The Law & The Gospel | Week 8

If you're visiting with us today, thank you for being here.

My name is Kyle. I serve as a lead pastor and

we're grateful you chose to worship with us today.

If you have your Bible, you can turn to John chapter 3, John

John 3 · chapter mention John 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3. We are going to be covering

verse 7 today of John 3, and what we're doing is we're in the

middle of a sermon series, called the law and the gospel

and subtitle there is, you must be born again today.

We're covering the The verse where Christ just explicitly

says You must be born again. And so what we're exposing or

kind of have been exposing throughout the series is

Nicodemus and Christ or in a conversation and I'll read it to

you here in just a second. But Nicodemus is a Pharisee,

he's a member of the Sanhedrin, which is the ruling body of the

nation of Israel. He is the V teacher Christ

addresses him as the The teacher of Israel.

And so, Nicodemus is a high-ranking religious official

who has done everything the right way, he's well, thought of

by his peers. He's well, thought of in the

community as well, thought of, in, in the temple, and among the

Jews. And yet he must be born again.

And so, what's being exposed here, is that, the law does not

save. You cannot obey the law to the

T. You know, cross every T.

Dot every. I make sure you get the law

right one. You can't do that anyway.

But to even if you could, you would still fall short of the

glory of God, you would still be in need of something else to

make you righteous. You might appear righteous.

People might say, Say you're a good man or a good woman or a

good boy or good. Girl.

But in your heart of hearts, you would still be dead.

You'd still be dead in your sin. And so that's what we've been

exposing. That's what Christ is exposing

here in Nicodemus, we're going to look a little bit more at

that today, as we've been doing, if you're able, would you stand

to your feet, as we read the word of God, and then I'll pray

for us. John 3 verse 1.

John 3:1

Now, 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 him. Truly, truly, I say to you,

unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

And 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 truly, truly I

say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot

enter the kingdom of God. Verse 6, 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. You may be seated.

Are our big idea today. The thing that we're going to

look at and just kind of drive home?

Is this Divine mandate from Christ?

That you must be born again. You must be born again.

Let me pray for us. Heavenly Father, we praise you

for your word. We thank you for your word.

Got to thank you for the time that we've had and singing songs

today. Re that recall your word and

recall just The goodness of God, recall, the effects of the

Gospel on our life and father. What we're going to do now is

open up your word. We're going to go into your word

and we're asking that your holy spirit's illuminate.

These truths help us to see them give us ears to hear.

Father give us eyes to see give us a heart that is made of

fertile soil. That as these words are

implanted in our heart, they would bear fruit and God again,

we thank you for your word. We thank You for christ, his

sacrifice, his death, his resurrection by him.

We can know you. We can be in fellowship with

you, heavenly father. And so we ask that your spirit

teach us today in Christ's name we pray.

Amen. Amen, you must be born again.

All right. If an unbeliever came to you

today and asked, how can I enter the kingdom of God, or what does

it take to enter the kingdom of God?

How would you answer them? What, what would you tell them

in that moment? Would you be caught kind of off

guard? Would you be caught stumbling

over your words? Would you be caught trying to

reconcile? Okay.

How do I teach them? All of these various truths

about salvation and what it looks like and where do you

begin? The truth is that it's not

really a complicated process, right?

It's a very simple truth. The path to entering the kingdom

of God is, is already made known to us.

It's not something we're trying to work out or figure out.

It's, it's not a mystery to us. It's plane in scripture.

How we enter the kingdom of God to enter the kingdom of God.

A person must be born again. A person must be born again.

A person must become a believer in Jesus Christ, someone who is

trusting himself or herself on the death and resurrection of

Christ Jesus for the Forgiveness of their sins.

And that is what Jesus Is Telling Nicodemus here in verse

7, when he says You must be born again and what he tells

Nicodemus, he is telling everyone.

In fact, the word you here in you must be born again.

It might be said you all my or ya'll must be born again.

It's plural. He's not speaking direct just to

Nicodemus. He speaking in a plural manner,

saying that you all of you must be born again.

That's possible that he may have in mind.

The Pharisees is Nicodemus has come to him and said, we know

that you are a teacher come from God because no one, but but

Nicodemus is alone. So he speaking kind of on behalf

of the Pharisees in this. We know this.

We know something's up here and so Jesus is responding.

Will you all must be born again? If you're going to enter the

kingdom of God, you all must be born again.

If you're going to see the kingdom of God, This is what

Jesus Is Telling Nicodemus here. So what happens when you come

into the World by a physical birth, is really the same thing

that needs to happen for you to enter the kingdom of God.

You need to be born again. You need a spiritual birth.

When you came into this world, it was by a physical birth.

You did nothing to cause your own Birthright.

Right. You grew you pushed, you ran out

of room, that's about it. And so that was the only thing

left to do. But you didn't cause any of

that, right? The same is true for how you

enter the kingdom of God, you must be born again.

Spiritually, born, and there's no other prerequisites for

entering the kingdom of God. There's no other requirements.

That must be met you. It's not saying you have to obey

all of the law and you know, profess faith in Christ, It's

faith alone in Christ alone for your salvation.

Nicodemus is somewhat dumbfounded by his conversation

with Jesus. We looked at this as Jasper

taught us a few weeks ago Nicodemus said to him.

How can a man be born when he is old like he's wrestling with the

statement? How can he enter into his

mother's womb a second time? And be born he recognizes I'm

I'm an adult Jesus like I can't make myself small.

They can't enter back into my mother's womb she wouldn't allow

it if I could, right. Right?

All the moms are like, amen. Jesus is saying.

Do not Marvel. That I said to you, you must be

born again. Don't wonder at this.

Jesus Is Telling Nicodemus there, that, he's no different

than any Gentile of Jews looked at the Gentiles largely as dogs,

largely as less than human and most cases, they look down on

the Gentiles and Jesus saying you're no different than

Gentiles though. You're the teacher of Israel

though, you're a Pharisee, your Birthright, your education, they

do, not negates your need for a noob.

Earth. The nature of the man is all the

same the nature of all mankind is the same.

This is what God declares in Genesis 6, verse 5.

Genesis 6:5

We looked at this in Sunday school over the just really the

last few weeks we've kind of been examining this idea.

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth

and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only

evil continually and so God, floods the Earth.

Jeremiah 17:9 the prophet. There is speaking for God and he

Jeremiah 17:9

says this about the human heart, he says the heart is deceitful

Above All Things. And desperately sick, who can

understand it? The heart is deceitful above all

things. It's hard to think about my own

heart, sometimes. Being the most deceiving thing.

I know, most deceiving thing within proximity of me, right?

It's, it's the most deceiving part about me at times, I say,

at times because I have been born again.

I have a new heart, I still have fleshly desires that are going

to deceive me. I have a new heart in Christ.

Amen. And so God is saying in his

word, Romans 3 is another example, this but God is saying

in his word that all mankind is in need of Salvation from their

sins. Everyone needs this.

And yet Nicodemus is marveling at what Jesus is saying.

He Marvels at it and we know he does because Jesus says, do not

Marvel. All right, the word.

Marvel means to wonder to be amazed to be astonished by or to

be astonished. At like he's astonished that

Christ is saying You must be born again.

Me. Why me?

I'm the teacher of Israel. I'm a Pharisee of Pharisees.

I'm a member of the Sanhedrin. I'm faithful to the temple.

I'm Expositor being your word for people.

I'm helping them. Understand what you were saying.

I need to be born again. How can I enter into my mother's

womb a second time? What do you mean by this new

birth? The teacher of Israel doesn't

understand what he's saying. We know this because just two

verses later Nicodemus answers Christ and he says how can these

things be? How can these things be?

Nicodemus is essentially saying can this demand that you're

making, can this thing that you're saying actually be true.

So, we have to wonder, why would Nicodemus find this hard to

believe? I think we've exposed some of

it, but let's think about it a little bit further.

It's hard for someone who believes themselves to be one

thing to be told they're a completely different thing,

right? Never had this in your life,

like you think? Maybe you're right about a

situation. You're like, man, I know that

I'm right about this situation and then someone tells you, well

know you're actually wrong and you're like, no I'm I'm right

about this. I know that I'm right about this

and then the facts are presented.

The argument is made in your life.

Shoot, I'm not right about this. It's a humbling thing right to

be told, you're not right about something.

But what if you weren't right about the whole way, you had

spent your entire life. Like what if you were told

today? That all of the way you have

exerted your energy from birth to adulthood from birth to your

childhood wherever you're at in life.

What if you were told today, you're not right about the way

you've been living. You say one thing and you live a

different or or you just you're altogether like, all in on, just

not being righteous and just unconcerned with righteousness,

you're unconcerned with how God says you should live.

And so you're being told you're not right about this.

And yet you think I'm a good person.

I'm a good. I'm a good individual.

Good to my wife. I'm good to my co-workers, good

to my friends, you know, I give money in the offering plate, but

what if you were told that you're not right, this is where

Nicodemus is, I mean, Nicodemus, is morally upright, Nicodemus,

is by all accounts, a great citizen.

He's the kind of guy you want to live next to probably, you want

him as your neighbor. You want him in your life and

he's full of good works. He's like likely outworking

others. He's faithful to attend the

temple. He serving God with everything.

He knows how to muster and doing that.

He's the leading Bible teacher of Israel.

Surely, he's better than others. And yet, Jesus looks at him and

says You must be born again. And when a man works, his whole

life for something only to hear you must start over it.

Crushes him. You wrestle with that, right?

You're you're wondering how in the world you're marvelling at

it. How can this be?

And so Nicodemus, is he shocked, and many unbelievers feel the

same way. When they to hear that, they

must be born again. Because plain and simply people

do not see themselves as someone who is in need of Salvation from

their sins, they may admit the regrets.

You know, I've got some things that I've done that, I wish I

could have done differently, they may Express a desire to do

some things in the future differently than they've done

them in the past, but they wouldn't call themselves.

Sinners in need of Grace, sinners in need of a savior,

right? Those are just my States.

They're not since those are just problems.

I have those are things I'm wrestling with but they're not

sinful. And we soften we soften sin and

an effort to make ourselves feel better.

Christians are guilty of this just as much as unbelievers are

at times. They see themselves really as a

good person. Stephen Lawson says in his book

New Life In Christ. When you believe yourself to be

a moral upright person, you're shocked to hear that you were

headed for hell. Using Earthly scales of Justice.

You are not quite as bad as that person over there.

Right. There's a there's a weight in

your mind and you're thinking about well you know I might not,

I might have lied on that test or I might not have told all of

the truth and that conflict that I had.

But I didn't murder anyone. And I'm not a, not a pedophile,

not a tyrant. And so, in the Earthly scales of

Justice, you start to think I'm a pretty good person, but pretty

good, dude. And when you do that, how can

you believe that you desperately need regeneration?

While some goes on to say, when you see your acts of community

service and kindness as earning you in place in heaven, how can

you believe you desperately need regeneration?

So earlier Jesus has said, In this passage, unless one is born

again. And now what he's doing in verse

7 as he's intensifying the statement by using the word

must, you must be born again. Most of you know what the word

must means, alright? Like you you grow up in a home

that if Mom and Dad says You must do this, you must do what I

say. And you don't do what said and

your mom and dad are consistent and trying to follow the lord,

and discipline, you receive discipline and you learn.

I should do, the must it's, whatever the must is, I've got

to do that or I must be hurting them.

My behind, right. That's what happens.

And so Jesus saying You must be born again.

It's necessary to be born again. It's required.

That you be born again. You are obligated to be born

again. You have to be born again to

enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The only way to enter the

Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is saying, is to be born

again. You must be born again.

Are we clear? Well, clear, right?

And so, Nicodemus is thinking though, my morality my devotion

to God, it would these things will approve me before a just

and righteous. And holy God, I can present my

moral goodness. I can present My Kingdom

Service. I can present my devotion to God

and and I'll be approved before him.

And Jesus is saying, not only are you not approved, you can't

even see the kingdom of God. Not only are you not approved,

you cannot even enter the kingdom of God. by the way,

Steve, I'd like to retract my Decision to say that these are

largely synonymous. I don't think they are so I

apologize. I set you up for failure on that

I think seeing the kingdom and entering the kingdom of

different things. I think Christ has been upping

the ante throughout the conversation.

We notice that these works are from God.

And Christ is saying you can't even see the works.

Like you can see just kind of a physical nature but you have no

idea what they're showing you about the kingdom of God.

And then he goes on to say not only, can you not see but you

cannot enter the kingdom of God unless you're born again.

And now he's just saying flat out in case you haven't heard me

yet, you must be born again. I think he's increasing what

he's saying, and friends I would be a terrible person if I did

not say to you all today that the same is true for you.

If you have not yet been born again, You two must be born

again. There's no other pathway for you

to enter Heaven. You cannot do enough.

Good Deeds. You cannot attend enough church

services. You cannot be good enough.

You can't raise your hands enough in service.

You can't pray, aloud enough, you can't be kind enough.

None of what you do is going to make you approved before God,

except that you humble yourself before God.

Place your faith in Christ Jesus, for your sins, for the

Forgiveness of your sins and trust him with your life.

That's really what it means to place your faith in something,

right? I mean, you all are placing your

faith in the chair that you sit down in I didn't see one of you

before you sit down, check screws, check the legs, check

the back, check the seat to make sure it's all in good shape,

right? None of you did.

Why? Because you have faith that the

chairs of chair does what it does.

When you place your faith in Christ, you're doing very

similar thing. You're placing the full weight

of your life on him and you're saying I trust Christ for my

salvation. And I trust in him alone.

But why would Jesus say this is necessary?

Why is the new birth necessary to enter the kingdom of God

while we're clear on the must write?

If we're not, we can talk later, but we're clear that we must be

born again. So why I think it's important

for you to understand why you must be born again.

Not only so that you could receive new life if you haven't

already. But if you are one who has

received New Life, you'll understand why it's so important

that you become an ambassador of this new life for others that

you talk about it. But it's on your lips that

you're teaching your children. You're talking to co-workers and

friends and people that God places in your life, you're

aware that everyone must be born again and we don't want to

assume that anyone is born again.

You want to make that assumption?

Just because they're a good person and they go to church,

like ask them about their conversion, ask them about how

the Lord's moved in their life. Lived in them, grown them up

mature, spiritually, ask them about their wind stories, their

victories, their highs in their lows.

How was the Lord sustain them in times of trouble?

Those are the places where you find out if someone is truly

born again or if they're just going through, you know, the

good Southern boy motions. It's important that you

understand why you must be born again.

So the first point of this this again, these come from Steve

Lawson's book. The first point of this is that

defiled Hearts cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Austin says, the new birth is absolutely necessary because a

person living outside the kingdom of God is morally,

defiled, being inwardly polluted by sin.

No one can enter until he or she is cleansed within a lot of

cleansing is something that brother Steve spoke about just a

couple weeks ago. Everyone is in need of spiritual

cleansing. Christ says that you must be

born of water and the spirit in verse 5 Five.

Water is a description for the soul cleansing, work of the holy

spirit, that washing of regeneration is titus's and 3:5.

Paul writes there that God saved us not because of Works done by

us in righteousness, again, not because you're Jewish and have

all these things figured out or not, because you've been a very

religious person, but according to his own Mercy, have you been

saved by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of

the holy spirit? So regeneration, Is the washing

when you are regenerated when you were made new, your given

New Life In Christ. By the power of the spirit, you

have been washed, your old, Heart of Stone has been removed

and you've been given a new heart of Flesh.

You've been washed We are stained by our sin.

It might be more true to say we are dead in our sins.

We cannot come to God and let until God cleanses Us, by his

own Spirit, your defiled heart cannot enter his kingdom until

you receive the new birth. You have been locked out of the

Garden of Eden because of your defiled Hearts.

You've been locked out of the New Jerusalem, the new heaven,

the new Earth because of your defiled Hearts, your I'd heart

cannot enter his kingdom until you receive new birth.

And this is an issue of God's holiness.

It's an issue in your lack of Holiness, your unholiness,

Isaiah 61 through five, the prophet Isaiah recounts here,

his vision of God, and just look at listen to, or you can look at

Isaiah 6, but listen to How it transforms.

Isaiah just to see the glory. God.

As I was riding, he says in the year that King Uzziah died, I

saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and

the train of his robe. Filled the temple above him,

stood, the seraphim, each had six wings with two.

He covered his face with two, he covered his feet and with two,

he flew and one called to another and said, holy holy holy

is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his

glory. And the foundations of the

thresholds, Shook at the voice of him who called.

And the house was filled with smoke and I said, woe is me for.

I am lost for, I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the

midst of a people of unclean lips for my eyes, have seen the

king, the Lord of hosts. Other translations, say, a verse

5. Woe is me for.

I am undone. This is what happens when you

with your defiled heart, get a glimpse of the Holiness of God,

you are undone. You're brought to the end of

yourself. You brought to the end of your

own, strivings for righteousness, and you realize I

will never measure up. You're undone.

Isaiah sees the glory of God. He recognizes his own sin.

I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people

of unclean lips. Why?

For my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.

That is how each one of us must respond to the Holiness of God.

I'm a man of unclean lips, I'm a man with an unclean heart.

I'm in pure before you God. God's holiness separates him

from mankind. First Timothy 6, 16 Paul writes.

He says God, dwells in unapproachable light whom no one

has ever seen, or can see to him?

Be honor and eternal Dominion. Amen.

God is unapproachable in light. Meaning, his glory is

unapproachable to us as people of unclean lips unclean Hearts.

He's altogether separate form. You can because he is

altogether. Holy and we are all together,

Unholy. There's a Chasm between you and

God. That's what we know about.

God's holiness is there's a difference, recognizable

difference. There's a standard of Holiness

that creates a Chasm for you and I His Holiness also means that

he is perfect. He is blameless.

He's Flawless, he's sinless. James says, there is no darkness

in him at all. There's no shadow of turning

with the Lord. He is the same yesterday today

and forever and therefore, he is too pure to look on man's

sinfulness with acceptance. He cannot look at a sinful

person and say, I just accept you and all of your sins, the

way that you are, there must be a mediator.

There must be Justice Done. None of us again.

None of us would look at a murderer and say that he doesn't

deserve a trial that he should just be let off scot-free.

Like let's just let the murderers roam the Earth.

None of us are saying why, because we recognize justice has

to win the day. Why do we recognize that Justice

must win? Because you were created in the

image of God. You were created with a sense of

Good and Evil with a, with a moral understanding of what is

good, and what is wrong of what is just and what is unjust.

And so you look upon a murderer and you say, justice must be

served here. Well, God more holy than us.

Cannot simply excuse sin. There must be a sacrifice, there

must be a mediator. There must be one to atone for

the sins of mankind. Every sinner therefore is

condemned before a holy God because of his own sinfulness.

And so, this is why Christ says You must be born again.

You must be born Anew. When you look at that word

again, it's either a new or from above.

Thank Christ. Has both in mind here, you must

be born Anew a fresh. There must be a new nature about

you and that new nature comes from where above, it's a work of

God. You must be born from above.

You must receive the washing of regeneration and renewing of the

Holy Spirit. If you are going to enter the

kingdom of God, let's go. Point your defiled heart cannot

enter the kingdom of God. Something must be done.

Secondly, brined eyes cannot. See the kingdom of God wind eyes

cannot even see the kingdom of God Lawson says, the new birth

is necessary because the spiritually blind cannot see the

kingdom of God. That is to see with

understanding. It doesn't mean they won't

notice some good things about it.

Just means, I can't see with understanding the kingdom of

God. In other words, we must be born

again. He says, before we can truly

perceive the things of the Heavenly Kingdom.

So every unconverted person is spiritually blind.

This is what scripture teaches, Paul writing in 2nd Corinthians

4 verse 4. He says this he says in their

case talking about in The Case of the unbelieving in their case

the God of this world has blinded the minds of the

unbelievers. Who's the God of this world?

Satan. The mine.

Sorry. The God of this world has

blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from

seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is

the image of God, the devil blinds, the eyes of unbelievers,

for the cannot see, the light of the Gospel.

Satan is making the world seem better than the gospel of Christ

right by blinding. It means not only can you not

see, but you now have a perception that things that are

awful, things that are wrong, things that are world.

Ali and of the flesh are better than spiritual things and so you

pursue those we'll get into that more in later.

In John 3, as we talk about those who are condemned or

condemned because they loved the darkness rather than light.

That's what it means to be blind.

You love your Darkness more than the light you're being presented

with. And so every unconverted person

is spiritually, blind Romans 1:21 explaining again, just the

Romans 1:21

blindness of mankind. Paul writes, he says, for,

although they knew God and knew about him, they knew of him.

They did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they

became futile in their thinking and their foolish Hearts were

darkened. I chose the darkness rather than

the light. Lawson says, the new birth is

necessary because it gives spiritual sight to those who

were blind and live in darkness. No one can believe in Jesus

Christ until they can behold him for who he is as Savior.

God must give spiritual eyes first before anyone can enter

the kingdom. Nicodemus is one of those who is

spiritually blind, that's why Christ is saying, You must be

born again. He cannot perceive even the most

basic truth. Of the Christian faith.

And that is the nest. And the necessity of the new

birth, the spirit must open his eyes, or he will never enter the

kingdom of God. The third thing we see here

about why we need a new birth. Is that stubborn Wills cannot

submit to God's Authority when your will is stubborn to God.

It will not submit to his authority.

Lawson says, the new birth is necessary because people outside

the kingdom of God are stubborn. They will not submit to the

authority of God. Like rebellious children.

They simply will not humble themselves to respond to the

free offer of the Gospel. Their hearts are defiant and

unwilling to Humble themselves before Christ.

They are stiff-necked and their resistance to the gospel as

their hearts are hardened and unbelief.

And so what we've seen in the series is that when you were

born again, you receive a new heart, you receive a New Soul.

Your heart is not hard any longer does.

Now a heart of Flesh and your new heart now desires God.

And His, will your new heart longs to please.

The Lord, your new heart, loves what it previously hated, which

is God and it hates what it previously loved which is sin.

You've been Transformed been transformed.

Amen. The fourth thing we see, final

thing here that we see about why we need a new birth is that

dead, Souls cannot believe in Christ, dead Souls, cannot

believe in Christ. The new birth is necessary.

Lawson says, because any person outside, the kingdom of God is,

is a spiritual corpse and cannot believe in Christ unregenerate,

souls are dead in their trespasses and sins.

They are dead and their transgressions dead.

People cannot come to By faith, a spiritually dead individual

has no moral ability by which he or she can repent.

Such a person is incapable of responding to gospel truth to

believe the gospel. We must first be spiritually

resurrected to New Life. So, again, it's important that

we make the distinction here of what we mean.

When we say to believe the gospel, when we say, believe the

gospel or Believe In The Name of Christ, we're not saying that

you arrive to this place of mental understanding.

Standing that Christ lived. Me whether you're a Believer or

not in Christ, whether you're a believer in by, you know, forth

unto salvation or not. There are many people who would

acknowledge something was up with Jesus.

There's a lot of historical evidence that Christ ruled and

reigned in the way that he did that.

He that he did the Miracles that he did, he taught the things he

taught that he did get crucified that it's unexplainable, what

happened to his body? That he resurrected, there were

eyewitnesses of such things, right?

And so you can arrive at this place of Christ.

Definitely is a I figure, you know, in human history.

He was a teacher. I remember being in world

history in 11th grade and hearing about Jesus side by

side, with Muhammad, right? That?

These were just, these were men who taught, good religious

things, and buy them these world religions were started, but

Christ is altogether different than Muhammad.

And then he's altogether different than any other God

that exists because he rose again.

When Christ raises Lazarus from the dead.

Well, let me let me finish that thought.

So what we're saying by belief is not that you just arrived to

these mental facts because even the demons believe and shudder

at the name of Jesus Christ. It means that you have arrived

at faith in Christ. You've arrived at trust in

Christ, you're placing the full weight of your life on him and

you're following him daily. That's what we mean by belief.

And so, here's another way to illustrate this.

One Christ raises Lazarus from the dead, and the Book of John,

we read about this Lazarus did not come out of the Tomb until

Christ called him forward. Jesus says Lazarus come forth or

Lazarus come out. And at that moment Lazarus has

been in the Tomb four days and at that moment he comes out and

he's covered in his grave clothes and he tells the people

are standing by undress him. Take these grave.

Close off of him. Why?

Because he's alive now. But he doesn't come forward

until he's called. And then the same way,

spiritually, dead person cannot come to Christ by faith until

God calls, he or she to come John 6:44.

John 6:44

Jesus is there. And he's talking to the crowds

and he says no one can come to me.

Unless the father who sent me draws him, there's a drawing

that stunned by God, that brings people to faith in him and God

must Draws before we can exercise, this saving faith.

In other words, God must regenerate us.

We need a new heart for this belief.

We must be regenerated before, we can come to Faith and the new

birth gives you the ability. It gives you the ability to

respond to God in faith. It produces a living faith in

Christ Jesus. Whilst in says this about that

moment, he says, in that moment, the new birth gives listening

ears to hear the call of the Gospel.

It gives active feet to run to Christ gives receptive hands to

embrace him by faith. The new birth gives a liberated

will released from its bondage to send to believe in.

Jesus Christ regeneration. And Faith are two sides of the

same coin. Essentially, they're happening

in an instance when you're regenerated you exercise.

Faith. John 6:37 Jesus says this, he

John 6:37

says all that the father gives me will come to me and whoever

comes to me, I will never cast out.

I want to share that with you because when you come to faith

in Christ, you can rest assured that you have truly been Reborn.

And you are his forever more. John chapter 10, Jesus talks

John 10 · chapter mention

about how he is the Good Shepherd and that no one will

pluck his people from his hand. He holds them.

And so Jesus is saying to Nicodemus, do not Marvel.

That I've said you need to be born again.

Why? Because in the New Birth, you

receive a new heart for that defiled heart and the new birth

you receive new site to replace those blinded eyes and the new

birth, you receive a new will one that is no longer, obstinate

to God, but is yielding to him and in the New Birth you receive

a new life. You were once dead in your

trespasses and sins. But now thanks be to God.

You are alive in Christ Jesus. There were no exceptions for

Nicodemus, concerning the new birth because there are no

exceptions for anyone. We all fall short of the glory

of God. And so, we all need to be born

again by his spirits. And if you were going to enter

the kingdom of God, you must be reborn.

Do not fool yourself into thinking that you do not need to

be born again. Despite all of your best

efforts, you must be born Anew. You must be born from above to

enter the kingdom of God, your good works, are worthless for

your own salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9.

Ephesians 2:8–9

For by Grace, you have been saved through faith, and this is

not your own doing. It is the gift of God.

It's not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

You must be born again. And that being born again is by

the grace of God. If you are already born against

a new life in Christ, then do not be deceived by the false

teachings of Works based salvation or Works based

sanctification. Paul in Galatians 3 is he's

really admonishing. He's, he's correcting.

The Galatians there. And he says this, he says o

foolish Galatians who has Bewitched you It was before your

eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed.

As crucified meaning, we taught his crucifixion to you.

Let me ask you only this. Did you receive the Spirit by

works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

Another words, did you cause the Spirit by your works?

Or was it by hearing with faith that the spirit was made evident

in your life? Are you so foolish than having

begun by the spirit begun? This new life?

By the spirit? Are you now being perfected by

the flesh? So the Galatians were wanting to

run back into Judaism. They were falling into this idea

that it's Christ. Plus all of my works that equal

real salvation and he's saying you being born of the spirit,

are you now thinking that you're going to be perfected by your

flesh? It's the same spirit that cause

your new birth that causes new life.

Amen. Did you suffer so many things in

vain? If indeed, it was in vain, does

he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles?

Among you do? So by works of the law, or by

hearing with faith just as Abraham and he's quoting the Old

Testament here, believed God, and it was counted to him as

righteousness. know, then, that it is those of Faith who are the

sons of Abraham And the scripture foreseeing that God

would justify the Gentiles by faith.

Preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying in you shall

all the nations be blessed. So then those who are Faith are

blessed along with Abraham, the man of Faith.

So again in Judaism, there trying to tie themselves back to

the Jews and their father, Abraham right there.

Trying to unite themselves to this and they're thinking that

Abraham was a man of works. But Abraham was a man of belief

and it was his work of being willing to crucify his own son

that he showed. I'm a man of Faith because he

said, if the Lord would cause him to rise, Eyes again.

If the Lord would resurrect him he can do it.

But I'm going to listen to God. And so, I urge you brothers and

sisters in the Lord, do not forsake.

The faith that you've received by the grace of God and your New

Birth by somehow beginning to turn back to a Works.

Based Faith heaping on your self condemnation because of your

words rather, do your good works.

I'm not saying, give up good works, that's not scriptural

either but you do your good works as one who is a new

creation in Christ Jesus. What Paul follows up in

Ephesians 2:8 and 9, which is The moment on verse 10.

Ephesians 2:8

He says, for we are his workmanship, God's workmanship

created in Christ to do the works, which he's prepared

beforehand. And so we do good works because

we're a new creation in Christ. We don't do good works, to

become New Creations in Christ, or to hang on to our new

creation. Amen.