The New Birth – Parts 1 and 2
Prepared by Pastor David Braden
Slide
1
“What it means to be a child of God”
So
far this year from the ministry of Equipping the Saints:
•
Family Series –
(Marriage, God’s plan for the family, raising children, gifts and callings,
etc.)
•
Financial Freedom ~ 75%
complete
•
And now: Foundations
102a*
7 sessions - a series of teachings
designed to strengthen the foundations of our faith.
These lessons are designed to explore
our faith experience on a deeper, personal level.
* This is a 2-part series. (Foundations 101 is the “Foundations of the
Faith” booklet consisting of 13 lessons already published.)
A New Beginning - “Looking Ahead”
Foundations 102a: Foundations 102b:
1. The
New Birth – 2 sessions 1. How we got the Bible
2. Grace 2. Relationship of the OT to the NT
3. The fear of the Lord - 2 sessions 3. Evangelism
4. The church – the family of God 4.
The Holy Spirit – Who He is and
the
fruit of the Spirit
5. Walking in the Spirit 5.
Creation
6. Worship 6. Wisdom
7. Love 7. Preparation for Ministry – the
8. Hearing from God – 2
sessions person God uses
The goal: healthy, maturing, fruitful,
loving sheep
A New Beginning
•
The New Birth –
questions
1. What does it mean to be born again?
2. How does it happen?
3. What takes place when you are born again?
4. How do you know it has occurred?
5. When does it happen?
In the process – Who Jesus is and what He
does
and how desperately we need Him.
Slide 4
•
What does it mean
to be born again?
I
John 3:9 “born of God”
From
John 3 – Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus
v.3 “…born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God.”
v.4 not a natural birth
v.5f
“born of the Spirit” hence – a spiritual
birth
v.16
“have everlasting life”
Rom.
5:19 “…sinner (fallen condition)…one
act of obedience…many will be made righteous”
Slide 5
•
What does it mean
to be born again?
I
John 3:9 “born of God”
From
John 3 – Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus
a. Born of God = born again = born of the
Spirit = born from above = new birth
v.3
born again, he cannot see (to experience) the kingdom of God
b. A second birth
c. You have entered into the kingdom/family of
God
You now have new relationships. (God and His
children)
God is now your father. You have been transferred from the kingdom
of this world (Satan as father) to the kingdom of God
v.4
not a natural birth (of the flesh)
v.5f
“born of the Spirit”
d. This new birth is a spiritual birth in
which your spirit, though once dead, is now made alive. (by the agency of the
Holy Spirit)
v.16
“have everlasting life”
e. You have a new kind of life within you, the
life of God.
f. Rom. 5:19
sinners are made righteous (a new nature – see II Pet. 1:4)
Slide 6
•
How does it happen? (God’s
requirements)
4
elements: repentance, belief (faith), receiving, confessing
1. Repentance – to turn around, go a different
direction
Jesus’ message – repent and believe
II Cor. 7:10 – “Godly sorrow produces
repentance leading to salvation.”
Lk. 13:3,5 – “Unless you repent, you
will all likewise perish.”
•
Faith/Belief - to adhere to, cleave to, trust, rely on,
depend on
Jn 3:16
“whosoever believeth in Him”
Jn 1:12
“to those who believe in His name (The Lord is Salvation)
Rom 1:9
“…believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead…”
•
Receiving
John 1:12 But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the authority (the legitimate entitlement to) to become
children of God.”
Who are we receiving? See John 1: Word/God/Creator/Life/Light
Also:
Mediator, Great Shepherd and High Priest of the New Covenant
Where does He dwell? In our
hearts/spirit/Holy place
•
Confessing
Rom 10:9 “…confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord…you will be saved”
Note
that although baptism does not save you; it should be the first act of
obedience.
Slide 7
•
What takes place
when you are born again?
•
Entrance of light and
life
•
The old man/old nature
is put to death.
•
God is now your
Father. You are His child and a member
of His family.
•
H.S. indwelling
•
Your sins are forgiven.
(“saved”)
•
You are a saint (holy
people) (“sancire/sanctify” – be set apart) as opposed to a sinner (II Thess.
1:10)
•
God imparts Jesus
righteousness to you. (Acquittal –
declared “not guilty”) God no longer
sees your sin.
•
You have access to the
Father.
•
Beginnings of the fear
of the Lord
•
Jesus is your shepherd,
mediator and high priest of the new covenant and is at work in you to form his
character.
•
Change
Slide 8
•
How do you know it
happened?
o You may or may not have an emotional
experience.
o You may or may not see/experience physical
evidences.
o Each person’s experience of the new birth
is different. (God gives us what we
need.)
o As you continue to watch, you will see
changes. (provide examples)
o You will find the desires of your heart
have changed:
-
Where your feet go
-
What your eyes look at
-
Desire to please your new Father
o Fear of the Lord
o I John 2:29 – “practice righteousness”
I John 3:9 - “doesn’t continue to
sin”
I John 4:7 - “Love for the brothers”
I John 5:4 - “overcomes the world”
John 3:21 - “practices (does) the
truth”
o Other evidences - sorrow over sin
- understanding in God’s Word
- heart of flesh (not stone)
- discerning right and wrong
Slide 9
•
When does it occur?
o Lk. 18:18ff Rich, young ruler – sell all you have and follow me
not: “I’m sorry, you’re mistaken. You don’t have to do anything. Salvation is a free gift.
He
had an idol (wealth) in his heart which needed to be removed.
Bottom line – There is a heart
preparation needed to receive the king into our lives, e.g. John the
Baptist – prepare the way, baptism of repentance
o Jn 1:13
not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God. - God is the Doctor who provides the delivery.
o God has provided us His requirements. (e.g.
repentance, faith)
He does not change or alter His
requirements.
o He is responsible to determine if His
requirements are met/satisfied.
He is looking for heart response (true
faith, true repentance), not lip service.
o He is responsible for determining when the
new birth will be initiated.
o My experience at age 7
Slide 10
• Examples from scripture
1. Acts 8:26ff Phillip and the Ethiopian eunoch
2. Acts 10:33f Cornelious
3. Acts 16:31-34 Philippian jailor
When the gospel is presented (a time of
instruction), if the heart is prepared, the new birth can occur within a very
brief period, say minutes to hours.
•
Other examples
1. from previous examples – a period of weeks
2. My experience – 3-4 months, private reading
Note that the actual new birth experience is
the culmination of years of preparation by the Holy Spirit.
Slide 11
What now?
We are saved from sin and now have a new and
living way (Heb. 10:20)
Saved – being saved (transformed) – will be
saved Phil. 2:12-13
“work
out” – our effort – continuous, sustained, strenuous
We have begun the race.
We are not yet perfected. Christ is being
formed in us. Phil. 2:13
We have the downpayment (H.S.), the
guarantee of our inheritance. Rom. 8:23
Going on to maturity
Heb.
6:1-2 – leave the elementary doctrines behind
(indication of initial training in
matters of faith)
I
John 2:12ff
Childen – your sins are forgiven
Young
men – the Word of God dwells in them; overcome the wicked one
Fathers
– know Him who is from the beginning
Slide 12
•
How can I maintain my
walk with God and continue to grow?
(to provide assurance that, in 12 years
(like Israel in Nehemiah) I have not left the path)
•
Your responsibility
o
daily fellowship with God through prayer and the Word
o
right responses to the promptings of the H.S. and your conscience
o
“dead reckoning” Rom. 6:11; 8:13
o
walk in the Spirit, abide in the vine
o
stay connected to/within the body (family) of God
(within the sheepfold, under the protection and guidance of the
shepherd) Solo sheep are no match for a pack of
wolves.
o
Live a life of love.
•
The Shepherd’s
responsibility – lead/feed/protect/heal/rescue
•
Jesus’ responsibility
(The Great Shepherd)
He will work in us all that is needed
for life and godliness.
Slide 13
Next Week
•
The Gospel of Grace
•
Having begun in the
Spirit…?
•
Earning God’s
blessing/gifts (?)
“Having
a good day”
•
The freedom of grace
?“Let’s
sin more so that we can experience more of God’s grace.”?