Born of the Spirit

We see discussion all day and night by people of various denominational identities, about just what constitutes salvation. What must one do to receive eternal life? The argument among men seems endless, and they quote from various familiar scriptures to prove what steps must be taken and in what order, to gain God’s favor and become His child. There are some who even insist that by virtue of being born human, you already are God’s child. Others quote from the epistles, scripture which was written to those already saved, explaining the profound doctrines of regeneration and sanctification. Many maintain that if one doesn’t exhibit a certain behavior pattern which meets other humans' approval, that person is certainly not saved.

In chapter 3 of John’s gospel, we have Jesus’ own formula for salvation:

John 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

Immediately we know a great deal about this man. As a Pharisee, he was a highly religious man; a rigid morlalist. Religion is a hindrance to truth. Religious people are totally blinded by their good-deeds system. They have no concept of grace and don't really understand what is sin. Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews. Remember, "The Jews" is a technical term for those who controlled the common people of Israel by oppressive man-made religion. The title ruler means he ranked high in leadership qualifications. He was a Master of Theology. There is no reason not to believe he was a very nice man, in spite of his elevated status.

Verse 2- This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

We are not told why Nicodemus came by night. We’ve heard some snarky suggestions by some very learned and somewhat pompous Bible teachers, such as he was too busy doing good deeds all day, that he was afraid to be seen speaking with this street preacher in daylight, that the Committee for the Preservation of Pharisaic Religion had appointed Nicodemus to get whatever information he could wheedle out of Jesus, by feigning humility and admiration. All the scripture gives us is his complimentary remark to Jesus, that His public work has been noticed, and it seems obvious that he Has a divine power source. It may have been sincere observation, or phony flattery; we don’t know, but Jesus knew. Whatever the case, He cut right through to the issue of eternal life:

Verse 3- Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

If this Master of Israel was expecting Jesus to engage in a hair-splitting debate about ifs ands and buts, Jesus' statement of truth must have given him quite a jolt. Jesus didn't debate, He stated, as the one with authority.
“Truly, Truly” signifies an important point of doctrine. Perfect truth. Not only can one not see the kingdom by living there in eternity, one cannot see spiritual truths of the kingdom in everyday life, because that person is spiritually dead. He who is spiritually dead must be born from above in order to see the kingdom of God. There are no shades of grey in this statement. No degrees of regeneration.

Verse 4- Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

The utterly clueless response of an unbeliever. Spiritual truth makes no sense to him. It cannot, because he is not equipped to receive it. Therefore, he responds with bemused sarcasm.

And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit,interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. I Corinthians 2:13-14

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:5-6

There it is again, “point of doctrine: born of water and the spirit….” What water was Jesus speaking of?

Water of Salvation Isaiah 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Notice it is free.
Water of the Word Ephesians 5:26 “ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” Christ does the washing.
Water of the Holy Spirit John 7:38-39 “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive…” Available only to those who believe in Jesus Christ.

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. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:7-8

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, that fallen man has to be changed to have fellowship with God. Man’s depraved state is the story of human history, and of all humans, a ruler of the Jews should know that. Just as one cannot see the wind, but can see and hear the effect of the wind, so it is with the Spirit of God. This man’s lifelong career was study of scripture, or certainly should have been. Jesus laid it on him after Nicodemus expressed absolute amazement:

Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:9-15

How could you not understand these things, Nicodemus? You are a teacher of God’s Word? What, then, have you been teaching? Works, of course. Legalism. Religion. Superstition. How many steps one can take on the Sabbath day. How to rationalize your human good into rewardable deeds.

“We” - Jesus, speaking in the plural, speaks for the Godhead. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have all communicated truth to Israel for generations, but have been consistently ignored. These are not theological theories, but absolute truths – “what we know…..what we have seen.”  I stand before you in the flesh, telling you earthly things, simple concepts. You have no means of comprehending heavenly things. Only one human has ever ascended to heaven, and it is He who came from heaven, Jesus Christ. That man would be the expert. 

I give you simple truth, just as the Israelites in the desert had a simple truth to know and obey. In Numbers chapter 21 (familiar scripture to Nicodemus) there was only one way the serpent-bitten people could be healed: look to the bronze serpent on the pole and know that God would heal them. Likewise, we all must look to our Savior’s finished work on the cross and know that through Him alone, God will save us. "...so must the Son of Man be lifted up..."

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:16-18

It is entirely a matter of faith. There is nothing we can do about it. "whoever" means any person. God sent His uniquely born Son (the only one born without a sin nature) to pay the penalty for every sin of humanity. Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, for we were already condemned by having been born spiritually dead. He came to save us. None of us can pay that penalty, because we are all stained with the sin nature. It must be paid, or mankind is doomed to eternal damnation, not for anything we have done, but for what we have not done: believed in the person and work (name) of the only Son of God. The sins of the world are paid for, but the salvation is individually received by everyone who believes in Him. And just to be clear, Verse 18 emphasizes: whoever does not believe is already condemned. The consequence of not believing is remaining in sin. That is each individual’s option in life. Receive Jesus and live IN HIM eternally, or reject Jesus and remain condemned. God does not send people to hell. It is their choice. This is the perfect Justice of God.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”John 3:19-21

"wicked things" - Human good. Unregenerate man loves darkness. That is a natural fact. Spiritually dead people are attracted to evil. Even those who are humanly moral, self-righteous do-gooders are simply kidding themselves with their own code of conduct that they have made up for themselves, or patterned after some worldly religion. With an air of superiority, they think they have no need for a savior, and keep counting points in their self-designed system of righteousness. Human good is no good.

"what is true" - Divine good. Work of God the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

If you want to see the kingdom of God, if you hope to enter the kingdom of God....

You must be born again.