January 29, 2017

John 3:1-8: You Must Be Born Again

Preacher: Josh Tancordo Series: The Gospel of John: That You May Believe Scripture: John 3:1–8

John 3:1-8: You Must Be Born Again

As many of you know, Brian Lowe continues to recover from his very serious car accident a little over two weeks ago. He was on his way to work when he ran into some black ice and lost control of his vehicle. And next thing you know, he’s being cut out of the vehicle and taken by helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian hospital. And for a few days, he was on a ventilator and wasn’t even moving or interacting at all. It was a scary time. Thankfully, he’s now shown some responsiveness and has even opened his eyes a good bit, so it looks like things are moving in a very positive direction with him, even though it’s definitely a slow recovery. And I think it’s fair to say that thinking about this situation with Brian has affected all of us that are close to him. One of the ways it’s affected me is that it’s reminded me of what’s really important in life. So often, different things seem so pressing and so important but really aren’t that important at all. Many of the things we spend so much time thinking about and worrying about and chasing after just aren’t that important from an eternal perspective. In fact, with eternity in mind, there’s only one thing that’s truly important—one thing that rises above everything else in life. 

And we see that one thing in our main text this morning. So please turn with me to John 3. If you’re using the Story Bibles we provide, that on page 736. For those of you who are visiting, we’ve been going through the Gospel of John passage by passage. So wherever the text goes, that’s where we go. And today we come to John 3:1-8: Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 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." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 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?" 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. 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." 

As I mentioned, there’s one thing that rises above everything else and stands as supremely important in life. And as we see in our text here, that one thing is what Jesus calls being “born again.” Perhaps you’ve heard that term before—“born again” or “born again Christian.” Well, this is where it comes from. You see, there are only two kinds of people in this world. And that may be surprising to some. They may wonder, “Wait a minute, only two kinds?” Because at first glance, we see such diversity. This world is filled with so many different cultures, different languages, different backgrounds, different beliefs. In many ways, there are more differences than we can count! But this morning, I’m suggesting that most fundamentally, there are only two kinds of people: those who are born again and those who aren’t.

And the main point of this passage and of this sermon can be seen in verse 3. Put very simply, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” That’s the main idea. “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And there are three things to know related to being born again: what it means to be born again, unbiblical substitutes for being born again, and how to know if you’ve been born again. 

What It Means to Be Born Again

So first, what it means to be born again. Look back at the passage. Verse 2 records how this Pharisee named Nicodemus “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 [these miracles] that you do unless God is with him.’” Now, it’s hard to tell here how sincere Nicodemus is being. Is he expressing genuine admiration for Jesus or is he flattering Jesus? It’s hard to tell. The beginning of the verse notes that he comes to Jesus at night probably because he doesn’t want to be seen with Jesus by his colleagues. So he’s definitely not ready to identify with Jesus publically, but it’s possible that he’s still genuinely interested and intrigued by Jesus’ teachings. But right after Nicodemus pays Jesus that compliment, Jesus is apparently not in the mood for small talk and answers him rather abruptly in verse 3: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Talk about getting right to the point! That’s what he says. That phrase “the kingdom of God” refers to God’s heavenly kingdom. So Jesus is basically saying, “Unless you’ve experienced this thing called being ‘born again,’ you’re not gonna get to be with God in heaven.”

And when Nicodemus hears him say that, he’s not quite sure what Jesus is talking about. He asks Jesus in verse 4, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born?” So he’s thinking in terms of physical birth. But, of course, that’s not what Jesus is talking about. So Jesus corrects him in verses 5-6 and gives us some insight into what it means to be born again. Verse 5: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” I take that to mean that in order to enter the kingdom, someone has to have not only a physical birth, a birth “of water” as Jesus calls it, but also a spiritual birth, a birth of the Holy Spirit. So the birth of water is the physical birth that you go to the hospital for, and the birth of the Spirit is the “born again” experience Jesus is teaching us about. Then Jesus elaborates in verse 6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh,” meaning it’s an earthly birth that merely belongs to this earthly realm, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit,” meaning that it’s a spiritual birth that belongs to the spiritual realm. So, to bring it together, here’s what Jesus is saying. Being born again isn’t about somehow reentering your mother’s womb like Nicodemus sarcastically suggests. It’s something that happens in the spiritual realm. It’s a spiritual birth. It’s a spiritual change that happens within a person that’s so radical, it’s as if they’ve been born a second time. 

Think about what happens during a physical birth. A new person actually comes into this world. That’s pretty crazy when you think about it. I remember what it felt like initially when we had our first child. It was a weird feeling. Because before that, it was just Becky and I in our family. But then all of a sudden, there was a whole new person. And as we’re finding out more and more as our son Caleb grows older, this new person has attitudes and perspectives and desires that are all his own. And it’s a lot like that when someone’s converted or, as Jesus describes it, born again. They become a new person. And as a new person, they have new desires, new priorities, new perspectives, and new interests. They’re certainly not perfect—that won’t happen until we get to heaven—but they’re definitely different. 

And ultimately, this newness is a work of the Holy Spirit and happens at the Spirit’s initiative. That’s why Jesus says in verse 8, “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.” Just like we don’t control the wind and, as Jesus says, don’t even know “where it comes from or where it goes,” we don’t have control over this new birth. Of course, we still have a responsibility to repent of our sins and put our faith in Jesus. God calls us to do that as an active and voluntary decision of our will. But ultimately, being born again is something God does to us rather than something we do to ourselves. In order for us to come to repentance and faith and be born again, the so-called “wind” of the Holy Spirit has to blow. And when and where that wind blows is something we don’t control. As Jesus says, it “blows where it wishes.” And yet, it’s absolutely necessary that we experience this new birth. As Jesus says, the only people who will enter God’s kingdom are those who are born again—those who have experienced this profound inward change and become a new person. 

Unbiblical Substitutes for Being Born Again

Unfortunately, a lot of people have trouble understanding that. They try to substitute so many other things for being born again. So having talked first about what it means to be born again, let’s now look at unbiblical substitutes for being born again. 

The first unbiblical substitute is being involved in church. Just because you’re involved in church and even serve in the church in various positions, doesn’t mean you’re going to heaven. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'” So do you see what’s going on there? These people are coming to Jesus and flattering him with religious language—“Lord, Lord.” And then they’re telling him about all the great things they’ve tried to do supposedly in service to Jesus. But what does Jesus say do them? “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” Wow. If that doesn’t send chills down your spine, I don’t know what will. You can be super-religious and involved in all kinds of religious ministry, but don’t think for a second that’s any kind of substitute for being born again. 

Now the next unbiblical substitute for being born again is intellectual knowledge. It’s possible to know the Bible from cover to cover and believe—at least intellectually—that everything it teaches about Jesus is true and still go to hell when you die.  The Bible says in James 2:19, “Even the demons believe—and shudder!” In other words, even Satan believes all the right things about Jesus. He probably knows more about the Bible than anyone in this room, and he understands that it’s all true. So what makes you think God will let you into heaven because you believe things that even Satan believes? The point of James 2 is that God won’t. There will be a lot of people in hell who believe intellectually that every word of the Bible is accurate. Intellectual knowledge isn’t enough.  You have to be born again. 

The third unbiblical substitute for being born again is having an emotional religious experience. Just because you have some sort of emotional experience that’s somehow tied to Jesus, doesn’t mean you’re on your way to heaven. Jesus tells this parable in Luke 8:5-8. If you’d like to turn there, it’s on page 717 in the Story Bibles. Luke 8:5-8: “A [farmer] went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” So the farmer sows his seed. That seed represents God’s message, the gospel message of Jesus and the salvation he offers. And that seed falls on four different kinds of ground. A few verses down, Jesus explains what those four kinds of ground represent. Verses 12-15: “The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” Now, there are a lot of things to think about with that passage, but let’s focus on the seed that fell on the rock. Verse 13 says the seeds that fall on the rock “hear the word” and “receive it with joy,” Jesus says. But unfortunately they have no root, and they eventually fall away. Don’t miss that. Just because someone shares the gospel with you at one point in your life and you respond with great joy and even cry tears of joy and have this amazing emotional experience, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to heaven. You have to be born again. And even though being born again involves great joy, it also involves more that. It involves a true change in your heart that lasts. 

Number four, the final unbiblical substitute for being born again is living a moral life. A moral life is no substitute for a new birth. Think about Nicodemus in our main text of John 3. Verse 1 identifies him as “a man of the Pharisees.” You may know that the Pharisees were a sect that was famous back in Jesus’ day for their rigid adherence to the Old Testament law. The Pharisees would not only meticulously keep the laws of the Old Testament but would even make up additional rules to follow. These people basically dedicated their lives to keeping the rules perfectly—dotting all their i’s and crossing all their t’s. But clearly, as we can see by the way Jesus confronts Nicodemus here, outward morality is no substitute for being born again. 

So those are four things people often trust in to get them to heaven that don’t actually get them there. It’s not about being involved in church or even serving in a church. It’s not about intellectually believing that the Bible is true or having an emotional religious experience or living a moral life. None of those things is a substitute for being born again. And neither are other things we didn’t have time to talk about like being baptized. The only thing that matters is that new birth. 

Think about it like this. My wife runs an in-home daycare. It’s really small; we just have two kids besides our own. And sometimes, one of the things the kids like to do is pretend that they’re dogs. So they’ll crawl around and go “woof woof” and eat their so-called “dog food,” which is just Cheerios that we put in plastic containers on the floor. I take pride that that innovation was actually my idea. And the kids do all these other different things as they pretend to be dogs. Caleb actually told me not too long ago that he was going to relieve himself in the grass, and I told him that he better not to that. But even though the kids like to do a lot of things that dogs do as they pretend, we all understand that doesn’t make them dogs. They’re obviously still people. And in a similar way, just because you do a lot of the things that Christians do—like being actively involved in church and affirming the Bible and living a moral life and being baptized—that doesn’t make you a true Christian. That doesn’t get you to heaven. The only thing that makes you a true Christian is being born again. 

How to Know if You’ve Been Born Again

And that leads us to our third main point this morning. Having looked first at what it means to be born again and then second at a few unbiblical substitutes for being born again, the third thing we need to understand is how to know if you’ve been born again. What are some indications that you’ve really experienced this new birth we’ve been talking about? A pastor and theologian named Tim Keller gives us three questions we can ask ourselves as we try to make this determination about ourselves. And these will be on the church’s Facebook page after the service. Really think about the answers to these questions.

Question number one from Tim Keller: How real has God been this week to your heart? Is he real to you? Do you have a clear and vivid certainty of his fatherly love and the forgiveness he offers? Are you having any particular seasons of sweet delight in God? Do you really sense his presence in your life? Those are all variations of the first question.

Question number two: Have you been finding the Bible to be alive and active? Instead of just being a book, does it feel like it’s coming alive to you and searching you? Are you finding certain biblical promises extremely precious and encouraging? Which ones? Are you finding that God’s challenging you and calling you to something through the Bible? In what ways? 

Question number three: Are you finding God’s grace more glorious and more moving now than you have in the past? Do you have a growing sense of the evil of your own heart and, in response, a growing appreciation for the preciousness of God’s grace?

Notice how all three of these questions focus on the heart. It’s not about the external. It’s not about what you do. It’s about what God does to you in your heart. It’s about being born again. And if you’re truly born again on the inside, you will be different on the outside. Once God gets ahold of you internally, everything will fall into place externally. 

Conclusion

You know, Nicodemus wasn’t the only man to be externally moral and externally religious without being internally born again. A few years ago, there was another man who was quite similar in a number of ways.  This man had an impressive religious pedigree—he was pastor’s son. He was in church every Sunday, in prayer meeting every Wednesday, and he knew all the answers to the Bible questions people would routinely ask. He also had the ability to speak with Christian lingo. And there was nothing obvious in his life morally that would make you question his Christian commitment. But this person was also a very proud person. His heart was hard, his religion was sterile, and his devotion was to himself. That was me before I became a Christian. But Jesus changed me. He opened my eyes to see the gospel in a way I’d never seen it before, and he opened my heart to believe the gospel in a way I’d never believed it before. And he made me a new person—and he can do that for you as well. 

It begins when you understand how sinful you are and how desperately you need a Savior. The Bible says that everyone in this world is naturally in a state of rebellion against God. That’s our default mode—sin. And because of our sin is so pervasive and because the God we’ve sinned against is so perfect and so worthy of worship, our sins deserve God’s punishment in hell for all eternity. But not only does God uphold justice perfectly, he also loves us more than we can ever imagine. In fact, he loves us so much that he even sent his own Son Jesus to die on the cross in order to save us from this terrible predicament. Jesus was God in human flesh, and the reason he died on the cross was to take the punishment for our sins. All of God’s judgment against sin was poured out on him so it wouldn’t have to be poured out on us. And then after Jesus died, he resurrected from the dead to complete his saving work. And the way can enjoy that salvation is by turning away from our sin and putting our trust in Jesus to save us rather than in our misguided attempts to save ourselves. We just look to him for salvation. And it’s at that moment that we’re born again. 

Think again about Brian, who was in the car accident. If what happened to Brian two weeks ago happened to you this week and it not only put you in the hospital but also killed you, would you be ready? Would you be ready to meet God?  If you have any questions about your readiness or about anything we’ve talked about this morning, I’m going to stick around after the service, and I’d love to talk with you.

other sermons in this series