You must be born again. (John 3:1-21)

For the last week I have been working on memorizing Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus in John 3:1-21, with some success. I've got 3:16-21 pretty well, and today (Monday) I've worked on the earlier part off and on. Much insight is to be gained from this passage. Often quoted is john 3:16, which shows the simplicity of believing. But in this simplicity we must not overlook the hard truths and demands Jesus confronted Nicodemus with.

John the Apostle writes "1 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.”"

Nicodemus began speaking to Jesus with a confession of faith, but he had not yet come to see Christ as God incarnate, standing before him. His confession fell far short of the truth about Jesus, that He is much more than a teacher from God.

Without acknowledging, refuting, confirming, or denying Nicodemus's statement that He was from God, Jesus answered a question that Nicodemus had not even asked, demonstrating his omniscience, a first hint of his true identity: "3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”"

The phrase born again can also literally be translated "born from above." This answer shocked Nicodemus, who I'm sure would have expected Jesus to be pleased with his confession. Jesus read Nicodemus's heart and came to root problem, the need for regeneration or spiritual transformation produced by the Holy Spirit.

Before/Unless one is born again by the Holy Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God in a large sense is God's sovereign rule over his creation. Until Christ's return to judge the world in righteousness, God's sovereign reign takes on a special meaning, which is His sovereign reign in the hearts and minds of believers. Jesus described this narrower sense of the kingdom of in this way: “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). God’s holiness and glory in his heavenly throne room is so overwhelming that all creatures there honor him with unqualified voluntary service. On earth, however, creatures rebel and refuse to acknowledge God as King, and evil kingdoms rise up to oppose God’s Kingdom. The hope that Scripture presents from cover to cover is that this disparity between the heavenly throne room and earth will be eliminated one day (1 Chr. 16:31). God will judge the wicked and bring redeemed humanity into a new creation (Isa. 65; Zech. 14). When this transformation takes place, only God’s kingdom will stand and voluntary obedience to him will extend to the ends of the earth as it does in heaven (1 Chr. 16:31; Ps. 97:1-2). The coming of the kingdom at the end of the age can be described as "regeneration" (Matt 19:28) but regeneration of the individual is required before the end of the world in order to enter the kingdom. In short, to see the Kingdom of Heaven is to be saved.

You must be born from above, that is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, before you can see the truth, before you can be saved. Regeneration necissarily preceeds salvation.

Whether Nicodemus took Jesus literally about the need to be born again or was simply picking up on the figurative language, he was shocked by what Jesus said. John records that "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?”"

Jesus hits Nicodemus with a second shocking truth "5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." To be born of water and the Spirit is not refering to literal water, but the need for cleansing, as in Ezekiel 36:25, 27: "25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. [...]27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." This is the what it means to be born of water and the Spirit. Nestled right between those verses is another promise of God, Ezekiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." This is the new birth, the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Dead people don't bring themselves to life, nor can a man give himself a heart transplant.

Summarizing/paraphrasing Jesus up to this point: Unless one has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, born again, one cannot see the truth. Regneration preceedes the spiritual sight necessary to percieve truth.(vs 3) Unless one has been spiritually cleansed (repentance) one cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven (be saved) (vs 5).

And to leave no doubt about where this spiritual cleansing that produces repentance comes from, Jesus continues: "“Most assuredly, 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.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”"

Only the Holy Spirit produces spiritual effects, such as faith, repentance, a new heart with new desires. The Holy Spirit goes where it wishes, renews those that it wills. We can't understand where this will happen, who it will happen to, but the evidence that it does is evident. A teacher such as Nicodemus would have understood what Jesus meant here about being born again from above. And it shocked him. As a legalistic pharisee, the truth that he could do nothing for himself, that in fact he needed to start all over, and only God could give him the cleansing and spiritual regneration. He could not do it for himself. He must be born from above.

After shocking Nicodemus with the truth that he must be spiritually purified and spiritually reborn before he can enter the Kingdom of God, Jesus gently chided Nicodemus, "7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’"

John records "9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”" I've asked the same thing myself many times before. Everyone who really deals with the isues presented by scripture instead of sweeping them under the rug will as well. Don't feel alone.

"10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" As Jesus mentions, Nicodemus was the pre-eminant teacher in all of Israel, yet understood very little of the scriptures. But he should have. The Old Testament plainly taught the way of salvation, but men's spiritual deadness kept them from seeing the truth.

Jesus told Nicodemus that he "did not believe" and "did not receive." Faith comes before full understanding. (see 1 Corinthians 2:14)

Nicodemus did not want to confess himself to be a helpless sinner. And like many of us, if we can't claim all the credit for our salvation, well, I'll claim just a little of it then. John records "3 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." Again, Jesus attacked Nicodemus system of works. You must be born again.

"14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. " Christ had to come and be lifted up on the cross that we might be saved. We must forsake believing we can do anything at all to save ourselves and believe in Christ to save us and provide for what we need.

That is the offer to often quoted "whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Those who believe are not condemned. Those who do not believe are condemned already. But theres a problem:"19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed."

No one fits the description! There are none willing, because men loved darkness rather than light (thats you and me) because our deeds are evil (thats because we are by nature of the fall evil). We don't only love darkness by nature, we hate the light, and wont come to the light.

But God will not be thwarted. "21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”" There are none willing naturally, and thats why "you must be born again." Those who do come to the light show that they have been renewed by God, that their deeds have been performed in the grace god has sovereignly given.

And what shall we say to thse things? Praise be to God, that though we redeemed deserve eternal punishment just like the rest, God has chosen us based on the council of His good will! Love and worship God as he so deserves. Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done, on earth (and in me) as it is in heaven!

The Glasses (Part II of "The Heavens Declare the Glory of God...")

The Glasses


I am greatful for friends. As Proverbs 27:11 says"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." (ESV) Discussions with friends spur me to dig into scripture, and so has happened this week. Randy brough the first few verses of Hebrews 11 to my attention Sunday to consider in light of our discussions on apologetics and the evidence of faith.

Hebrews 11:1-3 in the NKJV reads "1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."

Verse three is a specific application of the second definition of faith in verse one, that faith is the "evidence of things not seen", and "by faith we understand God made the worlds," so that what we see was not made out of things that are visible.

Romans 1:20-21 says that "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

So the Hebrews 11:3 says we understand the invisible word of God behind creation by faith, and Romans 1:20 says that we understand the invisible attributes of God by seeing the things that are made. Hebrews 11:3 seems to say that the evidence that God made the world is faith. Romans 1:20 seems to say that the evidence that God made the world is the ghings made, that they clearly point to a maker.

This is not a contradiction. In some aspects, faith is the spiritual seeing or percieving of the fingerprints of God on the things he has made. The evidence of a Creator is te creation. But you wont see it as evidence without faith, and thats why those of Romans 1:21 were simply left without excuse and condemned, and they darkened their own foolish hearts.

In some aspects, faith is a spiritual percieving or understanding act. We understand by faith,as verse three says. Most modern translations of Hebrews 11:1 say that "faith is...the conviction of things not seen" (ESV). Understanding by faith also gives us the conviction of faith. Those who do see or percieve have the evidence within themselves.

Men naturally fool themselves and image all sorts of vain things, even that what is made made itself. Men cannot perceive God's creative hand in things without faith, but how is this overcome? If you can't perceive truth without faith, and you can't have faith without perceiving the truth, how does one get faith and be saved? Because Faith is a gift from God, that no one should boast. -Ephesians 2:8 That is also why I don't have bragging rights, that I can see the truth and others not, because what do I have that I have not received?

So in presenting apologetic appeals to the lost it should be in full prayer that God would grant them faith and open their eyes and perceptions to see the truth. Real faith is based on real Truth. Hebrews 11:1 says that "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." By the one we know God's power and wisdom to make us; by the other we know His goodness and grace to save us.

The Heavens Proclaim the Glory of God, I just need to adjust my glasses.

The Heavens Proclaim the Glory of God, I Just Need to Adjust My Glasses
Click above link...
It was mid-morning and I was standing in a hall talking with the church janitor/custodian. We were having an interesting discussion about the great flood in Noah's days. "Noah brought dinosaurs on the ark," Milton said. I was shocked, and immediately set out to correct Milton on the fact that dinosaurs had become extinct millions of years before Adam and Eve ever lived, or Noah ever set foot on the Ark. "No," Milton persisted, "the Bible says that God made everything in six days."
"But Milton, the days aren't literal 24-hour days, they represent long periods of time. Evolution takes place in those 'days'"
"No," he replied, "then man's sin did not bring death into the world, God brought death into the world."
Poor ignorant man.
Let me clarify that statement, I was the poor ignorant man.
My conversations with Milton stirred my thinking and encouraged me to behave like a good Berean and search the scriptures to see if these things were true. A crisis of belief arose in me, either everything I know about evolution is wrong or the Bible is wrong.
But if the Bible is right, why would God make the world look so old, be so deceptive? Isn't Satan the great deceiver, not God? Those stupid bones in the ground...whats the deal with them I pondered to myself.
And then God provided. A friend named Pete introduced me to www.ChristianAnswers.com which in turn led me to www.AnswersInGenesis.org and radically changed my view of the Bible.

Many of the psalms, such as 8, 19, 29, 33, 65, 104 proclaim God's goodness in creation. Psalm 19:1-2 says "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech,And night unto night reveals knowledge." But if when I look at the stars or any part of God's creation and it reveals a false knoweldge of God, then I am not looknig at the world aright.

Romans 1:18-23 tells us " 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things."

I am not content to leave men without excuse. All that does is leave them condemned in their sins. Prophets of old railed against false idols the Israelites had set up, and men today have become futile in their thoughts, exchanging God's glory in their professed wisdom for a cruel, wicked god of evolution.

Paul wrote "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" 2 Corinthians 2:3-5.

Beyond casting down all things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, the Bible also commands us to give reasons for our faith (1 Peter 3:15), and contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 3). Paul disputed in the synagogues (Acts 17:17).

But what about Paul preaching Jesus Christ and him crucified in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2?
Dr. Jonathan Sarfati writes "...Paul did not simply ring the doorbell at Corinth and stand there mumbling, ‘Jesus Christ and him crucified’ over and over again, like a magical Hindu mantra! Rather, he had already preached to them much earlier (1 Cor. 15) and laid down the groundwork, especially about who this Jesus Christ is! This would certainly have included the groundwork of the type he explained on Mars Hill (Acts 17), where he explained that God is creator, man is a sinner, and can be saved only through Jesus who rose from the dead. In fact, Jesus Christ and Him crucified was just an abbreviated way of saying what Paul explained in more detail in ch. 15, which explicitly talks about the first Adam and the death he brought." (I recommend that everyone read that article in its fulness.)

Jesus commands us to go make disciples. Evangelism is simply the first step of discipleship. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." - II Timothy 3:16-17 It is not out of a desire to be validated in my faith by an unbelieving world that I cling tightly to the truths of scripture and the authority of the Word. It is out of love for my God, and a love for those He loves, that they may not have the wrath of God abiding on them, but that they may be sanctified by the truth: God's word is truth.

To him who has a little faith, more will be given. Set your doubts aside, look in faith, and you will see. God is awesome!

For loads of awesome videos that proclaim the Glory of God, click here. They are all free to download (Kent Hovind is a very entertaining speaker, try his seminars.)

Take this straw man!

Within the past few months I have found myself in several lively discussions over various theological topics. What has made several of them so lively is that the other person in the conversation has argued against views that I don't actually hold. How do you defend yourself against something you don't even believe?
Even now I struggle to explain what I mean. There is a rhetoric tactic known as the “straw man” fallacy where the arguer misinterprets an opponent’s position for the purpose of more easily attacking it, demolishing the misinterpreted argument, and then proceeding to conclude that the original argument has been demolished. A good example of this is in The DaVinci Code where Dan Brown, through his fictional characters, sets up a straw man position for the inspiration of scripture that he easily demolishes, a position of belief the church has never historically held. (I need to read a good book on refuting the false claims in The DaVinci Code, as it comes to theaters May 19th, 2006)
Most often my debates/discussions centers on God's sovereignty in salvation and man’s will. Several views I’m often accused of holding are that God is dragging some people into heaven who don’t want to go and excluding some who do, or perhaps that I am saying people have no will of their own at all and are not morally responsible for their rejection of Jesus Christ, or that people are somehow just robots in my view of scripture, just to name a few off the top of my head. Another list might include that I supposedly believe there is no need for evangelism, or that the only reason a Christian of the Reformed faith might evangelize would be simply out of obedience to Christ’s commands, but never out of love. (I do it for both…why just one or the other?)
I understand why they assume I hold such views, as I myself assumed others who hold a Reformed view of the Gospel believed some of those things a couple years back. But when someone told me “No, I don’t believe that” I would ask what it is they do believe.
So, let’s get down to it. Does man have free will? Yes. Man has the capacity to choose what he desires most. I wholeheartedly concur that “whosoever believes will not perish but have eternal life.” That is the historic position of the Reformers. The real question is what do people do with their free will? That whosoever is huge, but just as huge is scriptures answer given 3 verses later: “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” (John 3:19-20) Men (that’s all unsaved men and women) are unwilling. That just seems about hopeless. But verse 21 gives hope: “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
In a nut shell: God outwardly calls all men with the Gospel message, which we are commanded to take to all the earth. Turning from your sins to Christ in faith is the requirement. No one is willing to do that on their own, as men’s hearts are bent toward evil. As Ezekiel 11:19-20 says “Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27 repeats it again for emphasis) We are morally responsible to obey and trust God in faith, but unable to, and so God must give us a new heart inclined to obey Him, a.k.a. the new birth/born again. God himself provides the requirements for whomever he has chosen, not arbitrarily, but according to the counsel of His will. For more good info and exegesis of scripture visit www.monergism.com
Anyways, I guess the best way to correct people’s misunderstanding of what you believe is to simply keep stating what it is you do believe until they can’t say you believe anything else, and then maybe they will try to understand what it is you believe…and maybe just believe it themselves!