13 TERMS OF SALVATION – REGENERATION
REGENERATION is “born again” truth.
The Christian Gospel exceeds mere reformation. Instead, God, by the Holy
Spirit, effects an inner new birth or creation of a new nature within. This is
necessary because the sin nature, with which all are born, cannot now be
eliminated. When a sinner believes in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior,
he/she is made a new creature in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit quickens the
sinner (Eph. 2:1), opens the heart (Lydia, Acts 16:14) thereby enabling a dead
sinner to believe in Jesus. At once he/she is regenerated (born again). (Key
passage: John 3:1-17. Other verses: Ephesians 4:22-14; Colossians 3:9,10; Titus
3:5; 1 Peter 1:22,23; 1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1.)
MAJOR TEXT – JOHN 3:1-17
NICODEMUS’ CURIOUS QUESTION vv.1,2
“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler
of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him,
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.”
(Nicodemus
is very religious, but a lost sinner. God is raising his curiosity about just
who this Jesus is.)
JESUS’ UNCEREMONIOUS ANSWER v.3
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
(Jesus ‘cuts
to the chase’ and pursues a Gospel presentation.)
NICODEMUS’ OBLIVIOUS QUESTION v.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?”
(His
question is obviously devoid of spiritual insight. All he can think of is
physical birth, religiously learned though he be.)
JESUS’ STUDIOUS ANSWER vv.5-8
“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. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye
must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou
hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it
goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
(Jesus
transitions from the physical to the spiritual – “except a man be born of water
– (the physical) – and of the Spirit.” There exists another realm of reality
wherein God moves sovereignly and unpredictably, like the wind.)
NICODEMUS’ INCREDULOUS QUESTION v.9
“Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things
be?”
(The learned
Jewish leader turns ‘Indian” – HOW? Now his curiosity has peaked.)
JESUS’ MARVELOUS SALVATION ANSWER vv10-17
This
passage leads right into the renowned verse, v. 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.”
(Salvation (the new birth – regeneration) happens when a
sinner believes not merely ‘about’ Jesus, but ‘in’ Him! To believe ‘in’ Him is
to trust Him completely putting all one’s hope for eternal life wholly in Him.
-
Dick
Christen
