“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” ~John 3:7
For Christians, there are few things that are more misunderstood than the work of regeneration and the new birth. Pastor Nemmers explained how this passage in John chapter 3 is perhaps one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible.
Why?
I believe the reason so many misunderstand or look past the clear teaching in this passage is because it lays the responsibility and act of salvation solely in the Hands of God! When Jesus said “You must be born again,” He indicated that the work of regeneration leading to salvation is not initiated by us. It is not that we first believe and then are born again, but the Spirit of God regenerates our hearts (born again) which enables us to believe! Belief unto salvation follows being 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 3:8
This is the reason Jesus made the point about the work of the Spirit in the New Birth. There is nothing we can do to bring it about and being Born Again is accomplished by the Spirit of God alone. It is much like our own birth; it is something that happens to us, not by us. Pastor Nemmers gave us five things that the New Birth is not. All of them are things many people believe you must do to be Born Again, when in fact there is nothing you can do. Those five things were:
- Accepting truth about Jesus
- Being raised to believe
- Getting baptized
- Being deeply moved by a message
- Praying a prayer
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. ~Ezekiel 36:25-27
When God spoke of the New Covenant in the Old Testament, He described what the New Birth would be like and how it would be brought about. Notice in Ezekiel chapter thirty-six how God is the One doing and acting while the one being saved is acted upon and contributes nothing to being born again. You might be thinking right now “So why is this so important?” The reason it is so important is because our regeneration and subsequent salvation are for God’s glory and not our own. If we contributed to being Born Again in even the smallest way then we would have reason to glory in our own accomplishment. The Apostle Paul explained this far better than I can…
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” ~1 Corinthians 1:26-31