The Spirit Brings New Birth
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
The Spirit Brings New Birth
John 3:1-10
In the 1700’s, as a teenager living in England, George Whitefield wanted to be a Christian. He wanted to know God and love Jesus and be good and go to heaven. And so he regularly said prayers, went to church, read his Bible, fasted, took Communion, and gave money to the poor. But after months of this, nothing happened. He didn’t know God. He didn’t love Jesus. His heart had not changed.
But then one day his friend John Wesley gave him a little book which taught what God’s Word says: that it’s God who saves people. That through Jesus the Holy Spirit supernaturally births in us a new nature, a new heart, which sees Jesus for who He is, and trusts Jesus and loves Jesus and obeys Jesus.
And when Whitefield read this book, and when he re-read his Bible, he saw that he had not received this new nature. He had not been born-again. And so Whitefield turned to Jesus, and cried out to Jesus.
And, in God’s perfect timing, he was born-again. Here’s how he described this:
After many months under the spirit of bondage, God removed this heavy load, and enabled me to lay hold on His dear Son by a living faith … with what joy -- joy unspeakable – was my soul filled, when the weight of sin went off, and an abiding sense of the pardoning love of God, and a full assurance of faith broke in upon my soul. (Journals, 58 n.1)
So here’s the question: have you been born-again? Have you received a new nature, a new heart, from the Holy Spirit, so that you see Jesus, trust Jesus, love Jesus, obey Jesus? Have you been born-again?
To help us answer this, let’s turn to John 3. If you need a Bible, raise your hand and one of the ushers will bring one to you. John 3 is on p. 887 in the Bibles we are passing out. This morning we start a series on the work of the Holy Spirit. And this morning I want to start with the work the Holy Spirit does at the very beginning of our Christian lives when He brings new birth, when he gives us a new nature.
In this chapter Jesus meets a man named Nicodemus. What does John tell us about Nicodemus? Look at vv.1-2 --
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
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."
In v.1 we see that Nicodemus was a Pharisee, which meant he was a Jewish religious leader who was an expert in the Old Testament. And in v.2 John tells us that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, probably because Nicodemus didn’t want anyone to know he was talking with Jesus.
Then in v.2 we see what Nicodemus thinks of Jesus. Nicodemus says Jesus’ signs show that He is a teacher from God. Is that true or false? Well it’s like saying the Grand Canyon is a hole in the ground. That’s technically true, but it completely misses the point. The Grand Canyon is THE hole in the ground. So, yes, Jesus is a teacher sent from God. But that completely misses the point. Jesus IS God.
Think of what happened when Jesus walked into a town. When Jesus encounters people paralyzed for years, they get up and walk; when Jesus meets up with demonized men living naked in graveyards, cutting themselves and howling, they put on their clothes and walk back into town; when Jesus calls filthy rich crooked tax collectors they leave their businesses and start giving their money to the poor. That’s God.
But Nicodemus can’t see that Jesus is God. Nicodemus is like all of us were before we receive the new birth. Before we receive the new birth, our sinful nature makes us blind to who Jesus really is. We only want to see things that let us do what we want, that leave us in charge, that give us control. And so we won’t see Jesus as He really is – as fully God, sovereign God, loving God, powerful God.
But now think of what a problem this is. If Nicodemus has a sin nature which makes him not want to see Jesus, then how can Nicodemus ever see Jesus? Look at what Jesus says in vv.3-7 --
3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Here Jesus talks about seeing the kingdom of God; earlier we were talking about seeing Jesus. What’s the connection? The kingdom of God is God’s rule and reign; His loving, gracious, powerful, saving rule and reign. And Jesus, as God, embodies Gods’ saving rule and reign. That’s why when Jesus entered Galilee his message was: “the Kingdom of God is here.” It was there – in Jesus. So the kingdom of God is all about Jesus: to see the kingdom is to see Jesus; to enter the kingdom is to trust Jesus.
So with that in mind, let’s start over again with v.3 --
3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
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?"
5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
If my birth gave me a nature which doesn’t want to see Jesus – how can I see Jesus? How can I do something that by birth I don’t want to do? There’s only one way. By being born again. That’s what Jesus says in v.3 –
Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
So what does it mean to be born again? Jesus puts it in different words in v.5 --
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
To be born again, means to be born of water and the Spirit. So what does that mean? Some think being “born of water” is a reference to physical birth. While this is possible, it’s not very likely, since there’s no place in the Bible or any literature at that time where physical birth is called being born of water.
Others think being “born of water” involves water baptism – that the Spirit brings new birth when you are baptized in water. But that’s reading a whole lot into this one word “water,” and that’s not taught anywhere else in the Bible.
The best explanation is that Jesus is referring to a passage in the Old Testament, in Ezekiel 36:25-27. Let’s turn there. It’s on page 724 in the Bibles we passed out. Notice that this passage talks about water and the Spirit:
25 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. 26 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. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
This is absolutely astonishing. Here God says that we all have hearts of stone – hearts which are hard towards God, which don’t want to know God. But God says that He will do something amazing. He will sprinkle water on us to wash us clean, and He will put a new spirit within us. He will take out our hearts of stone, and give us new hearts of flesh which love God and obey God.
I remember a friend I had when I was in real estate. He was a Zen Buddhist, and worked very hard through meditation to change his heart and overcome his pride. But he told me honestly that he had not seen any change in his pride, and he wondered what the Bible said about hoe we go about changing our hearts.
And he was blown away when I told him that God promises to supernaturally change our hearts. That it’s not just us trying and trying and trying – but that at the very beginning of the Christian life – God supernaturally changes our hearts, washing them with water and putting a new spirit in them. (Good news: this friend ended up trusting and following Jesus.) That’s what God says in Ezekiel 36.
So with that in mind, let’s turn back to John 3. When Jesus talks about being born of water and the spirit, he’s referring to Ezekiel 36. He wants us to understand that conversion is not something we do. Conversion is something God does. The Holy Spirit supernaturally births in you a new nature, a new heart, which wants to see Jesus, and so as a result, you do see Jesus, you trust Jesus, you love Jesus.
Think about it like this. Imagine a bird who by nature does not want to fly. He’s got wings, he’s got muscles, but he doesn’t want to fly. How will this bird fly? There’s only one way. This bird needs a new nature which wants to fly. If you could implant into this bird a new nature which wants to fly, which loves to fly – this bird would fly.
That’s what God does for us. Here we are, sinners by nature and by choice, not wanting to see Jesus, not wanting to trust Jesus. God sends Jesus into the world, who works astonishing signs; we don’t want to see Him. Jesus dies on the Cross, showing astonishing love; we don’t want to see Him. Jesus rises from the dead, showing that He’s God; we don’t want to see Him.
But God doesn’t leave us in that condition. In great love and mercy God sent Jesus to be punished for sin on the Cross, so God could send the Holy Spirit to you, to birth in you a new nature, to give you a new heart. As a result you are profoundly changed, and you see Jesus as He is – as all-satisfying; so you trust Jesus completely, you love Jesus more than anything else.
So – has this happened to you? Have you been born-again? Have you received this new birth? How can we tell if this has happened? Jesus tells us in v.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."
So the work of the Spirit is like the wind. The wind blows wherever it wishes, and you don’t know where it comes from or where it goes to. The only way you know it’s there is because you hear its sound – you experience its effects. So the way you can tell you have been born again is because you feel the effects of this new nature.
So what are the effects? Jesus does not go into that with Nicodemus here. But let me give you one Scripture which I think spells out the effects of being born-again by the Spirit. Turn to 2 Corinthians 3:18 –
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Notice that this all comes from the Spirit. This is all the result of being born again.
So first, we behold the glory of the Lord Jesus. Glory is just a fancy word for awesomeness, as in -- “whoa!,” “check it out!” If you have been born again you have a nature that loves to see Jesus as He is. And since Jesus is infinitely glorious, when you open God’s Word, and read about Jesus, you aren’t bored. Oh, no. You read the words about Jesus, but instead of yawning, you see what you could not see before -- His astonishing love, His perfect wisdom, His infinite goodness, His perfect holiness. You see His glory. So ask yourself – do you behold the glory of the Lord Jesus?
And as a result, we are transformed. How?
We trust Jesus. A being infinitely loving, infinitely powerful, infinitely wise, can – must – be trusted completely. So you trust Jesus. Ask yourself honestly, when you feel insecure, where to you turn to gain security? That’s what you trust. When you feel worried, where do you turn to gain peace? That’s what you trust. If you have been born-again, you turn to Jesus. You talk to Jesus. You trust Jesus.
Not only do we trust Jesus, we love Jesus. Think of all that’s out there that you can love and desire. The person of Jesus is infinitely superior to all of them. When we see Jesus’ glory, we love Him – more than anything. So, honestly, do you love Jesus more than anything? When you have spare time, do you want to spend time with Him, in His word, in prayer?
And not only do we trust and love Jesus, we obey Jesus. When you see Jesus as infinitely good, infinitely wise, infinitely powerful, and you hear Him say: “forgive those who hurt you,” what will you do? Because you behold His glory, you will obey Him. You will forgive.
Now don’t think that born-again people do these perfectly. When you are born-again, it’s not that the new nature replaces the old nature. No. It’s that the new nature is placed alongside the old nature. The new nature is far stronger, and will progressively defeat the old nature. But until heaven, the battle will continue.
So to see if you have been born-again, don’t look for perfection. Look for progress. Progress in beholding Jesus’ glory, in trusting Jesus, in loving Jesus, in obeying Jesus.
So what does this mean for us?
What should you do, if you experience these effects – powerfully? Thank Jesus for His mercy to you, and fight to nurture this work of the Spirit. Use God’s Word and prayer and worship and fellowship to nurture a deeper sense of Jesus’ glory, trust, love, and obedience to Jesus.
What if you experience these effects – only a little If you have been born-again, but only experience these effects weakly, you will long to see them strengthened. But don’t be discouraged. The Holy Spirit can and will strengthen His work in you. Pray for the work of the Spirit to open your eyes. Repent of all known sin. Open up God’s Word and see who Jesus is. Have others pray with and for you. As you do that – you will see Jesus’ glory, and you will trust, love, and obey Jesus.
What if you don’t experience these effects at all? Then you are not born-again. Listen. If you have no desire for Jesus, no love for God’s Word, no hunger for fellowship – then you haven’t been born again. Even if you once prayed the sinners prayer, or went forward at a meeting, you haven’t been born again.
But don’t be discouraged. No matter how spiritually dead you feel, the Holy Spirit can birth spiritual life in you. So look to Jesus. Look at His love for you, as shown in His death on the Cross. Look at His power as shown in His resurrection. He – by the power of the Spirit -- can change your heart. He – by the power of the Spirit – can give you a new nature. So look to Jesus, and repent of your sin, and trust Jesus – and you will have been born-again.