Rev. David Holwick J
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
March 13, 2011
John 3:1-8
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I. Way back when Jimmy Carter ran for president.
A. Evangelicals and "born again" were new topics.
1) It was as if people didn't know they existed.
2) With growth of charismatics and Baptists, and decline of
mainline Protestant denominations, "born again" doctrine
became noticed.
B. Who owns it?
1) Evangelicals have had a lock on it for a generation.
2) Catholic webpages on what to say when a Baptist knocks
on your door and asks the question.
a) Are all Protestants / Baptists born again?
b) Most important question: Are you?
C. In the Bible the phrase is used sparsely.
1) It is only found in this passage and in 1 Peter 1:23 (where
the language is slightly different).
2) However, the concept goes to the essence of what real
salvation is all about.
3) Since Jesus says we "must" experience it to be a part of
the kingdom of God, it is worth investigating deeper.
II. Jesus and Nicodemus.
A. The guy who comes at night.
1) Nicodemus is a leader in the Sanhedrin.
a) This was sort of like the congress of Israel.
b) He was a Pharisee as well.
2) His coming at night probably indicates fear.
a) He is intrigued by Jesus.
1> His opening statement is very complimentary.
b) But he doesn't want to be seen with him or identified
with him yet.
B. Jesus cuts to the chase - "You must be born again."
1) This is related to Jesus' use of children as an image of
discipleship.
a) "You must become like little children to enter the
Kingdom of heaven." Matt 18:3
2) Nicodemus puts it in the extreme - do we have to re-enter
our mother's womb?
a) He may have meant it literally, as a way to deflect
the argument by making it sound absurd.
b) Or he may have meant it figuratively - how can an
old guy like me start over again?
C. Jesus expands his answer - you must be born of water and Spirit.
1) It is meant as a clarification but it has often had the
opposite effect.
a) Verse 5 is the only time water is mentioned with new
birth.
b) Are they two distinct elements, or one?
2) Several interpretations have been proposed.
III. What water has to do with spiritual rebirth.
A. Water could present physical birth. (my former view)
1) Conception.
a) Jewish parallels have been found.
2) Natural birth (water breaks before delivery).
a) But when Jesus mentions physical birth in verse 6, he
uses "born of the flesh," not water.
b) And John 1:13 does not list water among its expressions
for physical birth.
c) It is also redundant - to be spiritually saved you
first have to be born? Duh!
B. Water represents baptism.
1) Baptism has a dual aspect of water baptism (what I perform)
and Spirit baptism (what God does in our heart).
a) John the Baptist ties them together. 1:26,33
1> John's baptism - and water - is mentioned in 3:23,
right after the "born again" passage.
b) The book of Acts puts them in that order. Acts 2:38
1> Repentance > baptism > forgiveness > Holy Spirit.
2) Nicodemus cannot enter God's kingdom unless he takes
the step of initiation into the community of Jesus.
a) He believes, but he doesn't want to confess.
b) He has to publicly identify himself as a Christian.
1> Baptism does this.
3) It is no wonder that liturgical churches love this
interpretation.
IV. Baptism and the historic churches.
A. Catholics and Orthodox have made it a simple equation.
1) If you have been baptized, you are born again.
a) They usually use the phrase "regeneration" which means
the same thing.
b) The doctrine of baptismal regeneration means that
baptism makes you a Christian.
c) If a baby is baptized, that baby becomes a born again
Christian.
d) Baptism is required for salvation.
2) This was a natural understanding in the early church.
a) Almost everyone was an adult convert.
1> Baptism followed soon after they believed.
2> In Acts 8:36, Philip baptizes the Ethiopian
eunuch just hours after he witnesses to him.
b) But soon the churches began baptizing children.
1> This was a result of how they saw "household
salvation." Acts 16:31
2> The children had no idea what was being done to them.
3> Where was their faith? -- with the parents.
B. Water baptism became widely separated from Spirit baptism.
1) It was hoped that faith of the parents would pass on to
their kids.
a) Evidence of this was looked for at confirmation.
b) In time, confirmation became just another ritual.
2) While water baptism would save you, salvation could be lost.
a) But they are not sure they are truly saved, because
that depends on their current relationship with God.
b) If they die with a mortal sin on their souls, they are
toast.
c) Therefore they "hope" they are born again, but cannot
presume upon it.
V. Being born again requires conversion.
A. This is one of the pivotal distinctives of Baptists.
1) We believe the best way to present salvation is the way
the Bible does it.
a) A person hears the gospel, that Jesus died for them.
b) They believe it and are convicted by it.
c) They turn to God in faith, with a desire to repent.
d) God saves them, for all eternity.
1> (In reality, God has already been working in them)
e) The person obeys the command of Christ to be baptized.
f) They join a fellowship of Christians and seek to honor
God with their life.
2) This was the pattern for the apostles.
a) There is no reason it should not be the pattern for us.
b) Conversion > baptism > discipleship.
3) Christians from other groups can still be saved.
a) You don't have to be immersed to go to heaven.
b) And I have no doubt that there are infant-baptized
people who truly love Jesus and trust him totally
for their salvation.
c) But there is always a risk in deviating from the clear
teaching of the Bible.
B. What about the "Cradle Christians"?
1) Some feel a dilemma in being brought up in a Christian
environment.
a) They have believed in Jesus as long as they can remember.
b) They have gone to Sunday School and church their whole
lives.
c) They have never been a murderous thieving heroin addict
laying face down in a gutter.
d) Are we saying they have to be converted before they
can be saved? Absolutely!
2) You may not be able to pinpoint the moment you were reborn.
a) Most of the time, God works through a series of events
in a person's life.
b) But you must come to a realization that you are unworthy
of God, apart from the sacrifice of Jesus.
VI. Is rebirth really possible?
A. It is a bold claim to say you are born again in a spiritual way.
1) The Bible's description of genuine Christians includes:
a) A remarkable love for each other.
b) A fearless faith,
c) Joy in spite of terrible circumstances.
2) Many outsiders look at Christians and don't see the evidence.
a) Muslims and 9-11: the terrorists weren't real Muslims.
b) Christians say the same thing about the bad examples.
c) But the world doesn't want excuses - they want to see
the real thing.
B. The evidence must be there.
1) Jesus says as much.
2) No Christian is perfect, but we should be in a perfecting
process.
3) And the truth is that some are not really Christians at all.
C. What do outsiders say about you, personally?
1) What do people think of your spiritual passion?
2) How deep is your spiritual knowledge?
3) How much control do you have over your flesh?
D. We can have assurance we are born again.
1) Spiritual rebirth is God's doing, not ours.
2) Jesus saves us, and we respond with faith and repentance.
3) It is not a hard thing (except for Jesus) but it is a
necessary thing.
E. Don't leave people wondering...
Old tombstone that is broken and laying on ground in
Scotch Plains Baptist Cemetery (NJ):
"In memory of Sarah, wife of William McPhely,
who died July the 24th 1792.
Near the end of a long & very painful indisposition
she gave reasonable hope she was born again;
and through the riches of sovereign Grace died
apparently triumphing in the prospect of Glory & immortality"
Which is another way of saying, "We hope she made it, but we're
not really sure."
Nowadays people don't say much on tombstones and even if they
do, they are not nearly this honest.
Is your salvation evident enough that no one would dream of
chiseling "apparently" in your epitaph?
#62886
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SOURCE FOR ILLUSTRATION USED IN THIS SERMON:
#62886 “She Apparently Triumphed - Maybe,” read by Rev. David Holwick on
a tombstone in Scotch Plains Baptist Cemetery, New Jersey, on
November 13, 2010.
This and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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J. Ramsey Michaels.
I. Are we born again by being baptized?
A. Not necessarily.
B. But baptism shows a person was willing to take the risk
of following Jesus in a hostile world.
1) The plurals in 3:7 and 3:11 show that Nicodemus is still
in the hostile camp.
II. All Christians believe in being born again.
A. Different language is often used.
1) Many denominations call it "regeneration" instead.
B. This is especially true of Catholics and the Orthodox.
III. Jesus was speaking in metaphors, and perhaps Nicodemus
responded in the same vein.
A. Can a man go back in his mother's womb may mean: can an
old guy like me really change?
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