August 1, 2001, Vol.1, No.3.
Two new articles every two weeks.
Bible Question? E-mail
us.
THIS ISSUE: "You
Must Be Born Again" (see below)
and "Who is Teaching
the Truth?"
You Must Be Born
Again
by Keith Sharp
A few years ago a young woman nearby contacted us about a
home Bible study, but on one condition - I had to be a "born
again Christian." I honestly assured her I was, and we had
a study.
She didn't realize however that she was speaking redundantly.
If one is a Christian, he has been born again, and if one is
born anew he is a Christian. One might as well say a "saved
Christian" or a "converted Christian" as to say
a "born again Christian." In the most complete inspired
discussion of the new birth (John 3:1-10), the Master emphatically
stated three times that one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven
without being born again (John 3:3,5,7).
Years ago I heard a radio preacher speak on the new birth. He
admitted at the outset of the program he did not understand how
one is born anew. I wondered why he was preaching on a subject
he admitted he didn't understand. The Lord expected Nicodemus
to understand the new birth (John 3:9-10). How much more does
He expect us who have the benefit of New Testament teaching on
the subject to compre-hend this vital subject?
Dear friend, "You must be born again." (John
3:7) Thus, we inquire...
What is the method and nature
of the new birth?
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a Jewish ruler (verse 1). Because
of the manner and content of Jesus' message to him, it appears
he, in common with other such Jews, was smuggly self-righteous
(cf. Luke 18:9-14) and expected to be a leading citizen of Messiah's
kingdom by virtue of his Abrahamic descent (cf. Matthew 3:1;
Luke 3:8).
This man came to Jesus by night (verse 2). (The text doesn't
say why he came by night, so it is speculation to assert he was
ashamed or afraid, though he may have been.) He was honest enough
to confess that Jesus was a teacher from God as witnessed by
the miracles the Lord performed (Ibid). This confession was good
as far as it went, but it didn't go far enough. Jesus is far
more than a good man and a teacher of great truths. We must believe
and confess that He is the Christ, the Son of God (Matthew 16:13-17;
Romans 10:8-10).
The Master's reply was shocking to this Jewish ruler. "Jesus
answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless
one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'"
Jesus emphatically declared to this highly respected teacher
of Israel that, unless he underwent such a radical change that
it could be called being "born again," he wouldn't
even see the heavenly kingdom. The Master emphasized the importance
of his statement by using the formula, "Most assuredly
("Truly, truly" - New American Standard),
I say to you." John records twenty-five times Jesus
introduced an important statement with these very words. The
apostle himself emphasizes the Master's reply with the phrase
"answered and said," a formula the biographers
of the Lord employ one hundred thirty-one times to set off important
statements.
Doubtless this radical declaration was as shocking to Nicodemus
as a bucket of cold water in the face. In reply to the verbal
slap, the confused Pharisee asked two questions: "'How
can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time
into his mother's womb and be born?'" In verses five
through eight the Master answers these queries in order.
How Can a Man Be Born When
He Is Old?
To this first inquiry Jesus replied, "Most assuredly,
I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter the kingdom of God." (verse 5) This explanation
of verse three demonstrates that to "see the kingdom"
means to "enter the kingdom." The Lord is revealing
how to enter the kingdom of heaven. There is one new birth which
has two elements: water and the Spirit.
What is the part of water in the new birth? Some try to explain
the water out of the new birth by contending it is a figure of
the Holy Spirit. They give John 7:38-39 as proof, where the term
"water" symbolizes the Holy Spirit. But this doesn't
fit. In the first place, we know "water" refers to
the Holy Spirit in John 7:38-39 because John says so. Also, this
would make Jesus' statement in John 3:5 nonsense, "unless
one is born of water (the Spirit) and the Spirit, he cannot enter
the kingdom of God." Others contend "water" refers
to our first, physical birth and "the Spirit" refers
to the new birth. But Jesus is explaining the method of the new
birth here. I hardly see why He would need to say one must be
born physically, i.e., be a person, before he can be born again.
Further, the Master used the term "blood" to symbolize
the first, physical birth (John 1:12-13), not "water."
When N.B. Hardeman was asked, "What is the 'water' of the
new birth?", he replied, "Buttermilk!" When the
shocked inquirer asked why he believed this, brother Hardeman
answered, "If it's not water, you might as well make it
anything you want."
With what element of the
gospel is water connected?
"Then Peter answered, 'Can anyone forbid water, that
these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit
just as we have?' And he commanded them to be baptized in the
name of the Lord." (Acts 10:46-48).
Water is essential to baptism "in the name of the Lord."
According to God's mercy, He "saved us, through the
washing of regeneration ("rebirth" - Arndt
& Gingrich. 611) and renewing of the Holy Spirit."
(Titus 3:5) When we are washed in water, we are born anew.
But what is the part of "the Spirit" in our regeneration?
To become "sons of God," we must be "led
by the Spirit of God." (Romans 8:14). How does He lead
us? When we obey "the truth through the Spirit,"
we are "born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible,
through the word of God which lives and abides forever."
(1 Peter 1:22-23).
The Holy Spirit revealed the word, the gospel (verse 25), which
leads us to be born anew. Thus, we are "begotten ...
through the gospel." (1 Corinthians 4:15) Those who,
through faith in the gospel (Romans 10:17), "believe
in His name" are given "the right to become
children of God" and are "born ... of God."
(John 1:12-13) "By (not "in") the Spirit
we are baptized into the one body" (1 Corinthians 12:13).
When the Holy Spirit leads us through the gospel to believe in
Christ and be baptized in water, we are born again and become
sons of God in Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).
Can He Enter a Second Time
into His Mother's Womb and Be Born?
Not only did Nicodemus not know how to be born again, he misunderstood
the nature of the new birth. He thought only of physical birth.
The Lord corrected this carnal concept by explaining, "That
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit." The physical body is born from
fleshly parents, but the spirit within us is regenerated by the
Holy Spirit. This involves a drastic inward change, in which
we must "put off, concerning [our] former conduct,
the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
and be renewed in the spirit of [our] mind[s],
and ... put on the new man which was created according to God,
in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24).
Our inward man is cleansed by the blood of Christ of the pollution
of sin (Hebrews 9:13-14), and we bring our minds and lives into
conformity with the "righteousness and holiness"
of God by repentance (Acts 3:19).
Thus, everyone who is born again is like the wind (verse 8).
The wind is invisible and known only by its sound. The spirit
of man is likewise invisible and reveals its thoughts through
the sound of speech.
As the results of this spiritual renewal, we become new creations
in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We become citizens of a spiritual
kingdom (Romans 14:17). We become the sons and heirs of God (Galatians
3:26-27; Romans 8:16-17). Our inheritance is the "incorruptible
and undefiled" home in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-5).
Conclusion
Dear friend, "Unless one is born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3). "Unless
one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom
of God." (John 3:5) "You must be born again."
(John 3:7) You must allow the Spirit of God to lead you through
the word of God, the gospel, to believe in Jesus Christ, repent
of your sins, confess your faith in Christ, and be baptized in
water for the remission of sins. If you will do this, you will
become a son of God, a citizen of His kingdom and the heir to
an eternal home in heaven. Why delay?
------
Work Cited
W.F. Arndt and F.W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of
the New Testament.
~ ~ ~
|
|
