Why Must We Be Born Again?        John 3:3-7

            Our Lord gave Nicodemus three reasons why he must be born again. These three things make it imperative that we must be born again.

Unless you are born again you cannot understand anything spiritual. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (v. 3). The natural man is totally void of spiritual understanding. You may be a logical, reasonable, rational, and well educated person among men, but with regard to the things of God you are as ignorant, foolish, and unreasonable as a madman. You have no capacity for spiritual knowledge (Rom. 8:5; 1 Cor. 2:14). The heart of stone is hard, cold, unbending, unaffected. Until you are born again you cannot see…

1.      The spiritual nature of God’s law (Matt. 5:21, 27, 38, 43, 48).

2.      The spiritual nature of sin (Matt. 15:17-19).

3.      The glory of God in redemption (Rom. 3:24-26).

4.      The spiritual condition of your own heart (Jer. 17:9).

5.      The spiritual nature of salvation - It is a heart work (Ezek. 36:25-27).

6.      The spiritual nature of obedience to God (1 Sam. 16:7; Rom. 14:17). Human religion is carnal. It has to do with carnal things!

7.      The spiritual nature of faith and worship (Phil. 3:3).

8.      The true character of God (Ex. 33:18-34:7).

9.      The glory of God in Christ (2 Cor. 4:6): His Suretyship, His Incarnation, His Substitutionary Atonement, His Ascension and Exaltation.

10.  The gospel of the grace of God (2 Cor. 5:18-21).

            Unless you are born again by almighty grace you can never enter into the kingdom of God. “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (v. 5). You can reform your life without the new birth. You can be baptized without the new birth. You can join the church, be zealous in religion, teach a Bible class, serve as a deacon or elder, you can even preach with great success without being born again. But unless you are born again, you will never enter the kingdom of God. You will never be a part of the church and family of God. You will never have eternal life. You will never enter into the worship and fellowship of God’s saints. You will never be admitted into the presence of God’s glory in the bliss of heaven (Rev. 20:6; 21:27). Only new creatures will enter the new Jerusalem. Only holy people will walk into the Holy City. Only heaven born citizens will possess the bliss of heaven.

            “Ye must be born again” because by nature you are a fallen, sinful, depraved child of human flesh. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (v. 6). The flesh is your natural, sinful self (Psa. 51:5; 58:3; Rom. 5:12; Rev. 20:11-15). All flesh is defiled. All flesh is corrupt. All flesh is sinful. All flesh is condemned. All flesh must die. Unless you are born of the Spirit, you will die in your sins, and your flesh shall be justly damned.

Don Fortner