John 3:1-8 - There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.” Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Romans 5:12, 8 - Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned. … But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING COMES NOT BY KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLECT, BUT BY FAITH AND BELIEF.
John 3:9-11 - “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus. 10 “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “I assure you: We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you do not accept Our testimony.
ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT ABOUT HAVING ALL THE ANSWERS — IT’S ABOUT BELIEVING IN THE ONE WHO DOES.
John 3:12-18 - If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven —the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who BELIEVES in Him will have eternal life. 16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who BELIEVES in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who BELIEVES in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not BELIEVE is already condemned, because he has not BELIEVE in the name of the One and Only Son of God.
HOW ARE WE BORN AGAIN? BELIEF
• Receiving the Spirit requires → belief
• Receiving eternal life requires → belief
• Seeing and entering the kingdom requires → belief
Mark 9:22–24 - “But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can’? Everything is possible to the one who believes.” Immediately the father cried out, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.”
HE BELIEVED ENOUGH TO SURRENDER HIS UNBELIEF — AND THE SPIRIT DID THE REST.
WHAT KEEPS YOU FROM BELIEF?
GOD LOVES YOU WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE OF YOU.
John 3:19- The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.
SURRENDER PUTS THE OLD LIFE TO DEATH, REPLACING DOUBT WITH BELIEF AND WE ARE BORN AGAIN.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.
JESUS IS ENOUGH. IT'S BY BELIEF IN HIM, AND RECEIVING HIS SPIRIT THAT WE BECOME ENOUGH.
John 19:39 - Nicodemus (who had previously come to Him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes.
