You Must Be Born Again - Publications - Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries / Grace Bible Church

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You Must Be Born Again

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Note that our Lord is dealing with religion, and religion is Satanic! Religion includes false doctrine (1TI 4:1), a false communion table (1CO 10:19-20), a false Gospel (GAL 1:6), a false Jesus (2CO 11:4), and a false spirit (2CO 11:4). In fact, religious people are called “whitewashed tombstones,” beautiful on the outside, but full of dead men’s bones on the inside as noted in MAT 23:27. Jesus’ words, “do not be amazed” suggest the reaction of Nicodemus as being shocked. In spite of all his human accomplishments, he was totally baffled.

In verse eight, Jesus illustrates that a spiritual thing is not something that can be seen. When you were born again, God the Holy Spirit entered you into union with Christ, and the Holy Spirit came to dwell inside you, but you did not see it happen. This is what is meant when John notes that “the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (JOH 3:8). Where does the wind begin and where does it end? The wind cannot be seen; only the effects of the wind are visible. It is the same with spiritual birth; it is unseen, but it is real!

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?" (JOH 3:9)

Nicodemus had been taught well at the theological seminary and yet, he couldn’t understand this simple principle. Notice that our Lord uses a little sarcasm at just the right time.

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things’” (JOH 3:10)? We could call this “sanctified sarcasm.”

"Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man?" (JOH 3:11-13)

In verse 13, Jesus declares that He is in heaven at the very moment that He is speaking to Nicodemus. Our Lord could be in heaven at the same time that He was also in His human body because He is the God-Man, the unique Person of the universe.

"No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man." (JOH 3:13)

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (JOH 3:14-16)

In this passage, "God" refers to the first Person of the Trinity, God the Father. Since God is perfect, His plan is perfect. In eternity past, a perfect God solved man’s greatest problem; the problem of man’s entire nature, the Old Sin Nature, which commits sins and human good. A perfect God made a perfect provision for every need that we would have in time, as well as a perfect solution for every sin; and that solution is the Cross. Therefore, every sin that would ever be committed in the human race has a divine solution “in Christ.”

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