JOHN 3:1-18; EPHESIANS 2:8-10; ROMANS 10.9-13
LESSON AIM: To lead to a Biblical understanding of the new birth, or what it means to be saved. To learn how God planned for man's salvation. To learn how to share what it means to be born again with others.
SUGGESTED MEMORY VERSES: John 3:16; John 3:3; John 10:9; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:13
OUTLINE:
I. THE GREATEST NECESSITY - THE NEW BIRTH
II. HOW CAN WE BE BORN AGAIN?
III. NEW THINGS ONE CAN EXPECT AS A RESULT OF THE NEW BIRTH
INTRODUCTION: The new birth is the greatest of all man's needs. Jesus said so in John, chapter 3, to a man named Nicodemus. In verse 3, the Lord told Nicodemus that unless he were to be born again he would never see the kingdom of God. In simple terms Jesus said, "Nicodemus, you must be saved in order to go to Heaven." Therefore, this new birth becomes the greatest of all human needs!
If a sick man gets well, that's good; but it will only last a short time. If an ignorant man becomes educated, that's also good; but his education will only benefit him a short time. If a poor man achieves great wealth, even that will only last a short time. But, when a man meets Christ as Savior, his life will be changed forever! Let's examine what the Bible has to say about how a man can be born again and become a child of God.
I. THE GREATEST NECESSITY-THE NEW BIRTH
A. How do we know that this is the greatest of all necessities?
1. Because Jesus said so in John 3:3 when He declared there is simply no other way to Heaven other than the new birth.
2. Because Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus.
a. No finer man, in human terms, had ever stood before the Lord Jesus than Nicodemus.
b. He was a Pharisee, meaning he was good, honest, moral and religious.
3. Because of the term Jesus used.
a. He said, "Ye MUST be born again."
b. When Jesus, the Son of God, uses the word "must," it's a Divine "must." There is no way around it.
c. The Lord wasn't offering a suggestion, or making a recommendation. He was stating a fact.
d. If you plan to see Heaven, You Must Be Born Again! If a man like Nicodemus must be born again to see the kingdom of God, that means that you and I must also.
II. HOW CAN WE BE BORN AGAIN?
A. This is the very question Nicodemus asked Jesus when he said, in John 3:4, "How can this happen?"
1. As religious as Nicodemus was, he came to Jesus seeking some inner peace.
a. Therefore, we conclude that religion alone can't produce peace with God.
b. Knowing that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and his life was, no doubt, full of good works, we can further conclude that good works won't produce peace with God.
c. Only through salvation by faith does one find real peace with God! (Romans 5:1)
2. The new birth isn't physical birth but spiritual birth. (John 3:6)
B. The single greatest verse in the Bible, John 3:16, has much to tell us of this wonderful salvation.
1. It tells of a wonderful love! ("For God so loved the world. ')
a. God's love is wonderful because of its outreach. God loves the world. (every nation, every state, every county, every town, every village, every person). When God loved, He loved the whole world.
b. God's love is wonderful because of what it does. His love delivers from sin, changes lives, heals broken hearts, mends broken homes, lifts the fallen, and provides salvation for the lost. (I John 3:1)
2. It tells of a wonderful gift! ("... that He gave His only begotten Son ")
a. This gift is wonderful because of what Jesus did for us. He gave Himself to die in our place, and as the substitute for our guilt. (I Peter 3:18)
b. This gift is wonderful because the price for it has already been paid in full. (Romans 6:23)
3. This gift is wonderful because it proves God's great love for us. Love is measured by what it gives. This gift is wonderful because the giver is God, Himself It tells of a wonderful plan! ("... that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish...")
a. This salvation plan is wonderful because of its simplicity. (Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5)
Simply believing and receiving by faith is what God requires. (Acts 16: 30- 31 )
b. This salvation plan is wonderful because it's available to everyone- "For whosoever..." Thank God for that wonderful little word "whosoever." It leaves no one out. (II Peter 3:9, I Timothy 2:3-4 and John 10:9)
c. This salvation plan is wonderful because of what it saves us from. ("...should not perish...") It saves us from eternity in the only Scriptural alternative to Heaven - Hell. (Luke 13:3)
4. It tells of a wonderful life! ("...but have everlasting life." )
a. Salvation brings eternal life to all who receive Christ as Savior.
b. This life isn't dependent upon good works, or any other merit, but upon the grace of God.
c. This life will never end. John 10:28)
d. The daily life of one who has been born again ought to be characterized by joy and peace of mind. John 15:11)
e. It's a wonderful life that begins when you accept this wonderful gift offered by the wonderful love of a wonderful God
III. NEW THINGS ONE CAN EXPECT AS A RESULT OF THE NEW BIRTH
A. When one is saved, he becomes a new creature. (II Corinthians 5:17)
1. This produces a new life. This new life is to be lived in such a way as to bring glory to the Lord. (Galatians 2:20)
2. This produces a new love.
a. We're to love the Lord. (I John 4:19)
b. We're to love one another. (I John 4: 11 )
3. This produces new longings.
a. The Apostle Paul's great desire after he was converted was to know the Lord better. (Philippians 3: 1 0)
b. Our longing ought to be to know Him better every day so that we can learn to live more like Him.
4. This produces a new "looking."
The world looks for things like wealth, power, goods and fame; but the Christian is to look for the Lord's return. (Titus 2: 13)
B. When one is saved, he finds new company.
1. He has a new Father. (John 1: 12)
- as with any child, his desire should now be to please his Father.
2. He has a new family. (Matthew 23:8)
a. We're all brothers and sisters in Christ.
b. The church must become more than just a people with whom to fellowship: the church must become like a family.
3. He has new friends. (II Corinthians 6:17)
The new birth brings one into a whole new world of friendships with the people of God.
C. When one is saved, he develops a new character.
1. There are new actions. (Galatians 5:16)
We're to walk in the Spirit which means we're to allow the Lord to control and govern our actions.
2. There are new attitudes. (I Corinthians 6:20)
We're told in the Bible that we should bring glory to God even in our spirit (our temperament and attitude).
3. There are new ambitions. John 6:27)
When one is saved, there should be a natural desire to become involved in the Lord's work. (Matthew 6:33)
4. There are new affections. (Colossians 3:2)
Salvation produces a love for spiritual things, such as the Bible, prayer, and attending church.
D. When one is saved, there should be new conversation. (Ephesians 4:29)
1. The speech of a Christian should always honor and please the Lord.
a. Gossip and tale bearing have no place in the new life of a child of God. (Proverbs 26:22 and Proverbs 26:20
b. Psalm 19: 14 is a good verse to memorize and use to begin each new day.
E. When one is saved, he will be under new control. The Holy Spirit will help you:
1. Control your time. (Colossians 4:5)
a. Time is far too precious to waste. Learn to invest it wisely and spend it carefully.
b. God is the giver of all our time; therefore, we ought not be selfish in giving Him a portion of our time.
2. Control your temper. (Psalm 37:8)
a. Temperance, or self-control, is part of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.
b. The child of God can expect the help of the Holy Spirit in the area of temper control.
3. Control temptations. (I Corinthians 10: 13)
a. All sin begins first as a temptation.
b. If one can learn to control the temptations that come daily, one can learn to avoid the "sin which doth so easily beset us."
c. When temptation comes, stop and pray, asking God to make the way of escape for you as He promised.
F. When one is saved, there will be new compassion!
1. He will love the house of God. (Psalm 122:1)
2. He will love the Word of God. (Psalm 119:24, 47)
3. He will love the people of God. (John 13:34-35)
4. He will love those who are lost without Christ, and their salvation will be his desire. (This was the primary desire of the Apostle Paul, as recorded in Romans 10:1.)
SUMMARY: We may best sum up the new birth and salvation by the use of several prepositions. 1. We're saved by something. That, of course, is God's grace. Salvation comes as the gift of God, not through our own works. 2. We are saved through something. That's our faith. To be saved apart from our faith in Christ as the only Savior is impossible. According to Hebrews 11 :6, faith pleases God, and belief in Christ and His saving work pleases Him most. Salvation doesn't come through man, through church or through good works. Salvation comes by grace through faith. 3. We are saved from something. That something is sin. Matthew 1:21 says of Jesus that He shall "save His people from their sins." Christ died so that you may be saved by grace, through faith, from the destructive force called sin. We're told in Romans 5:20, "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" That means there's no sinner too corrupt to be saved. 4. We're saved for something. That's to serve the Lord. Read Romans 6:18 and you'll see that the Lord has saved us and set us free from sin so that we might serve Him. Paul tells us in Romans 7:6 that we're to "serve in newness of spirit." This new birth brings a new purpose to one's life - WE ARE SAVED THAT WE MAY SERVE THE KING OF KINGS.
REFLECTIONS: Answer the following questions individually or in class. Give careful attention to your answers. This exercise is what the Bible refers to as meditation. Think on these things....
1. Think for a few minutes about Nicodemus of John, chapter 3. List the qualities of his character.
2. What was necessary in order for Nicodemus to "see" the Kingdom of God? What does that tell us?
3. What kind of birth is the second birth? When is one born again?
4. According to Ephesians 2:8 and 9, what cannot bring salvation? For what purpose have we been saved (according to verse 10)?
5. Think of the things necessary for the growth and development of a newborn baby. Relate that to the person who has just been saved.
6. What products should the new birth bring to one's life? (What effects that others can see?)
7. Repentance is a very necessary part of the new birth. What, then, does it mean to repent?
8. List four or five Bible verses that you would use in order to explain to someone how to be born again.