israel and God's future blessing on them. He says therefore prophesy and I say to them thus says the Lord God behold I will open your graves and raise you from your graves oh my people. I will bring you into the land of Israel and you shall know that I am the Lord where I open your graves and raise you from your graves oh my people. Now watch this and I will put my spirit within you and you shall live and I will place you in your land. God is giving a promise to the Jewish people of their future that which is to come in a kingdom that does not currently exist on this earth.

But I also believe that this shows us how it is that God works. That the word is prophesied or the word is preached. The wind blows and the dead come to life. When the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached the spirit of God like the wind blows life into dead sinners.

Ephesians 2 one and you hath he quickened who are dead in trespasses and sins. You know how you got saved? You heard the gospel and God's wind blew on your heart.

That's very interesting. Jesus says the wind blows where it wants to blow. That is nobody controls the direction of the wind. You can't tell where the wind comes from and where the wind is going to blow. Where it blows, when it blows, upon whom it blows.

We don't know. We do not determine the basis of the will of the spirit. It blows where it wants but you can see its effects. When you see the waving of a flag, the swaying of a tree, the turning of a wind turbine, or the destruction of a home from a tornado or hurricane, you know that the wind is the cause and Jesus said so is everyone that is born of the spirit. This is a mystery upon whom God decides to blow but the effects are evident and what's the effect of the working of God in the heart?

What's the chief dynamic or the chief effect in a life? It is this that you actually believe. You actually believe the word. You actually believe in Jesus.

You actually trust in him with all your heart. I know not why God's wondrous grace to me he hath made known nor why unworthy Christ in love redeemed me for his own but I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. I know not how this saving faith to me did impart nor how believing in his word wrought peace within my heart. I know not how the spirit moves convincing men of sin revealing Jesus through the word creating faith in him but I know whom I have believed.

The evidence of the spirit of God is at work is that he comes to the preaching of the word and people actually believe. Are you a believer with all of your heart? Jesus is yours. Are your sins washed away? Nicodemus how are you born again?

There's a promise there's a mystery and then very quickly I have to finish. And he gives an illustration. It's actually one that is found in the Old Testament. In verse nine Nicodemus asked the question how can these things be and Jesus basically scolds Nicodemus.

He said you ought to know the answer to this. And Jesus made it clear that the reason why Nicodemus didn't know the answer is because he wasn't really a believer. And Jesus then in verse 14 points back to an Old Testament illustration that shows us how we're born again. I've preached this story many many times. I've preached it many times in India. And seeing God work in people's lives. And what is the verse? As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. With the wind we see God's sovereignty but with this illustration of this miracle we actually see our personal responsibility. What's the story?

It's very simple. The Jewish people are traveling through the wilderness. Life is hard.

The way is difficult. And the people begin to complain. They criticize Moses. They criticize God. And what did God do?

He brought judgment on the people. He began to send into the camp poisonous snakes. Could you imagine that? Here we are sitting here in this building and all of a sudden poisonous snakes start coming up from the floor. Rattlesnakes. Copperheads.

Water moccasins. And all of a sudden you can't escape them. You jump up and you try to run out and every time you take a step a snake bites you. Could you imagine what would happen to the bedlam in this room? People going nuts. Everybody's screaming.

That's what happened. And all of a sudden the people realized the reason why God was judging them was their sin and so they changed their tune and they went to Moses and said Moses we've been wrong. We have sinned against you and against God. And then they said Moses become our mediator and pray to God that he would deliver us from the power of this snake bite, this death. So God responded. Moses prayed.

And what did God say Moses to do? Take a snake, take brass and form and shape the brass into a snake and put it on a pole and lift it up. And everybody that will look at that snake of brass will look at that pole. I'll perform a miracle. Instead of them dying I will actually give them life. And so he makes this snake of brass and he puts it on the pole and lifts it up and everybody that looked at it, what happened to him?

Everybody lived. And Jesus said this is an illustration of my crucifixion. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. And that being lifted up is being lifted up and dying on a cross.

Why? Because on the cross Jesus broke the power of sin and Satan and death. By his death we live. And just like the people look to the serpent of brass to live, so when we look to Jesus at the moment that we look, we live.

But it's a responsibility. Nobody can make you look. This look is exclusive. If you look at Moses you're going to die. If you look at your mom and dad you're going to die. If you look at the tabernacle you're going to die. If you look at yourself you're going to die. I find a lot of people doubt their salvation because they're looking at everything but Jesus.

They look back. Did I get saved when I was six years old? Did I really pray the right kind of prayer?

Did I really mean it? And you get sort of messed up in your brain because you're looking at the wrong place. There's only one place to look and that's Jesus on the cross dying for your sins folks. That's where the new covenant comes into force. And here's what God says. I will perform a miracle. If you look to me I will keep my promise and I will perform a miracle and you will not die but you will live. And the Bible says everybody that looked lived. Nicodemus how are you born again? Look I've given you this promise the new covenant.

I've told you it's a mystery. But you have a personal responsibility Nicodemus. You must respond and you must look and you must live.

So you say Dr. Pettit then what should I do? No doubt some of you are not sure that you're saved. You know what you need to do? Seek the Lord. Call upon him while he's near. Pass me not O gentle Savior.

Hear my humble cry. While on others thou art calling do not pass me by. Savior, Savior hear my humble cry. While on others thou art calling do not pass me by.

If you are not saved if you are not born again look to Jesus now. Our gracious Lord we thank you that you're merciful. We thank you that your promise is eternal. We thank you that your mercies are great. And we thank you Lord that your miracle is true that if we believe we will live. And so Father we pray that you'd work. Impart life we pray unto those who are dead in trespasses and sins. And we pray for your grace to be extended to many here today in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for joining us today. These daily programs are made possible by the many friends of Bob Jones University and this radio ministry. We'd love to hear from you so don't hesitate to send us your feedback by going to the website thedailyplatform.com Thanks again for listening. We hope you'll join us next week at this same time as we study God's Word together on The Daily Platform.