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Our focus this morning will be 
on verses 1 to 10, the doctrine of the new birth or regeneration, 
essentially God's work in the heart of His elect wherein He 
makes them alive together with Jesus Christ. Certainly election 
and predestination have temporal priority or precedence over regeneration. but regeneration is that work 
of God behind the scenes. In other words, when a sinner 
believes the gospel, when a sinner repents from their sins, it's 
not because that sinner is a great guy. It's not because that sinner 
has exercised his will responsibly. but it's because God Most High 
has had dealings with him. It is the reality that I read 
at the outset of worship. An Old Testament counterpart 
of John 3, 1 to 10 is Ezekiel the prophet, Ezekiel 36, 25 to 
27. God makes us alive by His sovereign 
grace, by His power, and the first fruit of that, or one of 
the first fruits of that, is faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Regeneration or the new birth is first. It comes prior to the 
exercise of faith. It's not that we believe and 
then we're born again. It could not be the case that 
somebody dead in their trespasses and sins could believe. God must 
make us alive first. He must give us life and faith 
and repentance so that we may indeed close with Christ. But 
beginning in John 3 at verse 1. There was a man of the Pharisees 
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 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. Jesus answered and said to him, 
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he 
cannot see the kingdom of God. 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 answered, most assuredly 
I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot 
enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh 
is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not 
marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. 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. Nicodemus answered and said to 
him, how can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him, 
are you the teacher of Israel and do not know these things? 
Most assuredly I say to you, we speak what we know and testify 
what we have seen, and you do not receive our witness. If I 
have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will 
you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to 
heaven but he who came down from heaven, that is the son of man 
who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent 
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal 
life. 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. For God did not send His 
Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world 
through Him might be saved. 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. 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. For everyone 
practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, 
lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes 
to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they 
have been done in God. Amen. Let us pray. Father, we 
thank you for your written word, and we pray now for the ministry 
of the Holy Spirit. God, we confess our coldness 
to spiritual things. We confess our waywardness. Certainly, 
as the hymn writer says, we attest, we are prone to wander and prone 
to leave the God that we love. We ask that you would revive 
our hearts, that you would warm our hearts, that you would cause 
us to receive the truth with thanksgiving. And for any and 
all who are dead in their trespasses and sins here this morning, we 
don't appeal to their ability, we appeal to the sovereignty 
and the power of God Almighty. And we would ask that you would 
open eyes and hearts to the truth, that you would give the graces 
of faith and repentance so that Christ may be believed on and 
that Christ may indeed see the travail of his soul and be satisfied. And we pray these things through 
Jesus our Lord. Amen. Robert Raymond in his Systematic 
Theology highlights that Paul refers to the new birth as life-giving 
resurrection with Christ, and he points to Ephesians 2.5 and 
Colossians 2.13. As well, Paul highlights it's 
the divine work of new creation. It's that whole doctrine behind 
the Apostle's statement in 2 Corinthians 5. If any man be in Christ, he 
is a new creature. This is regeneration. This is 
the new birth. This is the goodness of God in 
opening our hearts and giving us life. But Raymond goes on 
to say, it is particularly John, following the teaching of Jesus 
himself, however, who is in a unique sense the theologian of the birth 
from above. In other words, if you read John, 
you will see that emphasis over and over again. He speaks of 
us being born of God. You'll see it as we move through 
our study this morning in not only this passage, but in 1 John 
as well. So what we have essentially in 
verses 1 to 10 are a dialogue with Nicodemus. And then in verses 
11 to 21 is Jesus' discourse on salvation. He highlights the 
efficacy of faith in his death for salvation. He highlights 
the greatness of God's love manifested at the cross, which I hope to 
look at tonight, specifically John 3, 16. And then highlights 
the condemnation that is upon those who continue to reject 
the Lord Jesus Christ and the mercy of the gospel itself. But let's look at this dialogue, 
this interaction, this discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus. We'll look at, first of all, 
the question posed by Nicodemus in verses 1 and 2. Secondly, 
the response by the Lord Jesus in verses 3 to 8. And then thirdly, 
the indictment by the Lord Jesus in verses 9 to 10. Notice, verse 
1, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the 
Jews. Now what Jesus is going to do 
in these next few chapters is deal with individual persons. He interacts with specific persons. Notice the end of chapter 2. 
It says in verse 24, Jesus did not commit himself to them because 
he knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of 
man, for he knew what was in man. We see that displayed in 
this passage. Nicodemus doesn't ask him, what 
must I do to enter into the kingdom of heaven? Jesus goes right to 
the point. Jesus addresses this very specifically 
because he knew what was in man. In John chapter 4, he meets this 
Samaritan woman by the well, and he goes right to the point. 
Why? Because he knows what's in man. He is dealing with individuals. He is dialoguing with persons. 
He has come into contact with sinners, and he is giving them 
spiritual truth. Now, this man is a Pharisee, 
a ruler of the Jews. He was probably a ruler in terms 
of ecclesiology. He was not a civil ruler, but 
an ecclesiastical one. He had a high position, perhaps 
in the Sanhedrin. He was a religious leader. He 
was a Pharisee. He was a man that appeared right 
before all Israel. But as we survey the particular 
context, I think it highlights for us the spiritual bankruptcy 
of Israel at the time of our Lord. You see that not only in 
the temple cleansing in John chapter 2. I mean, if everything 
was right, Jesus wouldn't have to go in and cleanse the temple. 
Jesus wouldn't have to go in and chase out the money changers. 
This is an indicator that it was spiritually bankrupt. And 
as we move through this passage, Christ upbraids this Pharisee 
and says, are you a ruler of the Jews and you do not know 
these things? It is a pathetic and a very bad 
thing when men who are tasked with preaching and teaching the 
Word of God do not know the Word of God. It's a terrible thing 
when the men that are charged with preaching the truth do not 
know the truth themselves. That ought to be one of the first 
requirements when we look at men for the ministry. Have they 
come into saving union with Jesus Christ? Have they been conquered 
by the truth? Do they know that truth? Do they 
love that truth? And can they explain that truth? That is absolutely essential 
for the elder in the church of Christ. He must be apt to teach. I don't care what a great guy 
he may be. If he is not apt to teach, he 
is not supposed to be an elder. This is a tough pill for some 
people to swallow, but it's a pill we all ought to happily swallow, 
because Christ has stationed shepherds over his people. not 
as lords and not as authoritarians and not as tyrants, but as men 
who teach and preach the truth. That's what shepherding's about. 
It's providing the sheep with the food of God for the good 
of their souls. You don't need micromanagement 
in your life. You need the faithful exposition 
of God's holy word. So, Nicodemus is a ruler of the 
Jews and he doesn't know the prophet Ezekiel. This is a bad 
thing. Now, note when we come to this 
question. Again, it's not technically a 
question that Nicodemus asks. Jesus answers a question, but 
Nicodemus doesn't pose it. But notice that he does have 
a term of respect for Jesus. Verse two, this man came to Jesus 
by night and said to him, there's a lot of ink spilled on why he 
came by night, fear, he was afraid. I don't know, the text doesn't 
tell us, but he came by night. And there's certainly a night, 
light sort of motif going on in John's gospel all throughout. But he comes to him by night, 
he addresses him as rabbi. He will fare later in John's 
gospel, specifically in John 7 and as well in John 19. And he seems to be a decent man, 
this Nicodemus. But he addresses him with this 
term of respect, and he also highlights or recognizes his 
power. And this is, again, this is how 
chapter 2 ends, verse 23. Now, when he was in Jerusalem 
at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name when 
they saw the signs which he did. Brethren, a lot of us think that 
whenever we see they believed in his name, that must mean they 
were believers. Not necessarily. In John 6, you 
will see that many of his disciples followed him no longer. They 
believed when they saw the signs that he was someone unique. They 
didn't necessarily believe in blood atonement. They didn't 
necessarily believe in substitutionary curse bearing. They didn't necessarily 
believe in the Messiah Christ himself. And so, more than likely, 
Nicodemus was one of these people. But notice what he says at the 
end of verse 2. He says, we know that you're a teacher come from 
God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God 
is with them. Now, I highlight all these things 
to make this very obvious application. He is a religious teacher, isn't 
he? He is a ruler of the Jews. He shows Jesus common respect 
by highlighting that he's a rabbi. As well, he even recognizes something 
of the uniqueness of Jesus. He obviously came from God because 
no one can do the signs that you do unless God is with him. 
I mean, we might say that this man's religious resume is pretty 
solid up to this point. But notice, Jesus says, you must 
be born again. This is the great lie of a man-centered 
religion, that if I try harder, if I do more, if I just get my 
act together, well then God will accept me the way that I am. No. This man was a ruler of the 
Jews who must be born again. This man is a religious teacher 
who must be born again. This man pays respect to the 
Lord Jesus. He must be born again. He recognizes 
the power of the Lord Jesus as a man come from God. He must 
be born again. Isn't this the great teaching 
of the apostle Paul in Philippians 3 as he's combating the Judaizing 
error? It's as if there was anybody 
out there in Judaism that could have earned their way to God, 
it would have been Paul. That's what he's doing in Philippians 
3. He marshals up his religious resume, not to pat himself on 
the back, but to highlight free grace. He was born of the stock 
of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day. Concerning the law, he was zealous. He was a Pharisee. But all those 
things were done. All those things were lost. None 
of that would have ever commended my soul to God. I needed Christ. And I didn't see I needed Christ 
until God regenerated me. He made me alive. He gave me 
the new birth. You see, there's a lot of lies 
in this world, and oftentimes perpetrated in the Christian 
church, that if we just do a little bit more, everything will be 
okay. What's the logic of the apostle 
in Galatians 2.21? I do not set aside the grace 
of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ 
died in vain. I submit, and we'll see this 
as we move, why is Nicodemus perplexed? Why is he just bonkers 
with this teaching? Not only can a man go back into 
his mother's womb, but later on in verse 9, how can these 
things be? This is the offense of Christianity. It's a redemptive religion. You 
see, if Jesus would have said, try harder, be better, Be a more 
moral you. Love your wife more. Cut your 
lawn more. Pay your taxes more. That wouldn't 
have surprised Nicodemus. It doesn't surprise the man of 
the world if we come and preach moralism to him. You got to try 
harder. You got to do better. You got 
to be more excellent. That's not surprising. What is 
surprising is you must be born again. because you are in such 
a state that you are dead in your trespasses and sins. There 
is nothing in you to commend you to God. There is nothing 
in you to get you close to God. You need to be renovated. You 
need to be revolutionized. You need to be reborn. You see, 
that's the message that perplexes the masses. That is supernatural. That is a redemptive religion, 
and that is what Christ is preaching to this man. Now note the response 
by our Lord in verses 3 to 8. Again, the absence of a question. 
He knew what was in man, and so He goes right to the heart 
of it in verse 3. Jesus answered and said to him 
most assuredly, this is one of those Amen, Amen. This is a most 
truly this is one of those times when Jesus as it were says you 
really need to listen. Now we really need to listen 
to everything Jesus says whether it's here in John 3 3 or it's 
in Leviticus chapter 11. We need to listen to what Jesus 
said but there are these times and instances in our Lord's ministry 
where he underscores certain things and this is one of them. 
Most assuredly if he was writing on a Word document he would bold 
it He would underline it. He would highlight it. He would 
say, you need to pay attention to what I have to say. Most assuredly, 
I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom 
of God. He stresses here the absolute 
necessity of regeneration. You ever heard that? Oh, he's 
one of those born-again Christians. I got news for you. If you're 
not born again, you're not a Christian. We've got two tiers in America, 
don't we? There's the Christians that do whatever, and they're 
name only, and then there are the born-again Christians. If 
you are not born again, you are not a Christian. if you have 
not been regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit, if you have 
not been made alive together with Christ, if you are not now 
believing the gospel by the power of God, which gospel alone is 
unto salvation, you are not a Christian. It may be kosher in Canada and 
America to identify as a Christian if you're not a Muslim, you're 
not a Hindu, you're not a secular, whatever. That may be kosher 
in America or in Canada, But according to God's Word, unless 
you are born again, you're not a Christian. What's another word 
for a Christian? Believer. Well, who are believers? They are the ones who God has 
regenerated. They are the ones whom God has 
made alive. Notice the progression in the passage. He talks about 
regeneration before he ever gets to faith. And you need to appreciate 
something about verse 3. Jesus is not giving a command. 
Billy Graham has a book called How to be Born Again. Can you 
imagine what that book says? But that's not what Jesus is 
doing here. It's not a command. Now, Nicodemus, 
I want you to go out and be born again. It's not a command. Jesus is saying something from 
outside of you must happen to you. You are passive in this. It's 
not that you're active and you choose for God, which is Pelagianism. It's not even that it's cooperation, 
which is Arminianism. You choose for God and then God 
does his part. That's not what's in view in 
the text. Something outside of you must 
happen to you. You must be born again. The necessity of regeneration 
is taught here. And as well, we need to appreciate 
the word. When he says, you must be born 
again, the word can be translated born again or born from above. 
There are several places in scripture that we could look at both. It 
seems that Nicodemus understands it as again, because he speaks 
of a second birth going into his mother's womb in verse four. Whether it's from above or it's 
again, I think the main point is it's from God. You need to 
be born from God, whether it's from above. He does that work 
from above, comes upon you, opens your eyes, opens your hearts, 
and in fact, gives you this new heart. In the language of the 
prophet Ezekiel, he takes out the old stony heart, and he puts 
in this new fleshly heart. Or whether it's born again. You 
were dead in your trespasses, and since you've been born again. 
I don't think the point is, you know, that big of a difference, 
whether we define it as again or from above. But it's consistent 
with what we already find in John's Gospel in John 1. Notice, 
in John 1, verses 12 and 13. Well, picking up in verse 10, 
he was in the world, and the world was made through him, and 
the world did not know him. Remember verse 10 for our study 
tonight in John 3.16, a lot of confusion about that word world. 
We see the word world and we think it must mean everybody. 
Well, here's three different uses of the word world in one 
verse. He was in the world. That obviously 
means the earth, doesn't it? He wasn't on Mars. He wasn't 
in Neptune, he was in the world. And the world was made through 
him. Well, according to John earlier, he made all things. 
The world in that sense is the cosmos, everything that is. And 
then it says, and the world did not know him. Well, there it's 
used in an ethical sense. the men of the world, the fleshly 
ones of the world, the non-spiritual ones of the world. They rejected 
him. The word world does not always mean every single human 
being. It is the context which defines 
for us how a word is to be understood. And in John 3, 16, it's Jews 
and Gentiles. I'll argue that in more detail 
later on this evening. But notice, he came to his own, 
and his own did not receive him. But as many as received him, 
to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those 
who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of 
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." 
It's a beautiful thing. Notice in John 3, 3, "...most 
assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot 
see the kingdom of God." This seeing the kingdom answers to 
entering the kingdom in verse 5, and it means to be savingly 
participating in the kingdom. In other words, if you are not 
regenerate, if you are not born again, if you have not been born 
from above, if God Most High hasn't taken out the old stony 
heart and put in the new fleshly heart, you are not entering the 
kingdom of God. That is the emphasis of the particular 
passage in view. This is a repeated emphasis in 
the New Testament. And I think the necessity of 
it is seen in many ways, but certainly because of the sinfulness 
of man. Why? is it that unless one is 
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God? Because of our 
depravity, because of our filth, right? Rebecca and I got this 
little game last week. It's called Pass the Pigs. It's 
quite an interesting little game. They're pigs that are dice. You roll the pigs and whatever 
position they end up in, you get points. You know, there's 
a snouter and, you know, it's just an odd little kind of funny 
game. I would never think to have a 
pig sit at my table while I eat. I would never, if I lived on 
a farm, say to my children, make sure you get the pig, get Bessie, 
get the biggest, nastiest pig, and bring her to our table as 
we sit down tonight for a ham dinner. I just wouldn't do that. There is no way that a filthy, 
vile, wretched, stinking sinner is going to sit at the marriage 
supper of the Lamb. Because God's holy. Read the 
end in Revelation 21 and 22 three times. Three times we are reminded 
of who is excluded from the New Jerusalem. Why is John doing 
that? I think to warn the people who 
are reading, but as well to encourage the people that are reading. 
You may have beasts on this earth that are trying to destroy you, 
but when you get up into heaven, when you're in that new Jerusalem, 
that new heavens and new earth, there's no beast there. There's 
nothing that defiles. There are no murderers. There's 
no liars. There's no cowards. There is none of that. No fornicators, 
nothing. You see, we are excluded in Adam. In Adam, we all die. We don't 
have a desire. Certainly, we may not want to 
burn forever in hell, but that ought not to be translated as, 
I want to be with God. There was a third option, not 
burn in hell or do whatever it is that I want to do. More people 
would take that and be where God is and to enjoy the benefits 
of the lamp, to be in the presence of the one who is altogether 
lovely and chief among 10,000. You see, we must be born again 
because we're wretched, we're sinful, we're vile. The only 
way that a holy God is gonna receive sinful man is by making 
him alive. regenerating him, giving him 
eyes to see Jesus Christ, giving him faith to lay hold of Jesus 
Christ. Because when faith lays hold 
of Jesus Christ, faith is the instrument by which we receive 
the redemptive benefit of Christ. We are forgiven of our sins. 
We are cleansed, we are washed, we are purified, and we receive 
a righteousness such that God invites us to come and sit at 
his table. We have new clothing, we have 
new garments, we are fit for heaven. So you see, you must 
be born again or else you cannot see the kingdom of God. Notice 
Nicodemus' response. Nicodemus says 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? Now notice the Lord Jesus Christ 
in his teaching illustrates, or rather Nicodemus illustrates 
the principle, doesn't he? Isn't he illustrating the very 
principle? When Jesus says, that which is born of the flesh is 
flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit, Nicodemus 
is demonstrating that. He's not a spiritual man. He's 
a religious man, he's a ruler man, he's an esteemed man, he 
might have a respect for Jesus sort of a man, but he's not a 
spiritual man. He misses the teaching on the 
new birth. He misses the reality of the 
doctrine of the necessity of regeneration. This is told us 
by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2.14, but the natural man does not 
receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness 
to him. That's kind of how his response 
is, isn't it? What do you expect? For me to 
go back into my mother's womb? I don't know the tenor or the 
tone or the inflection of voice that Nicodemus had when he said 
this. I imagine he could have said 
it just like this. How can a man be born when he 
is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and 
be born? He most likely could have. But as well, knowing human 
beings the way that we all do, he might have been a little fired 
up. What do you mean? You talk about being born again. 
Am I supposed to trace down my mother, get her into a hospital, 
enter back into her womb, and come out again? This is what 
Paul says. He cannot receive the things 
of the Spirit. He cannot receive the things 
of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can 
he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." So he 
asks the question. Now, notice the Lord's response. Verse 5, "'Most assuredly, I 
say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot 
enter the kingdom of God.'" The Lord does not answer this way. 
Well, Nicodemus, this is the pathway to the new birth. This 
is the pathway to regeneration. Believe first on me and then 
you'll be born again. This is the pathway to regeneration. Nicodemus, repent from your sin 
and then you'll be born. He doesn't answer. He reaffirms 
what he says. He amplifies it a little bit 
with this reference to water and the Spirit. But I don't think 
it's a reference to baptism. A lot of commentators see baptism, 
water baptism in the passage. but it's not baptism, it's Ezekiel 
36. Turn back there for just a moment. 
I'm sure you all remember because I just read it less than an hour 
ago, but just in case any of you are struggling with what 
exactly Ezekiel 36, 25 to 27 says, and I'm just being facetious, 
I don't remember exactly what Ezekiel said either. Notice in 
25, this is a statement from God through the prophet concerning 
new covenant reality. New covenant reality, life under 
Messiah, regeneration, renewal, restoration. And notice specifically, 
well, let's just pick up in verse 22. It's instructive. Therefore 
say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God, I do not do 
this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's 
sake. It's intriguing. Salvation in 
the first place is for the glory of God. Salvation certainly benefits 
all of us, doesn't it? When we are saved by God's grace, 
when we, by God's grace, believe the gospel, when we've turned 
from our sins, yes, we benefit. Our wives benefit. Our children 
benefit. Martin Lloyd-Jones says, the 
cat in a man's house benefits. Instead of coming home drunk 
and punting the cat from one end of the room to the other, 
the man now alive in Christ Jesus doesn't punt the cat anymore. 
So everyone wins. But the primary emphasis in the 
salvation of sinners is the glory of God. Do you see that in the text? 
It's conspicuous. I don't know that the Lord can 
make it any more evident. His honor. Yes, we benefit. Yes, others benefit, but it's 
the name of God Most High that's in view. Now note verse 24. All the I wills in this section 
I mentioned before. Pelagians like to think that 
man makes the choice. Arminians like to think that 
man and God make the choice. Calvinists or Reformed people 
understand that God is monergistic. God alone works. And if you trace 
out in this section the I wills, the only thing we will is that 
we'll remember our wickedness and loathe ourselves. But notice 
in verse 24, for I will take you from among the nations, gather 
you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 
Now notice, 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." You see, in John 3, 5, 
water is not a reference to baptism. It's a reference to something 
that a ruler of the Jews most certainly should have known. 
Israel was taught from the outset of the necessity of purification. 
There's a labor in the temple, a tabernacle temple complex, 
washing, purification. What's Jesus saying? The new 
birth involves purification from the deadness and the stinking 
of your sin. And it certainly involves this 
new life in Jesus Christ, this blessed garment that he gives 
to us. But this idea of water, I think, is what the prophet 
is speaking of here. Notice in verse 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. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in 
my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them. You 
see, this is the new birth. This is John 3. I think there's 
no better commentary on what Jesus is doing here with Nicodemus 
than Ezekiel 36. I think that this is what Jesus 
has in his mind. And I think that this is why 
he can upbraid Nicodemus and say, are you the teacher of Israel 
and you don't know this? Didn't you pay attention to the 
prophet Ezekiel? Didn't you listen, Nicodemus? 
How are you missing this? How is this revolutionary? How 
is this perplexing information? If anybody ever asks you, an 
unbeliever, somebody new to church, and they say, I've heard this 
statement born again. What does that mean? Take them 
to Ezekiel 36. Say that God through his prophet 
then is telling what's going to happen when Jesus comes. It 
certainly happened to old covenant believers, but it's a feature 
of new covenant religion that must take place. And when Jesus 
comes and he tells this man Nicodemus, you must be born again or you 
cannot see the kingdom of God, there is divine necessity. It must be the case. Notice, 
verse 6, Jesus says, the Spirit gives life. That which is born 
of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is 
Spirit. Like gives life to like, right? In other words, the flesh 
gives birth to flesh, the Spirit gives birth to Spirit. If we 
must have this change, if we are dead in Adam, we must be 
born again. We must be given new life. There must be this spiritual 
element or component. There must be this spiritual 
renovation. Notice in verse 7, the biblical 
consistency. Again, I think the prophet Ezekiel. 
Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. 
Don't be surprised by this. If you've come here this morning 
and you say, you know, every Sunday these guys preach justification 
by faith alone. Yeah. And it's because of the 
glories of regeneration that persons believe it. Right? You must be born again. Something 
must happen to you. Some would say, well, this hinders 
evangelism. I mean, if you tell a sinner 
there's nothing they can do, oh, I'm going to continue to 
tell you to believe. I'm going to constantly press 
upon you the necessity to look unto Jesus for the salvation 
of your soul. But I'm not gonna think that 
somehow in you there resides this island of untouched free 
will wherein you can make up your mind as you please. I come 
into this pulpit because I believe in John 3. I believe there is 
a sovereign God in heaven and I believe that he works by and 
in and through the word. And I believe that as that word 
goes forth, the God who gave it is the God who can enable 
compliance with it. that he is able to raise you 
under the preaching of the word to give you the gifts of faith 
and repentance so that you may close with Christ. I think that 
any other view of the new birth is actually the one that hurts 
evangelism. If I have to believe that it 
does depend on you, that's terrible. This world's a mess. If I have 
to think that some of the people in this world, it depends on 
them, praise God it's from outside. Praise God that He comes and 
He reaches down and He saves the likes of you and I. We were 
not running after God, we were running from God. We weren't 
singing his praises, we were blaspheming his name. I mean, 
we have enough problems now in the state of grace doing what 
we're supposed to be doing. We were dead in our trespasses 
and sins, worse than any pig on this earth ever smelt. It 
really is a bad comparison. It's unkind to pigs to say that 
they are no more worthy to sit at my table than a sinner is 
to sit at the table of God. They are far more worthy to sit 
at our table than a sinner is to sit at the table of God. It's 
an insult to pigs, brethren. If you're gonna leave here saying, 
he's compared us to pigs. Yeah, and I'm apologizing to 
the pigs. So I don't think we've come to 
grips with how bad the problem is. I really don't. I saw it somewhere in Luther, 
or I saw it somewhere about Luther, you know, one of those things 
that you're not sure is apocryphal enough or not. Something to the 
effect that if we really understood our sin, but for a moment we, 
I don't know if he said explode, but that's the meaning I got 
from it. We'd fall apart. You say, well, 
how could he say that? I think he's biblical. I think 
he's on to something. Remember in the year that King 
Uzziah died, the prophet saw the Lord high and lofty? What does the prophet say when 
he sees the Lord of Hosts? Hey, there's my buddy in heaven. 
Woe is me, for I am unholy. Why? For my eyes have seen the 
king. You see, this seeing the king 
in his glory does not make us feel this buddyhood with him, 
but it caused the prophet to know something of his wretchedness. It caused him to know something 
of his sinfulness and his waywardness. It caused him to say, I'm undone. I am ruined. So Luther was onto 
something in that respect. We need the spirit. Biblical 
consistency, do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born 
again. And now note what Jesus says concerning the wind. 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 as everyone 
who is born of the Spirit. Here the Lord Christ highlights 
the invisibility and the mysteriousness of the Spirit's ministry, yet 
it is known in experience. This morning as I was sitting 
in my chair, our back gate came unlatched and it was about that 
much play and there was enough wind to make it keep banging. 
And I kept hearing it, but not enough to get up off my chair 
and go down and secure it. But it really illustrated this. 
You can't see the wind, can you? You say, yeah, but I see it. 
You see the effects. You see the effects when that 
gate, that pesky gate keeps banging. But you don't see the wind. That's what Jesus is saying. 
You don't see the Spirit. We don't see Him in here this 
morning, do we? There He is, or He's over, no. But we know His effects. We know 
His power. We know his ability because a 
formerly dead sinner now praises Jesus. A formerly dead sinner 
wants to sing Amazing Grace. A formerly dead sinner wants 
to join John Wesley in saying, long my imprisoned spirit lie 
fast bound in sin and nature's night. You see, we know the effects, 
we see the effects, but we need to remember that they are the 
effects. The cause is the Spirit's work 
in our hearts and lives. We're not regenerate because 
we believe, we believe because we've been regenerated. We believe 
because God has made us alive. We believe because God has saved 
us. We believe because God has changed 
our hearts. And as well, not only the invisibility 
and the mysteriousness, but also what is stressed by our Lord 
in this analogy with the wind is the sovereignty of the Spirit. 
That's become popular. Not so much. I don't think I 
see it as much now. Of course, I guess if we went 
down to the Southern states in America, we'd see it more. Revival 
meetings. We're having a revival meeting. 
Come tonight at 7.30 because the Spirit will be there. Now, 
I don't doubt the Spirit's omnipresence. I just doubt scheduling Him for 
an appearance at one of our so-called revival meetings. He's sovereign. We don't stand at the origin 
of where the wind comes from and started. We don't, you know, 
sort of guide it to its final destination. The spirit is sovereign 
in this work. It's not formulaic. Take these 
five easy steps and you'll be born again. Say this prayer and 
you'll be born again. Do these things. You're at the 
mercy of a sovereign spirit. But I submit to you, there's 
no better place to be. No greater place to be. Again, 
that idea that if we preach it this way, it kills hope. Sinners will hear this and say, 
there's no hope. There's great hope. You don't 
want to save yourself. You don't typically want to be 
saved. But God is in the business of 
assembling a great church from every tribe, tongue, people, 
and nation. There are multitudes, great multitudes, that no man 
can number. So I say that this view is the view that promotes 
hope. God is about saving, God is defined, 
or one of God's things is seen in salvation. It's a beautiful, 
wonderful thing. The Spirit is sovereign, and 
as well, He is irresistible. Isn't that wonderful? Brethren, 
if you could resist the Holy Spirit, you would. People get 
really bothered by that fourth point of Calvinism, the irresistible 
grace. Because, you know, my Uncle Chewy 
resisted it. It's talking about God's grace 
working on the heart of a man by the power of the Holy Spirit. 
I don't doubt there's been a generation and a multitude of Uncle Chewy's 
that have heard the external call of the gospel, have turned 
a deaf ear, and have walked away. But when the Spirit of God works 
upon the heart of a man, it's irresistible. You know why? Because he changes 
the heart. He makes men willing in the day 
of His power. It's not just a moral change. Oh, I don't want to steal anymore. 
It's what's called noetic or an intellectual change. He changes 
the mind. And it's affectional or the will. You see, when God gets the heart, 
He gets the whole man. It's us that make this disconnect 
between head and heart and thumb and that. When God changes the 
heart, the whole of man is affected by it. His mind, his thoughts, 
his will, his affections, the spirit that at one time he disdained 
and abhorred. When the spirit works upon him, 
yes, it's irresistible because he wants what the spirit is offering. He wants the Christ to whom the 
Spirit directs him. He wants this one that's lifted 
up, like Moses lifted this brazen serpent in the wilderness. God 
is sovereign. John Murray says, if we recoil 
against this doctrine, we recoil against Christ himself, but he 
says, blessed be God that the gospel of Christ is one of sovereign, 
efficacious, irresistible regeneration. I say, Amen, John Murray, you're 
absolutely right. And if you have not pondered 
the reality of that, then I submit you ought to. Now notice the 
indictment. We've already somewhat rehearsed 
this. We'll just be quick here. But 
the question posed by Nicodemus in verse nine, how can these 
things be? How can these things be? Note 
Jesus' response. Are you the teacher of Israel 
and do not know these things? The reason he upbraids him is 
because the scriptures testify. See, it's not just Ezekiel. Deuteronomy 
10, this emphasis on the circumcision of the heart. What do you think 
is in view in Deuteronomy 10 and Deuteronomy 30 when God says 
circumcision of the heart? He's talking about regeneration. 
The logic in Colossians 2, 11, and 12 is not to say that baptism 
has in all points replaced circumcision. No, it's to say that circumcision 
and baptism, one from a prospective and one from a retrospective, 
is looking at regeneration. See, this isn't a doctrine that 
is developed here by our Lord. This is a doctrine that academia 
should have known. It's a doctrine that everybody 
who names the name of Christ should know. It's a doctrine 
that we ought to embrace with great thankfulness as the regenerated 
ones. Well, brethren, quickly in conclusion, 
the design behind regeneration. I'm gonna appeal to our confession 
here because I think it says it so beautifully. Now, you won't 
find a particular chapter on regeneration or the new birth 
when you look at the Second London Confession of 1689, but you'll 
see the chapter 10 on effectual calling. And the two are very closely 
combined. Again, the wording is similar. There are distinctions between 
effectual calling and regeneration, which we simply don't have the 
time to do at this particular point, but they're close enough 
and connected enough to just appeal to what our confession 
says with reference to this effectual calling, this regeneration, this 
new birth that God gives to His elect. It is to call men out 
of the state of sin and death they are in by nature. To go 
back to our pig analogy, get them out of the slop, get them 
out of the mud, get them out. to call men to grace and salvation 
by Jesus Christ. Now, this doesn't happen, you 
know, one of them happens on Monday, 2016, and, you know, 
the next thing takes place on a Tuesday, 2017. No, no, you 
know, this is a sort of a logical, you know, taking apart the doctrine, 
but regeneration, it's not, you know, something, as I said, it 
happens in bits and pieces. I'm a little bit regenerate, 
I'm getting there. No, you're either regenerate 
or you're not. It's like pregnant. You either 
are or you're not. There's no, I'm kinda pregnant. 
To call or to enlighten men and to enlighten their minds spiritually 
and savingly to understand the things of God. See, that's a 
fundamental problem with man and sin. He does not receive 
the things of the Spirit of God. Now, there may be some level 
where he can understand. He understands you shall not 
murder. He understands the concept of Jesus' life, death, and ministry, 
but he doesn't understand it. He hasn't appropriated it. He 
doesn't see it the way that a regenerate man sees it. I mean, I'm sure 
that you've had this experience prior to your conversion to Christ, 
which is the faith and repentance by which we close with Christ, 
gifts given by God, But prior to your conversion, you probably 
heard scripture. You probably may have even understood 
some scripture. But after conversion, what happens? 
That scripture becomes alive, doesn't it? It's a different 
thing, isn't it? And it's hard to explain to some. It's kind 
of like trying to describe a color to a blind man. How do you describe 
red to someone who's never seen red? How do you describe blue 
to somebody who's never seen blue? How do you describe mango 
to somebody who has no sense of taste? Well, it's good. It's about all we can do, right? 
It's that way in spiritual things, isn't it? It's like that man 
born blind in John chapter 9. He essentially says to the first, 
I don't know what you're all talking about, but this Jesus 
healed me. I was blind, I couldn't see, 
and now I can see. I don't know how else to explain 
it. It's the same for us after having come to Christ. Many of 
us had come into contact with the Bible at some point. We read 
it. It was like, you know, a Japanese phone book. Then by God's grace, 
we were converted. We were saved. We have eyes to 
see it. It's like, wow! It's not magical. The words didn't start moving 
or anything like that. But the Spirit is in us. We are 
new men and women in Christ. We have been enlightened, we 
have been renewed, we have been remade, we have been reborn by 
the power of God Almighty to take away their heart of stone 
and give to them a heart of flesh, to renew their wills and by His 
almighty power to determine them to that which is good. See, apart 
from God's grace, we are determined to that which is bad. Do you 
ever look at the world and say, wow, this can't just be bad politics. 
There's got to be further explanations for what the problems facing 
the world is, isn't there? Yeah, it's sin, it's rebellion, 
it's enmity against God. It's when the creature has raised 
its fist at the Creator and said, no, God, well, that's what you 
get, a world that looks like this. And so God, in regeneration, 
remakes us. And by His almighty power determines 
us to that which is good. Now, we don't do that which is 
good perfectly, unfortunately, but we have the will. And then 
to effectually draw them to Jesus Christ, being made willing by 
His grace. John Murray said, Regeneration 
is the beginning of all saving grace in us, and all saving grace 
and exercise on our part proceeds from the fountain of regeneration. 
We're not born again by faith or repentance or conversion. 
We repent and believe because we have been regenerated. That's 
a difference, theologically, between what's called Arminianism 
and Calvinism. Those who think that they believed 
and therefore were born again are simply wrong. We are regenerated. We are made 
alive. We are renewed. We are transformed 
by God's taking out the heart of stone and putting in the heart 
of flesh. And the first thing is faith. It's looking to Christ. It's believing in him. Again, 
it doesn't happen that you're regenerated on January 1st, 2017, 
and then you'll believe the gospel on January 1st, 2018. We're making just logical distinctions 
here. Secondly, the necessity of regeneration. I think we've dealt with this, 
the word of Christ. Jesus says you must be born again. 
Guess what? You must be born again. We've 
dealt a bit with the depravity of man being a chief cause for 
the necessity of regeneration. The holiness of God. Brethren, 
I think we ought to ponder the holiness of God more often than 
we do. We ought to consider how glorious 
and how wondrous and how majestic he is. How the prophet said his 
eye is too pure to approve any evil. Boy, we're not like that, are 
we? We need to consider the holiness of God Most High. Nicodemus was 
a religious man and even a teacher of spiritual things and he needed 
to be regenerated. He saw Christ's signs, he needed 
to be regenerated. He showed respect to Jesus, he 
needed to be regenerated. We need to appreciate in this 
passage the efficient cause of regeneration. I hope you've already 
gotten it. It ain't us. It's the Holy Spirit. It's God Almighty. It's monergism. Monergism means one working. Synergism is two working together. We believe in monergism, God 
most high. Specifically, the Holy Spirit 
effectually calls, regenerates, grants the graces of faith and 
repentance. Murray, again, highlighting this 
reality. If it were not the case that 
in regeneration we are passive, again, the verbs in the passage 
suggest as much. You must be born again. Passive. I command, hey Nicodemus, go 
out and be born again. No, you must be born again. Murray 
says, if it were not the case that in regeneration we are passive, 
the subjects of an action of which God alone is the agent, 
there would be no gospel at all. For unless God by sovereign operative 
grace had turned our enmity to love and our disbelief to faith, 
we would never yield the response of faith and love. It just wouldn't 
happen. He goes on to say, regeneration 
is at the basis of all change in heart and life. It is a stupendous 
change because it is God's recreative act. A cheap and tawdry evangelism 
has tended to rob the gospel, which it proclaims of that invincible 
power, which is the glory of the gospel of sovereign grace. May the church come to think 
and live again in terms of the gospel, which is the power of 
God unto salvation. Now, if you are not a Christian 
here this morning, do not leave here saying, I wonder if I'm 
regenerate. Believe the gospel. Believe on 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Look and live. Just as Moses 
lifted the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted. That whoever believes in him 
will not perish, but have everlasting life. That's the emphasis, that's 
the command, that's what you are called to. Look to Jesus 
Christ. If you are believing in Jesus 
Christ, it's like that gate that's moving in the wind. It's moving 
in the wind because the wind came and pushed it. I'm believing 
presently because of the power of the regenerating work of God 
Most High. And brethren, those who confess 
saving faith in Christ, those who are believers, those who 
have sung with Wesley, long by imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound 
in sin in nature's night, thine eye diffused a quickening ray, 
I woke the dungeon flamed with light, my chains fell off, my 
heart was free, I rose, went forth and followed thee. Interesting, 
for an Arminian to get it right in that clause, that's regeneration. He doesn't cooperate here, my 
chains fell off, my heart was free. Then I rose, went forth 
and followed thee. God's work preempted the rising 
and the following. But those of us who confess faith 
in Christ, the fruits of regeneration, certainly faith in Jesus, 1 John 
5, 1. John also says that those who 
are born of God practice righteousness. Maybe we want to pause for a 
moment here. See, when that gate's moving in the wind, you realize 
the wind's been by. When somebody's practicing righteousness 
or pursuing those things which are pleasing to God, because 
they're pleasing to God, the Spirit's been at work. And if 
there is no pursuit of righteousness, it may be the case that you've 
grown lazy, you've grown apathetic, you have grown lethargic and 
you need to repent, or it may be the case that you must be 
born again. As well, you know what one of 
the fruits of regeneration is? According to John in 1 John, 
those who are born of God do what? They love the brethren. They love the brethren. We know 
that we have passed from death to life because what? We love 
brethren. We'd rather be here with one 
another on a Sunday morning than doing whatever else, right? We love God and we love the brethren. Do you ever come here maybe a 
bit sluggish and a little bit heavy hearted and a little bit 
cold and you see the brethren and it just makes it all better? 
Makes it a happy place? That's what the brethren are 
for. We need to love one another. If we had been born of God, those 
who are born of God love those who are in the family of God. 
That means they love them, they pray for them, they encourage 
them, they call them, they visit them, they care for them. Brethren, 
love for the brethren is a fruit of regeneration. Another fruit, 
according to John, is overcoming the world and the wicked one. 
Greater is he that is in the world than he that is in you. 
You can never say it was so bad out there, the temptations were 
so strong, I had to succumb. You are a blood-bought child 
of God Most High, whom the Holy Spirit has taken out the old 
dead stony heart and put in a new fleshly heart. He has directed 
you to Christ. You have believed by grace. You 
have repented by grace. He is not going to do that great 
thing and then leave you on your own. It's Paul's logic in Romans 
8. He who did not spare his own 
son but delivered him up for us all. How shall we not freely 
with him give us all things? He's going to hang his son on 
a cross to die for your sins and not be there on a Thursday 
when you need help to avoid a particular temptation? Banish the thought, 
Christian. You are born as a child of God. The Father takes care of his 
own. Right? It's John's point, greater 
is he that is in you than he that is in the world. She cannot 
say the devil made me do it, the world made me do it. No, 
God's grace is sufficient. Brethren, I hope that we live 
in light of the reality that by God's grace, we have been 
born again. Again, if you are not a believer here this morning, 
the point is not to go home and to search your heart and to say, 
am I regenerate? Am I born again? Or to go further 
behind the scenes and say, am I predestined? Am I elect? Look 
and live. Believe the gospel. Look to the 
one alone in whom is forgiveness. Look to the one alone who receives 
sinners. That's the emphasis that you 
need to hear today. That's the alarm you need blown 
in Zion that you believe on the son of God. Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank 
you for the Word of God and we thank you for this doctrine of 
regeneration where you take filthy, vile, helpless, wretched sinners 
and you make them alive through your power, through your sovereignty, 
through your excellency and efficacy. How we thank you that you have 
granted us the graces of faith and repentance to close with 
our Savior, and God, help us to live as children in the family 
of God. Help us to pursue and practice 
righteousness, and help us to love one another, and help us, 
by your grace, to overcome the world, not in some triumphalistic, 
weird, prosperity gospel sense, but just being faithful, day 
in and day out, resisting the temptations that are so quickly 
offered in this world. Grant us all grace, God, to go 
from this place rejoicing in you, our Father. And may you 
reach down through the power of the Holy Spirit and save sinners. For the praise of the glory of 
your grace. And we pray these things through 
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.