Regeneration and the new birth

TITUS 3 AND JOHN 3 REGENERATION AND NEW BIRTH

         Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,2 to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

John 3:       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 have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."3 Jesus answered and said to 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? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into 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 be amazed 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 do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

9       Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?11 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.12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?13 No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

16      "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.17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

THE MIRACLE OF THE NEW BIRTH

What Grace Has Taught

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age…3:3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

 

sin affected us intellectually.

 

sin affected us morally.

 

sin affected us socially

 

Rejoice In What God Has Wrought

4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy,

What God the Father thought the gospel.

 

What God the Holy Spirit wrought in our hearts.

 

What God the Son brought the gospel.

 

THE MYSTERY OF THE NEW BIRTH

 

THE MEANS OF THE NEW BIRTH

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,6 whom He poured out upon us richly

J. I. Packer defines "Regeneration, or new birth, is an inner re-creating of fallen human nature by the gracious sovereign action of the Holy Spirit"

God the Son brought the gospel

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 

THE MARKS OF THE NEW BIRTH

8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

 

A New Practice

A New Passion

 

THE MUST OF THE NEW BIRTH

 

Questions for Growth Groups

Why does a person need regeneration?

What are some outward evidences of regeneration?

What are four marks of a regenerate person that correspond to the natural action of a newborn child?

How are regeneration and renewal (sanctification, the renewal of the inner man every day related in the Christian life?

What did God promise to give to His people in Jeremiah 31: 33 "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the Lord. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

and Ezekiel 36? 24 "'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 

 

 

Salvation by Grace Alone, Faith in Christ Alone.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,While believers are on their way to heaven, believers must be model citizens by being subject to the authority of civil law (3:1). Speaking evil of no one, Christians must work hard and live peaceably with all people (3:2).

THE MIRACLE OF THE NEW BIRTH

First, sin affected us intellectually. It left us "foolish" (3:3). This was not foolishness from lack of intellect or education. Instead, Paul is referring to a fundamental ignorance of spiritual matters (see Rom. 1:21, 22; Eph. 4:18). Our foolish ignorance drove us to willful disobedience (John 3:19). While we had plenty of evidence for our accountability to God, we nevertheless suppressed the truth (Rom. 1:25). The end of disobedience was deception (Titus 3:3). We lived in a plastic world of our own making, easily confused by false doctrines, and submitted to false gods. Intellectually, we were bankrupt.

Second, sin affected us morally. We were stuck serving selfish lusts and pleasures. We thrived on malice and envy, developing negative attitudes of ill-will toward others (3:3). Being cursed with an insatiable appetite for sin, our past lives were also morally bankrupt.

Third, sin affected us socially. Intellectual and moral corruption inevitably leads to social corruption. We become hateful toward others (3:3). In short, we just cannot get along. What a dark, pitiful picture our past life is!

Grace Rejoices in What God Has Wrought (3:4–6)

4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, The amazing, infinite love of God means that while God hates the sinner's sin, God loves the sinner. The whole gospel is on display here.

First, God the Father thought the gospel. In four short words, God's true thoughts about us are summarized: kindness, mercy, love, and grace (3:4, 5). Our salvation unexpectedly originates with the true God. A god of our making would have us work to pay for our sinful debt. Yet, according to the biblical gospel, salvation is "not by works of righteousness which we have done" (3:5). The thought of our salvation was in God's heart before we sinned with our hands.

God the Holy Spirit wrought the gospel.

THE MYSTERY OF THE NEW BIRTH

Jesus spoke to Nicodemus concerning a subject that was mysterious – the New Birth. Nicodemus had never heard anything like this in his life. To him it was a mystery. Jesus said, "Unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." See how simple Jesus expressed things. He did not speak like a theologian, nor was He was not trying to impress Nicodemus with intelligence. He gave him a simple statement of fact.   Nicodemus was perplexed by what Jesus said. Was Christ proposing some miracle of gynecology? How is it possible for a man to be born a second time. Surely, this was not easy for Nicodemus and it isn't easy for a lot of people today. Jesus was speaking in spiritual terms not physical ones.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into 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 be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again." Some see this as a mention of the sacrament of Baptism. They say unless you are Baptised in water and the Spirit you cannot be saved.. That wasn't the intent of the Lord Jesus here. He equated being born of water and the Spirit as being born of flesh and born of the Spirit. He was referring to being born physically and being born again spiritually.  TWO important happenings in my life: I was born on January xxth, 19xx I was born-again on May 28th, 1975. Without the first birth, I would never be on this earth; without the second birth, I would never enter into the kingdom of heaven. The only thing the first birth warrants is death (eternal separation from God in hell), due to our sin nature; in essence, every person born is physically alive yet spiritually dead. All who are spiritually dead have no concern for the kingdom of heaven, and, in all reality, would be very miserable in the kingdom of God. What does Jesus mean by "born again"?

God the Holy Spirit wrought the gospel. The Holy Spirit regenerates us, renews us, and refreshes us from sin's filth (3:5; see Zech. 13:1; John 13:10; Eph. 5:26). When we come to Christ, the Spirit washes us (1 Cor. 6:11) by the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5; 7:14). Salvation is an instantaneous change as well as a continuous change, a moment-by-moment relationship with the Lord Jesus. God's grace being poured out (Titus 3:6) onto our lives has no limit (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 4:16).

THE MEANS OF THE NEW BIRTH

But, how can this happen? Jesus explained it to Nicodemus. The Spirit of God  "born of the Spirit."  He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,6 whom He poured out upon us richly

God alone can do it. A. W. Pink said it well, "The unregenerate sinner is in darkness, the darkness of spiritual death. The Holy Spirit moves upon, broods over, the conscience and heart of the one He is about to quicken. The Word of God goes forth in power. The result is "light"--the sinner is brought out of darkness into God's marvelous light. The Holy Spirit, then, is the One who produces the new birth."
The new birth is not a renovation of an old sinful life. It is not a reformation of social behavior. It is entirely the supernatural act of God giving spiritual life to a person in response to faith in Christ.
When we are born naturally, we receive natural or physical life; when we are born from above, we receive spiritual or eternal life.

The new birth is also called spiritual "regeneration." It means the Holy Spirit originates eternal life, which comes into the believer in Christ at the very moment he believes on Christ. It is the instantaneous change from a state of spiritual death to a state of spiritual life. It is the creative work of God, specifically the Holy Spirit. The basic idea is that a believer who was formerly spiritually dead now has received eternal life. The believer is declared to be "alive from the dead" (Romans 6:13). "Even when we were dead in trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), and raised up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:5-6). "Born again" believers in Christ have received by faith a new life in Christ. This new life is entirely a supernatural act of God in response to our faith.
J. I. Packer defines "Regeneration, or new birth, is an inner re-creating of fallen human nature by the gracious sovereign action of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8)
B. B. Warfield said our salvation is "a radical and complete transformation wrought in the soul (Rom.12:2; Eph. 4:24) by God the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; Eph. 4:24), by virtue of which we become 'new men' (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10), no longer conformed to this world (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9), but in knowledge and holiness of the truth created after the image of God (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10; Rom. 12:2)."
God the Son brought the gospel (Titus 3:6). He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Jesus talked to Nicodemus about the cross. Jesus said, "The Son of Man must be lifted up!" He was speaking of His own death that would take place at Calvary. Your salvation is not free – Jesus paid for it! It may be free to you and to me, but it was not free to Him. God requires a perfect life for us to come to Him. We don't have one to give Him, since all of us are sinners and imperfect in every way. But, Jesus gave a perfect life for us and became our substitute. Jesus took my old wicked life and it was nailed to the cross. He gave me his righteous life. In this way, I am acceptable to God. The New Birth is releasing your old life and grants you a new life - in essence -  a New Birth. It is letting go of your sins and accepting His sacrifice that grants heaven's birth in your heart. Jesus Christ is our way of salvation (John 14:6). When Christ appeared, He brought salvation with Him. The angel's announcement of Christ's coming focused on His purpose to save people from sin (Matt. 1:21). Salvation comes in no other way. Through Him, we have life (1 John 5:11, 12). Life—both spiritual life now and eternal life continuing into the future—comes to us because we are justified by His grace (Titus 3:7).

THE MARKS OF THE NEW BIRTH

8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

 

A New Practice  It is not enough to stop our evil; if one is really saved they will show it by a lifestyle that is consistent with the Scriptures. The Bible becomes the plumb line we use to keep our lives straight with the Lord. A New Born Soul is marked by a New Practice, no longer is he ruled by evil, but by the Truth of The Word of God

A New Passion  We are passionate about Our Faith. A New Born Soul is marked by a New Passion, he no longer Hates the Lord, and Holiness. He is eager to walk with Jesus. He loves the Lord, His Word and His way of life. He has a passion for Jesus and to walk in holiness. He hungers and thirsts after righteousness. [Matthew 5:6]  With ever truly Born Again Christian there is a B.C. Life and an A.C. life, a life Before Christ and a new life After Coming to Christ and being Born Again.

I took a wedding recently. We sung "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me..." and "O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder..." Out of the congregation of may be 150 people I might not have been able to say which were Christians, but I could certainly tell you who were not. How? They had their mouths shut when we sung, "And when I think that God his son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in, that on the cross my burden gladly bearing he bled and died to take away my sin...then sings my soul, my saviour God to thee, how great thou art, how great thou art..." That is when you can tell the difference. If its true for you how can you not feel like singing. There is deep seated eternal joy in our hearts once we come to realize that Jesus came to die in our place, to give us a new life, forgiveness for the past, certainty about the future. Jesus said once "there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 who don't think they need to."

THE MUST OF THE NEW BIRTH

Arthur Pink wrote: "An unregenerate man who has no relish at all for spiritual things, who is bored by the conversation of believers, who finds the Bible dull and dry, who is a stranger to the throne of grace, an unregenerated man would be wretched in heaven. Such a man could not spend eternity in the presence of God. Suppose a fish were taken out of the water, and laid upon a salver of gold; suppose further that the sweetest of flowers surrounded it, and that the air was filled with their fragrance; suppose, too, that the strains of most melodious music fell upon its ears, would that fish be happy and contented? Of course not. And why not? Because it would be out of harmony with its environment; because it would be lacking in capacity to appreciate its surroundings. Thus would it be with an unregenerate soul in heaven."
The old saying of, Born once, Die twice, Born twice, Die once is The Gospel Truth. You can only be saved when the Spirit of God calls you. Jesus spoke of the Spirit of God as being like the wind. God's Spirit blows where He wishes. The Spirit of God comes to you and impresses you that you need the Savior. Just like you can feel the wind without seeing it, you can sense God's call on your life without seeing Him. Someone here, at this very moment, is sensing the Spirit of God telling you that today is your day to accept Christ and experience the New Birth. You can't determine when God will call you, so you must respond at the moment He does. To delay is dangerous. The wind of God may not blow across your heart tomorrow the way He is moving on your heart today. My dear friend, if you sense the wind of His Spirit, if you can hear the call of God on your heart, do not delay. Come to Him now. His Spirit will not always strive with you. Your heart can harden so concretely that nothing can penetrate it. Come to Him now, while your heart is tender. Yield to Him today.

Jesus told Nicodemus about the  "MUST" of being born again. No exceptions. No other doors were open to him. No other way was provided for him. There is only ONE way to God.

A lot of people think that is the way one can be right with God. Just do the best you can with what you have. My friend, what you have is not enough. You must be born again - you must have the salvation that only Christ can supply. You need a new life – a life that only Jesus can provide for you. You cannot be saved without Christ. It simply can't be done. He alone died for the sins of man. He alone rose from the dead to provide justification before God. In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me." Getting to heaven is no mystery. Jesus is the way - the door - to heaven. He redeems those who come to Him admitting that they are sinners, believing that He died for their sins, rose from the dead and confessing Him as Lord and Saviour.

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!