John 3:1-16 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:1 - “Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.”
John 3:2 – “He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
It takes humility to find real truth and to remain in that truth.
Proverbs 11:2 - “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 22:4 – “Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.”
John 3:3 - Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
The only answer to spiritual death is spiritual life – not performance
Born Again = ‘Born from above’ or a ‘spiritual rebirth.’
Sin deforms us and separates us from God.
Romans 3:23 – “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Romans 6:23a – “For the wages of sin is death
Isaiah 59:2a - “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.”
Jesus transforms us and unites us with God
Colossians 2:13 – “When you were dead in your sins…God made you alive with Christ.”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 10:9 – “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
John 3:4-8 - “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born! Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Spiritual rebirth is a work of the Holy Spirit and not a human matter.
John 3:9-10 - “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?
Religion/tradition can often cloud our view of who Jesus Christ really is.
Mark 7:13 (NLT) – “And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”
John 3:16 - “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Good people/religious people do not go to heaven, born again people do!
Romans 3:20 (NLT)
John 7:22-23 - Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
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