THE BORN-AGAIN
PHENOMENON
(A COVER-UP FOR
HERESY)
by
W. E.
Best
Copyright © 1992
W. E. Best
Scripture quotations in this book designated “NASB” are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1977 by the Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission. Those designated “translation” are by the author and taken from the Greek Text. All others are from the King James Bible.
This book is
distributed by the
W. E. Best Book Missionary Trust
P. O. Box 34904
Houston, Texas 77234-4904 USA
The Subjective Aspect Of
Life
John 3:1-8
The Objective Aspect Of
Life
John 3:9-15
7 The Objective Revelation of Christ
Results Of Subjective And
Objective Life
John 3:16-21
10 Eternal Life For Those God Loves
11 No Judgment On Those God Loves
There is no portion of Scripture used more, abused worse, and understood less than John 3:1-21. Theologically, this passage of God’s Holy Word is used by denominationalists and nondenominationalists to represent various views concerning soteriology, the science of salvation. Three major systems of belief concerning salvation encompass most professing believers, but all are not true believers. These are the three major systems: (1) baptismal regeneration, (2) faith regeneration, and (3) Spirit regeneration.
Heresy cloaked in Biblical language remains heresy. Because of the nature of this subject, the correct term is heresy, not error. Scriptural terminology is used by many to teach the opposite of what Scripture actually affirms. Although the term “born again” is Biblical, it is being used by politicians to get votes, by athletes who are disobedient concerning the Lord’s day, by local assemblies who attract crowds with entertainers, and by religious leaders who peddle the word of God for profit. Hence, the so-called “born-again Christian” phenomenon has become the fastest growing cult in America.
In no way can John 3:1-21 teach so many divergent views on the science of man’s deliverance from the penalty and condemnation of sin. The idea that God’s word which has been permanently established in heaven and permanently given (Ps. 119:89; Jude 3) can mean different things to different people is ludicrous. Such thinking deserves ridicule because it is an attack on the veracity of God. Nothing is given in time but what was purposed in eternity. Thus, the order for which informed Christians contend is the relation between cause and effect. This order is confirmed in creation (John 1:1-3), redemption (John 3:14-16; Acts 2:23), and regeneration (John 3:1-16).
We shall see, in our striving to accomplish a knowledgeable study of John 3:1-21, how little that people in general understand passages that are so familiar to professing Christians. This portion of Scripture will be explored by considering the following truths:
1. Regeneration is necessary because of degeneration (the state of being degenerate or depraved). Regeneration is God’s inward work of grace by the agency of the Holy Spirit in which He implants the principle of spiritual life in the soul.
2. The purpose of regeneration is to produce an outward act of turning to God in a conversion experience that causes one to keep on turning to God in conversion experiences. Thus, the inward change of life finds expression in an outward change that keeps changing until the final change. Regeneration, a single and completed act, is never repeated. Conversion is the beginning of a progressive and endless holy life until we shall be made like Jesus Christ. Regeneration is exclusively God’s act on the passive sinner; conversion is the act of the regenerated person by the power of the inward principle of life. Subsequent to God’s drawing, the one drawn follows Him.
3. Distinction is made between the regenerate, those who love the light, and unregenerate, those who hate the light (John 3:17-21). One can never be becoming like Christ unless he is first existing in Christ (John 1:12, 13).
SECTION I
THE SUBJECTIVE ASPECT OF LIFE
John 3:1-8
1
Now there was a man of the Pharisees, his name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Him by night and said to Him: Rabbi, we have known that you have come as a teacher from God; for no one is able to do these miracles that you are performing, unless God is with him. —John 3:1-2 (translation)
Although Nicodemus was a high ranking official of the Jews, he was a depraved religious Pharisee. Since Nicodemus’ (compound noun—nike, victory and demos, people or crowd) name means “conqueror of the populace,” he was more than a master of a synagogue. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme ecclesiastical and civil tribunal, which was the final court for the interpretation and enforcement of the Jewish law. The Pharisees were zealous for their religious sect, which began soon after the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. Therefore, they not only rejected the message of Christ’s forerunner, John the Baptist (Matt. 21:25-27; Luke 7:29, 30), but they also became Christ’s greatest enemies (John 8).
The Pharisees were separatists who had their own interpretation of the Scriptures. Like many religionists today, the Pharisees had their own code of morals and placed great emphasis on external evidences of their religious piety. In fact, they made void the sacred Scriptures by their own traditions (Mark 7). No wonder Christ’s strongest language of denunciation was against them (Matt. 23).
All we know about Nicodemus is recorded in John 3:1-12, 7:50, and 19:39. Nicodemus did not know he was a lost sheep when he came to Jesus Christ at night. The context will settle the differing views concerning the reason the Pharisee came at night. His first statement betrayed him: “...Rabbi [Master or Teacher], we have known [perfect active indicative of oida] that you have come [perfect active indicative of erchomai] as a teacher from [apo, ablative of source from or out of] God...” (John 3:2—translation). The first person plural “we” gave the impression that he had nothing personal at stake but that he was speaking on behalf of the Sanhedrin. If that was true, why did he come at night? Some think his coming at night manifested cowardice. Others think it was the best time for Nicodemus to have a conversation without the interruption of the normal activities of the day. The two perfect tense verbs give credence to the fact that Nicodemus had known for some time that Jesus Christ was a teacher who had come from God. Furthermore, he was in a state of knowing that Christ’s works were of the nature that apart from God’s presence He would be unable to perform them.
The chapter division would be more fitting beginning with John 2:23. Although many believed when they saw the miracles Jesus Christ was performing [imperfect active indicative of poieo] at the passover in Jerusalem, Christ was not entrusting [imperfect active indicative of pisteuo] Himself to them (John 2:24), because He “was knowing” [imperfect active indicative of ginosko] what was in man (John 2:25). We determine the character of trees by their fruit, but Christ knows the very roots of the trees. Therefore, there are believers and there are believers. Faith may be sincere but superficial (human). It may be brought into exercise by miracles or circumstances, but it will disappear with the disappearance of the things that brought it into exercise. Christ cannot entrust Himself to a person who exercises that kind of faith, because He knows he is a “stony ground hearer,” and his faith is only temporary. “And the ones on the rock are those who when they hear receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a brief time and in time of trial become apostates” (Luke 8:13—translation).
Nicodemus came to Jesus Christ at night as an anxious inquirer; however in the light of the context, his coming was motivated by the miracles that the Lord Jesus was performing. His coming cannot be classified with “Come to me all the ones laboring [present active participle of kopiao] and having been loaded with burdens [perfect passive participle of phortidzo, to load with a burden], and I shall give you rest” (Matt. 11:28—translation). The proud Pharisee addressed Jesus Christ as “Rabbi” thus placing himself on the same level with the Lord. He was saying that we Rabbis have known what you are doing as a Rabbi. This manner of address leaves little doubt that Nicodemus did not at that time know who Jesus Christ really was, even though he acknowledged that God was associated with Him.
The questions Nicodemus asked prove he was not regenerated when he came to Jesus Christ. “How is a man being able to be born being old?” (John 3:4a—translation). “Can he be able to enter into his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” (v. 4b—translation). “How can these things come into being?” (John 3:9b—translation). Like Nicodemus, many come to Christ in order to ask questions rather than to listen. The depravity of their hearts is revealed in their interrogation. Nicodemus’ questions revealed (1) how the natural man is unable to understand spiritual things (I Cor. 2:14), (2) how far a person can be advanced in worldly wisdom (including religious wisdom) and be spiritually ignorant, and (3) how one can belong to organized religion and know nothing about saving grace. This is characteristic of the great majority of religionists. They are not only lost but they are also like the Pharisees, Christ’s worst enemies.
Jesus Christ did not reply to Nicodemus, because He was no ordinary rabbi speaking to another ordinary rabbi. He was God who came as the Teacher. Jesus Christ needs no one to witness concerning man, since He knows what is in man [generic use of anthropos, mankind] (John 2:25). Knowing Nicodemus’ condition, Christ addressed him as an unregenerate man: “Jesus answered and said to him: Truly truly I am telling you, unless one may be born [gennethe, aorist passive subjunctive of gennao, to be born] from above [anothen, an adverb meaning from above], he is not able [dunatai, present passive indicative of dunamai, can, be able to, or able to do] to understand [idein, aorist active infinitive of horao, to see or understand] the kingdom of God” (John 3:3—translation).
The adverb anothen is used several ways in the New Testament: (1) upper room (Mark 14:15; Luke 22:12), (2) the top (Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38; John 19:23), (3) from the very first (Luke 1:3), (4) again—a favorite translation by many (John 3:3, 7; Gal. 4:9), (5) from above (John 3:31; 19:11; James 1:17; 3:15, 17), (6) from the beginning (Acts 26:5). In all the references in John, “from above” makes good theology (John 3:3, 7, 31; 19:11, 23). “Born from above” of John 3:3 and 7 shows that the new life comes down from God, and it effects a complete and radical change in the elect who have been raised out of spiritual death, which is the result of their depravity.
Depravity is denied by the intelligentsia of this world order and by many religionists in professing Christendom. Among the religionists, the following statements are often heard or read to try to refute the truth of depravity: (1) Adam sinned only in his own person, and there is no reason that God should impute Adam’s sin to infants. (2) That which we have by birth cannot be the evil of sin. (3) Sin must be voluntary or it cannot be sin. (4) That one should be accounted guilty of a sin that is not his own is inequitable. (5) God cannot in justice appoint anyone to hell for original sin. (6) The old fatalistic view of God’s relationship to man is fading away. The new view sees God as giving to man the potential for working out his own destiny. (7) Man is not so corrupted by sin that he cannot of himself believe to the saving of his soul. (8) The sinner can be saved anytime he desires to believe, because today is the day of salvation. (9) Since the sinner is commanded to believe, he is not so dead and passive that he cannot believe. (10) Names are written and sealed in heaven at the point of faith. Hence, faith, regeneration, and justification all take place simultaneously.
In contrast to the preceding statements in which depravity is refuted, depravity signifies the following truths concerning what man is by nature:
1. He is spiritually dead: “And you existing [present active participle of eimi, to be or to exist] dead in your trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1—translation). Before the Ephesians were made alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:5), they were existing in a continuous state of spiritual death.
2. He is darkness: “For you were [imperfect active indicative of eimi] formerly darkness...” (Eph. 5:8—translation). This is not what unregenerate people do, but what they are by nature. “Being the ones who have been darkened [perfect passive participle of skotidzo, to be or to become darkened] in their reasoning [dianoia, mind, reasoning, understanding, or thought], having been alienated from [perfect passive participle of apallotrioo, to be aliens or foreigners] the life of God, through the ignorance being in them, on account of the hardness of their heart” (Eph. 4:18—translation).
3. He is mortal. Physical death is the house appointed for all living (Gen. 3:19; Job 30:23; Rom. 5:12-14; Heb. 9:27).
The verb dunamai, which means can, be able to, or be capable of, is used in its present passive indicative inflected form (dunatai) in the following verses to further establish the truth of the spiritual inability of those who are spiritually dead; the ability or capability in each verse is negated by the Greek adverb ou. The sinner is unable to (1) understand the kingdom (John 3:3), (2) enter the kingdom (John 3:5), (3) come to Christ (John 6:44), or (4) understand spiritual things (I Cor. 2:14). In case the negated dunamai is not enough to convince religionists, consider the following Scriptures: “There is not one who understands, there is not one who seeks after God” (Rom. 3:11—translation). “And you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:40—translation). “The one who is of God is hearing the words of God; you therefore are not hearing, because you are not of God” (John 8:47—translation). “But you are not believing, because you are not from My sheep. My sheep are hearing my voice, and I know them, and they are following Me” (John 10:26, 27—translation).
2
Jesus answered and said to him: Truly truly I am telling you, unless one may be born from above, he is not able to understand the kingdom of God. —John 3:3 (translation)
In the study of the total spiritual inability of the unregenerate, one cannot ignore the passivity of those who are not born of God. The passive voice of the Greek verb gennao (may be born) in John 3:3 represents the subject as the recipient of the action, signifying that the subject is being acted upon. If the subject were a participant in regeneration, it would be in the middle voice. Furthermore, if the subject could regenerate himself, the action would be in the active voice. Anytime man is associated with the active or middle voice used with sodzo or gennao, there is no connection with one’s being made spiritually alive. This brings us to the importance of Christ’s first statement to Nicodemus in John 3:3.
Jesus Christ gave no instruction to Nicodemus concerning how he could be born of God. But how many times have we heard preachers and others tell people how they can be born again? They are doing something the Savior Himself never did throughout His personal ministry. Although Christ used the imperative (command) when He said, “repent” (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15) and “believe” (Mark 1:15; 5:36), He never commanded anyone to be born from above, be regenerated, or be quickened. Distinction must be made between the new birth and faith. Christ’s first statement to Nicodemus was, “Truly truly I am telling you, unless one may be born [gennethe, aorist passive subjunctive of gennao, to be born] from above, he is not able [present passive indicative of dunamai, is able, negated by the adverb ou] to understand [idein, aorist active infinitive of horao, to see, observe, or understand] the kingdom of God” (John 3:3—translation). The subjunctive mood of the verb gennao is in the passive voice. The definition of the passive voice should be considered from two points of view: (1) The subject of the verb is inactive, and (2) the subject is acted upon by someone else. The following is a list of the verses where the passive voice of the verb gennao is used:
1. John 1:13—"Who not out of bloods nor out of the will of the flesh nor out of the will of man but out of God were born [egennethesan, aorist passive indicative]" (translation).
2. John 3:3—"...Truly truly I am telling you, unless one may be born [gennethe, aorist passive subjunctive]..." (translation).
3. John 3:5—This is the same as verse 3.
4. John 3:6—"That which has been born [gegennemenon, perfect passive participle] out of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born [gegennemenon, perfect passive participle] out of the Spirit is spirit" (translation).
5. John 3:7—"Do not wonder because I said to you: It is necessary for all of you to be born [gennethenai, aorist passive infinitive] from above" (translation).
6. John 3:8—"The Spirit is breathing where He desires, and you are hearing His voice, but you have not understood where He is coming from and where He is going; thus is everyone who has been born [gegennemenos, perfect passive participle nominative masculine singular] out of the Spirit" (translation).
7. I John 2:29—"If you may know absolutely that He is righteous, you know also that everyone doing righteousness has been born [gegennetai, perfect passive indicative] out of Him" (translation).
8. I John 3:9—"Everyone who has been born [gegennemenos, perfect passive participle nominative masculine singular] out of God does not practice sin, because his seed is remaining in him; and he is not able to be sinning, because he has been born [gegennetai, perfect passive indicative] out of God" (translation).
9. I John 5:1—"Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born [gegennetai, perfect passive indicative] out of God, and everyone loving the One who gave birth is loving the one who has been born [gegennemenon, perfect passive participle accusative masculine singular] out of God" (translation).
10. I John 5:4—"...because everything that has been born [gegennemenon, perfect passive participle nominative neuter singular] out of God is overcoming the world; and this is the victory overcoming the world, our faith" (translation).
11. I John 5:18—"We have known [perfect active indicative of oida] that everyone who has been born [gegennemenos, perfect passive participle nominative masculine singular] out of God does not practice sin, but the one having been born [gennetheis, aorist passive participle] out of God is guarding himself, and the wicked one cannot harm him" (translation).
This list of Scriptures proves that regeneration (born out of God) is the exclusive work of the sovereign God upon the passive sinner. To deny that the sinner is completely passive to spiritual things is to deny depravity. Some argue that if man is totally unable to exercise his reasoning faculty and freedom of will and choice, he would be so insensible that he would not know it when he went to hell. They say that although the rich man of Luke 16:19-31 was totally unable to flee the torments of hades, he was not totally unable to exercise his will and choice for mercy, because he asked for mercy and relief. Their rationalization leads them to question, since this was done in hades, why can it not be done on earth? They quote Isaiah 1:18 to support their claim that the sinner exercises his reason before he is made as white as snow. Furthermore, their opinion is that the sinner must exercise freedom in order to come to the Lord before he finds rest (Matt. 11:28). They conclude that any person who says the sinner is totally incapable of repentance and faith reverses the order and does not understand the following things: (1) The sinner walks in sin (Eph. 2:1, 2). (2) He is dead and alive at the same time (I Tim. 5:6). (3) He may become dead to sin by grace without being a corpse (Rom. 6:11). (4) He is not insensitive while he is dead in sin, because he is able to reason and choose to leave the hog pen (Luke 15:11-32). (5) He is responsible to repent and believe while he is dead in sin (Mark 1:15). (6) Though dead in sin, the sinner can make a decision to live (Ezek. 18:31). (7) He is not destined to be regenerated apart from repentance and faith (Luke 7:50).
Biblical testimony is replete with evidences of complete depravity. So deep is original sin that as death came to Adam on account of his sin, death comes to all men because all have sinned (Rom. 5:17-19). Fallen man has become corrupt in all his ways; therefore, his whole nature moves in opposition to God. Corruption is evident throughout all of man’s life, and it comes from the depths of his depraved heart. Life outside of Christ is in sin, guilt, lusts of the flesh, disobedience, hardness, and unrepentance and under the wrath of God. Apart from the grace of regeneration (born of God, born from above, new birth, made alive, or new creation), the sinner continues in a life of sin which results in his treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath and God’s righteous judgment. His sinful existence does not stop at death: “The one acting unjustly let him act unjustly still, and the filthy one let him act filthily still...” (Rev. 22:11—translation).
Persons who believe that fallen man has the ability to make a one hundred and eighty degree turn—from going away from God to going to God—apart from grace is no different from those who believe there is a Divine spark within every man. Several years ago in a discussion on depravity between a liberal and an evangelical, they evidenced no difference in their beliefs. The liberal read a paper concerning “fanning the spark into a flame”; in reply, the evangelical quoted Ephesians 2:1 to prove there is no spark to fan. The liberal commended him on his reply and asked him if he believed man has the ability in himself to either accept or reject the gospel. The evangelical unhesitatingly answered in the affirmative. The liberal then asked what that ability is in man. When the evangelical answered that it is man’s free will, the liberal smilingly retorted that the evangelical called it free will, and he called it the spark of goodness.
One must understand that man as a passive sinner is not a partner with God in regeneration. In contradiction to the Arminian concept, “God will save you if you will open the door and let Him come into your heart,” the passive sinner does not play the decisive role in the new birth. Who opens whose heart for the truth? Scripture answers, “And a certain woman by name Lydia, a dealer of purple cloth of the city of Thyatira, who is worshipping God, was listening, whose heart the Lord opened to be paying close attention to the things being spoken by Paul” (Acts 16:14—translation). Thus, the Holy Spirit and not Paul’s preaching enabled Lydia to receive the message which affected her understanding, emotion, and will to enable her to pay close attention.
The Arminian argument concerning the insensibility of the passive sinner is absurd. A person abandons common sense when he asserts that passivity would mean the rich man of Luke 16:19-31 would be so insensible that he would not know it when he went to hades. The Bible’s use of the passive voice of Greek verbs, when they are used in reference to human beings, does not mean humans are absolutely insensible. The unregenerate person is physically alive but spiritually dead. Physically, the unregenerate person is not insensitive to his physical nature; but he is deprived of feeling of or sensation to spiritual things. In all fifteen places where the word gennao is used to signify born out of God, the living sinner was acted upon by God because he was passive concerning spiritual things. Although the sinner is insensitive to God’s act of grace, like Lydia, he becomes sensitive to God’s message and pays close attention to the things of God. Hence, when the unregenerate person is born of God, he goes from being passive to being active in and for spiritual things.
Concerning the exercise of the rich man’s will and choice in hades, the answer is simple and crystal clear to everyone who has a spiritual mind. Those who believe in free grace do not deny that the sinner has a will; but his will is insensitive to spiritual things; therefore, it goes in only one direction, down, away from God (John 3:19, 20). Like water, it takes the path of no resistance. There is not a living sinner who would not like to be delivered from the torments of hell; but apart from grace, he does not want to be delivered from his sins which he loves and in which he has pleasure. His desire for deliverance is not from his sins but from physical torture.
Let us now get a picture of the rich man in hades. There are three contrasts in Luke 16:19-31: (1) contrast in life (vv. 19-21), (2) contrast in death (v. 22), and (3) contrast in eternity (vv. 23-31). Consider only the part that some apply to teach the rich man exercised his will and choice in requesting mercy and relief from his torments (vv. 23-31). Being afraid of future punishment while one is living in time and the actual experience of torture in eternity vastly differ. Although the rich man is suffering the tortures of hades, in his request, he stated nothing about God, righteousness, or holiness. He expressed only that which is related to the physical and not the spiritual realm. This proves that his will and choice were concerned about one thing—the physical. Hence, the will of the rich man in hades is continuing its downward course away from God.
The sinner’s exercising his reason before he can be made as white as snow is another blunder of Arminians. To whom were the words of Isaiah 1:16-20 spoken? God does not reason with the unreasonable. These words were not connected with either the preceding (vv. 10-15) or the following verses (vv. 21-27), but they apply to the remnant God had among the wicked. There is no mercy at the bar of justice, but there is at the throne of grace. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Is. 1:18). This is similar to David’s request, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Ps. 51:7). God was telling the remnant to break off sins by repentance and then follow instruction. The instruction can be applied not only to David in Psalm 51, but also to the assembly (II Cor. 7:1).
Reason apart from grace is unreasonable in regard to spiritual things. The mind of the unregenerate is natural (I Cor. 2:14), fleshly (Col. 2:18), vain (Eph. 4:17, 18), and defiled (Titus 1:15). Can a depraved mind make sound spiritual judgments? If so, it would be like a bad fountain giving forth good water, and there would be no value in the Spirit of regeneration. If the sinner has the ability to discern both natural and spiritual things and by his own ability he chooses the spiritual, he does not hate good but evil, which is contrary to John 3:19-20. Scripture teaches that subsequent to the fall the sinner discerns the evil; on the other hand, the Christian has his senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Heb. 5:14).
The Hebrew verb for “reason” (yakah, to be right, demonstrate what is true, argue, decide, plead, reason, or rebuke) in Isaiah 1:18, the most familiar passage in the Old Testament, means to be right or demonstrate what is true. Some translate it, “let us debate our case in court.” Suggesting this judicial sense has strong support in the light of Isaiah 11:1-4. These words were spoken to the prophet for the benefit of those whose reason had been made reasonable by grace. Thus, there was a remnant not so self-willed as to build a theological system which would say either less or more about God than He had said about Himself. To them, God revealed Himself, because they were able to rise above and beyond the comprehension of human reason.
Hypocrites boldly enter into dispute with God, but reason marks Christians as distinct from hypocrites. Christians understand that the proper function of reason in relation to faith is to receive God’s truth, because grace provides for believers: “...weapons of warfare are not fleshly but powerful to God for the purpose of tearing down bulwarks, destroying sophistries [fallacious reasonings] and every high thing rising up against the knowledge of God, and taking captive every thought [noema, method, design, or plot] to the obedience of Christ” (II Cor. 10:4, 5—translation).
The Arminian argument that the sinner must exercise his free will to come to Christ before he can have rest is another denial of depravity. The statement in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me all the ones laboring and having been loaded with burdens, and I shall give you rest” (translation), must be studied in the light of its immediate context. An important question is necessary at this point, who first comes to whom? Subsequent to the fall, Adam did not first come to the “LORD God”; but the “LORD God” came to the garden where Adam was hiding and called him (Gen. 3:8-10). The woman of Samaria did not first come to Christ; He came to her (John 4:4-30). Zacchaeus did not first come to Christ; Christ came to him (Luke 19:1-10). Christ said, “No one is able to come to me unless the Father who sent Me may draw him, and I shall raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44—translation).
One must learn what coming to Christ is not, prior to ascertaining what it is, in the light of Biblical evidence. (1) Coming to Christ is not a physical act, such as coming forward, raising the hand, going into an inquiry room, being baptized, etc. People will come as long as they think they can do something, but such physical acts can never achieve regeneration. (2) Coming to Christ is not an act of the mind, such as one’s repeating the sinner’s prayer or deciding for Christ. If this were all that is needed for the new birth, there would be no need for the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. (3) Coming to Christ is not a mystical experience unfounded in Biblical truth, such as seeing a vision or hearing a voice. After considering the three things mentioned, we are reminded of people who, when asked if they are Christians, express such things as, “I made a decision to try Jesus”; “I saw Jesus in a vision”; or “I heard a voice.”
Coming to Christ is a manifestation of regeneration. It is not in order to be born of God. Hence, coming to Christ is not a means of being born of God, but it evidences that the one coming has been born of God. Isaiah said, “HO! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost” (Is. 55:1 NASB). The three outstanding things in this text are water, wine, and milk. (1) Persons who are dissatisfied with all the formalism of religion thirst for the Spirit who cleanses like water. The Jews were acquainted with this terminology (Ezek. 36:25, 26). Such dissatisfaction and thirst are effects of regeneration. (2) Wine is a symbol of Divine joy: “And wine which makes man’s heart glad...” (Ps. 104:15 NASB). At the wedding in Cana, the good wine was kept until the last (John 2:10). Christ’s turning water into wine refutes transubstantiation, the teaching of Roman Catholicism. If wine after consecration by the priest looks and tastes like it did before consecration, how can they say it is the blood of Christ? The best wine kept for the last at the wedding represents the glory of regeneration, showing that the last state is better than the first. (3) Milk is the food for spiritual growth: “As newborn infants desire the uncorrupted spiritual milk, in order that you by it may grow” (I Pet. 2:2—translation).
Coming to Christ involves a recognition of need, a revelation of Christ, and a resignation of oneself. The recognition of need does not take place in the unsanctified reason of the unregenerate mind. The person who enjoys life that is not centered in Jesus Christ has never been made to feel the weariness of his continuous state of burdens. Furthermore, he will never become cognizant of such weariness as a result of sins until he has been made spiritually alive by the sovereign Spirit.
Since God never starts something He does not finish, Jesus Christ is made known to the one who has been made to feel the weariness of his sins. He comes in the power of the regenerating Spirit to Christ as a repentant person. “At that time Jesus answering said: I am praising you, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, because you concealed these things from the wise and intelligent, and made them known to immature ones; Yes indeed, Father, because in this way it was pleasing in your sight. All things were delivered to Me by My Father, and no one fully knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone fully know the Father except the Son and him to whom the Son desires to make known” (Matt. 11:25-27—translation). As the Father is a mystery made known to Jesus Christ, Christ is made known to faith which is the fruit of one’s having been born of God. That which is outside the understanding of human reason is not outside the comprehension of God-given faith to the elect.
Trinitarian knowledge is made known to the elect. The Father knows the Son, and the Son knows the Father (Matt. 11:27). God knows the mind of the Spirit (Rom. 8:27), and the Spirit knows the depths of God (I Cor. 2:10). The elect know God experientially because Christ desires to make Himself known (Matt. 11:27). According to Scripture, this knowledge is not presumptuous: “And by this we are knowing [present active indicative of ginosko] that we have known [perfect active indicative of ginosko] Him, if we may keep His commandments. The one saying, I have known [perfect active indicative of ginosko] Him, and keeping not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not existing in this one” (I John 2:3, 4—translation). Verse 3 is positive, but verse 4 is contrapositive. Although verse 3 speaks of experiential knowledge, John did not hesitate to call the person a liar who is always saying and not doing and to tell him the truth did not exist in him. The apostle did not assert in the first two verses of this chapter that one must be sinless before he is knowledgeable of his relationship with God, but he did state that one must not presume that he is safe prior to the grace of God making him long to be sinless. One must resolve not to sin, but he must be able to recognize sin when he commits it. The Greek makes a clear distinction between committing an act of sin, “...if anyone may sin [aorist active subjunctive—point action]...” (I John 2:1—translation), and “the one practicing [present active infinitive—continuous action] sin...” (I John 3:9—translation).
Jesus Christ never commands an unregenerate person, as He does a regenerate person, to take His yoke and learn from Him: “Take [aorist active imperative of airo, to take or carry] My yoke [dzugos, yoke or slavery] upon [epi, accusative of advantage] you and learn by experience [aorist active imperative of manthano, to learn by experience] from [apo, ablative of source] Me...” (Matt. 11:29—translation). Wearing Christ’s yoke is a symbol of submission. In his various admonitions to Timothy, Paul said, “Let as many slaves as are under a yoke regard their own masters worthy of all honor, in order that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed” (I Tim. 6:1—translation). If Christians who are under a yoke of slavery are to regard their masters worthy for the sake of God’s honor, what about the yoke of Jesus Christ which is said by Him to be pleasant (chrestos, good, pleasant, or easy) (Matt. 11:30)? He has promised His people that He will never allow us to be tested beyond our ability to bear (I Cor. 10:13). Not only is Christ’s yoke pleasant but His burden is easy to bear (elaphros, easy to bear or insignificant). In view of the honor which the Master of masters is due, the yoke and burdens of Christ are insignificant in comparison to the glory we shall have when we see our Savior and behold His glory. Christians find rest (anapausis, rest or relief) while bearing the yoke of a slave and continuously being loaded with burdens (Matt. 11:29). Believers are able to bear burdens while bearing the yoke of slaves because of the rest the Savior gives to every repentant and believing person. The compound verb, “I will cause you to rest” (anapauso, first person singular future active indicative of anapauo), in Matthew 11:28 is made up of the preposition ana, up, and the verb pauo, to stop or cease.
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Nicodemus says to Him: How is a man being able to be born being old? Can he be able to enter into his mother’s womb a second time and be born? —John 3:4 (translation)
Christ’s statement, “Unless one may be born from above, he is not able to understand the kingdom of God” (John 3:3—translation), prompted a question from the unsanctified reasoning of the Jewish Rabbi: “Nicodemus says to Him: How is a man able to be born being old? Can he be able to enter into his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” (John 3:4—translation). The Lord Jesus only stated a fact without explanation, because regeneration is something which God alone can perform. Birth from above was as foreign to Nicodemus, the teacher from Israel, as it is to most people in professing Christendom.
The popularity of the statement “born again” proves it is not understood. If it were comprehended to be the exclusive work of God, it would not be popular. Born from above presupposes that man is so sinful and hopelessly depraved that he is incapable of understanding anything that is of a spiritual nature. This fundamental truth is obnoxious to the depraved reasoning, intellectualism, and philosophy of this world’s wisdom.
The humanist, whether secular or religious, is appalled with the suggestion that he has nothing to do with determining his destiny. Since our subject is restricted to the context of a religious Pharisee, we shall stay within the bounds of professing Christendom for its application, keeping in mind that Jesus Christ gave no instructions as to what a person must do in order to be born from above (born of God). The reason is obvious, because man can do nothing to be born from above.
Religionists who equate being saved with being born again say John 3:1-16 teaches certain things that one must do in order to be saved. They affirm that salvation consists in a person’s belief of these four things: (1) God loves him; (2) he is lost; (3) Christ died for him; and (4) God will save him on the condition that he believes on Jesus Christ as Savior. Although millions of young people, college students, and others have been led to make decisions for Christ on the basis of these four laws, the decisions are false and empty apart from regeneration (born from above). If a passive sinner needs no more than believing God loves him, admitting he is lost, saying Christ died for him, and then believing on Him, regeneration is unnecessary to give him a new nature. Only in the power of a new nature can one understand the truth of the gospel, be capable of repenting on account of his grief according to God who works repentance to salvation never to be regretted (II Cor. 7:9, 10), and believe on Christ with God-given faith (Eph. 2:8; Titus 1:1). Both repentance and faith are fruits of one who has been born out of God by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8).
Many teach that in order for anyone to be born from above, he must first hear and believe the gospel. They believe in what is commonly called “gospel regeneration,” indicating that the gospel, God’s objective message, is essential to regeneration, which they claim is both God’s and man’s subjective work. Therefore, to them “born from above” must be determined in some way by the response of the person who has been exposed to the gospel. However, the act of the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the spiritually dead, is as distinct from the truth of the gospel as seeing is different from light. Did the sowing of the seed on good ground change the nature of the soil (Matt. 13:8, 23)? If the word of God regenerates, why does it not produce the same results in all who are exposed to it? The problem lies not in the nature of the gospel but in the nature of the human heart. As the seed sown did not change the nature of the soil, the gospel preached to sinners does not change the nature of their hearts. If their hearts have not been changed by the Spirit of grace, their response will be the same as that of the first three soils (Matt. 13:3-7, 18-22).
Some who claim to embrace the Reformed teaching of depravity, election, particular redemption, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints, at the same time deny this teaching by saying the soul of man is not merely passive in regeneration. Their use of the adverb “merely” indicates the idea that the sinner is not entirely, wholly, or to the full extent depraved. To deny one or more of the previously mentioned truths is to deny all, because they all stand or fall together. Scripture teaches that the elect are involved in regeneration, but it does not teach that we participate in our being born from above. The passive voice of all the references where the verb gennao is used in connection with regeneration proves this. Therefore, no one can refute the Biblical truth that the sinner is passive in regeneration.
Those of the opinion that the sinner is not wholly depraved insist that the sinner is active when he is persuaded by the gospel in the illuminating power of the Spirit. Since he does not have the Holy Spirit, how can the sinner be illuminated by the Spirit (John 14:17; Rom. 8:9)? Persons who espouse this view believe there is a work of the Holy Spirit in the sinner that comes short of regeneration. Their major so-called proof text is Hebrews 6:4-6. They claim that one of the pre-salvation ministries of the Holy Spirit is to enable sinners who come under the influence of the gospel to have a certain appreciation for salvation. Thus, they insist that those “who believe for a brief time and in time of trial become apostates” (Luke 8:13b—translation) have been enlightened. However, their so-called proof texts do not harmonize with the teaching of Scripture. God never starts a work in anyone that He does not finish (Phil. 1:6). Furthermore, the enlightenment of the sinner is purely objective, not subjective. God’s Spirit’s not always striving with men (Gen. 6:3) refers to His not striving through the objective message that is proclaimed (Acts 7:51-60).
The writer of Hebrews 6:4-6 dealt with supposition rather than fact in order to correct false ideas. (1) He called attention to those who have been enlightened (aorist passive participle of photidzo, to enlighten, make known, or reveal). Their enlightenment was once for all (adverb, hapax, once, one time, or once for all—see Heb. 9:26, 27, 28; 10:2; 12:26, 27; Jude 3, 5). (2) He referred to those who have tasted (aorist middle participle of geuomai, to taste or experience—see Matt. 16:28; Heb. 2:9). Did the disciples experience a foretaste of the coming kingdom? Did Jesus Christ experience death? (3) He mentioned those who have become (aorist passive participle of ginomai, to become) partakers (pronominal adjective accusative masculine plural of metochos, which is derived from the verb metecho, meta, with and echo to have; means to share or participate in, partake of, or be a partner with; used only 6 times—Luke 5:7; Heb. 1:9; 3:1, 14; 6:4; 12:8). The Hebrew Epistle references prove the actual spiritual experiencing of the Holy Spirit. (4) He pointed to those who have tasted (aorist middle participle of geuomai—see the second point) the good word (hrema, that which is being of God or has been uttered by the living voice) of God. “How sweet are thy words unto my taste...” (Ps. 119:103). Sight evidences the knowledge of faith, and taste describes the experience of faith. (5) He referred to those who have tasted the powers (noun accusative feminine plural of dunamis, power, strength, or authority) of the age that is about to come (present active participle of mello, to be about to, or to be on the point of a settled future).
If the previously described persons with their experiences have fallen away (aorist active participle of parapipto, a compound verb made up of the preposition para, beside, when used with the accusative case, and pipto, to fall or to fall to one’s ruin or destruction), it is impossible (adunatos, adjective used as a noun which means impotent, weak, or impossible) to renew (present active infinitive of anakainidzo, to renew or restore) them again (adverb, palin, back or again—with a verb it means a second time) a second time to repentance. The writer stated a hypothesis to prove the impossibility of the falling away of one who has experienced the preceding things. A genuine repentance in a true conversion experience can never be repeated. However, the initial repentance, which is the fruit of regeneration, produces a repentant spirit that causes the converted person to continue to repent when he knows that by his acts of sin fellowship with the Father is broken.
Other Reformers have difficulty making a proper distinction between regeneration and conversion due to what they call the time lag. They affirm that regeneration and conversion seem to occur simultaneously, but they admit that faith is dependent on regeneration. They believe it is impossible to distinguish any time lapse between regeneration and conversion. Their explanation calls for the facts of natural birth. Reference is made to the birth of a child being first initiated by conception, and then the analogy is applied to regeneration. The sound of a gun that is shot and the target hit has been used to illustrate the impossibility of distinguishing any time lag. Although they recognize the truth of cause and effect, to them the sound of the gun and the hit target seem to be simultaneous. However, the problem with this illustration is in how it can apply to conception and birth. How can a shot gun and a hit target, which seem to be simultaneous, be reconciled with nine months of gestation before birth? Such a conclusion would mean that regeneration must take place nine months before birth or conversion. Students of Scripture must not presume that earthly illustrations are perfect analogies of spiritual truths.
The question of a time lag between regeneration and conversion has caused much controversy. Some insist that there is no warrant for the expectation of a time lag. Others believe one who is merely regenerated is not saved, because there is no such person. The opinion of others is that passivity in regeneration is fatalistic. The verse most frequently used by those who express the belief that regeneration is accomplished by the word, and that there is no time lag between regeneration and conversion is James 1:18—"Having been purposed [aorist passive participle nominative masculine singular of boulomai, to desire, be willing, decree, or appoint] He brought us forth [aorist active indicative of apokueo, give birth to, to be the cause of, or to bring forth] by a message of truth, resulting in our being a certain firstfruit of His creatures" (translation). The meaning is not difficult to ascertain in the light of the context. Compare the use of the verb in verse 15—"Then lust having conceived is bearing [present active indicative of tikto, bear, give birth to, or produce] sin, and sin having been fully formed brings forth [present active indicative of apokueo] death" (translation).
The theory of immediate (instant or without delay) regeneration does not deny that the new life imparted in being born of God is brought to light (manifested) by the word of God. As the infant in the womb contributes nothing to his conception, the passive sinner contributes nothing to his birth from above. The instrumental means in bringing forth life to light is the gospel of Jesus Christ. (See II Tim. 1:9, 10). The beginning of the new life is expressed by the passive verb gennao, which has already been considered in all its fifteen references. It is also declared by the verbs ktidzo, to create (Eph. 2:10; 4:24), and dzoopoieo, to make alive or to give life (Eph. 2:5; John 6:63; II Cor. 3:6). The means of bringing the given life to light is fully explained in the verses following the first eight verses of the third chapter of John.
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Jesus responded: Truly truly I
am saying to you, unless one may be born out of water and Spirit, he is not
being able to enter into the kingdom of God. —John 3:5 (translation)
Subsequent to Nicodemus’ ignorant questions—"How is a man being able to be born being old? Can he be able to enter into his mother’s womb a second time and be born?" (John 3:4—translation)—"Jesus responded: Truly truly I am saying to you, unless one may be born out of water and Spirit, he is not being able to enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5—translation). The words “Truly truly” come from the Greek word amen. They were spoken by Jesus Christ alone and recorded only in the Gospel of John.
Since the majority of professing Christians are members of religious denominations that strongly support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration, one can expect criticism and debate when the subject of soteriology is discussed. Those who espouse this view are quick to say that John 3:5 is not teaching two births, one of water and one of the Spirit, but that Christ is teaching one birth which includes both water and the Spirit. They affirm that in John 3:5 it is incontrovertibly obvious that water means water, and it refers to Christian baptism.
Four major views of soteriology rely on John 3:5 as their proof text:
1. Baptismal regenerationists claim that God would not have said water if He had not meant water. They explain that baptism alone is not regeneration, but it is an essential part of the new birth.
2. Those who teach that water refers to one’s physical birth and the Spirit applies to one’s spiritual birth believe the context proves both births.
3. Many evangelicals say water is a symbol of the word of God which the Spirit uses in regeneration. They conclude that the only baptism implied here is the baptism in the Holy Spirit which is regeneration by the word of God (I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 5:26).
4. According to both text and context, Scripture teaches that born of water and Spirit in John 3:5 means the Spirit cleanses like water (Ezek. 36:25, 26).
The sincere professing believer should at this point understand the importance of coming to a definite conclusion on the teaching of John 3:5. This study will test our desire to know what Christ is actually teaching, and it will also test the foundation of our relationship to God through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. We are now facing a subject that will challenge our study and meditation.
Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel, familiar with Old Testament Scripture, should have known the teaching of Ezekiel 36:25-26—"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Verse 25 teaches that God justifies those He elects. Verse 26 teaches that regeneration is by God. Only one birth is referred to in John 3:5, and it is the birth out of God by the regenerating Holy Spirit. Neither two births, physical and spiritual, nor two baptisms, water and spirit, are taught here.
Baptismal regenerationists are too anxious to add baptism to water wherever they think it fits their doctrine. The ordinance of baptism is never expressed by the word “water” without additional words or context to demonstrate the fact of an ordinance. Since the Lord Jesus was discussing the birth from above, there was no place for the ordinance of baptism by human hands on earth in connection with it. Therefore, distinction must be made between regeneration, which is accomplished solely by the sovereign God, and God’s ordinance of baptism, which should be obeyed by the person who has been converted by the gospel subsequent to his having been born out of God.
Consider the following contrasts between regeneration and baptism:
1. Regeneration is by the agency of the Holy Spirit; baptism is in water administered by the agency of a man of God.
2. Regeneration is the instantaneous operation of God; baptism must wait for both the baptizer and water.
3. Regeneration changes the nature of the heart; baptism is the external manifestation of that change in an act of obedience.
4. The Spirit of regeneration is irresistible; baptism can be denied by the baptizer until regeneration is evidenced.
5. Regeneration takes place in the sphere of man’s subconsciousness; baptism takes place in his consciousness.
6. Regeneration is the gift of life; baptism is an act of obedience of that life.
7. Regeneration gives a good conscience; baptism is the answer of that conscience.
8. Regeneration is not dependent on the gospel; baptism is dependent on the proclamation of the gospel.
9. Regeneration enables the recipient to put away the filth of the flesh; baptism does not put away the filth of the flesh.
10. Regeneration is the application of Christ’s blood; blood always precedes water.
Some have been so anxious to show that John 3:5 does not teach baptismal regeneration that they have failed to consider the Greek text: “ean me tis gennethe ex hudatos kai pneumatos—unless one may be born out of water and Spirit.” Since born out of water does not mean baptism, what does it signify? There is only one birth referred to in the text. The single preposition ex (ek) describes the single event. John did not place a second ek before “Spirit” as though he were describing two events. This singularity is established by the aorist tense, which signifies once born of water and Spirit. Conclusively, this verse teaches neither two births nor two baptisms—water and Spirit.
Others of the opinion that the only baptism in this verse is the baptism in the Spirit believe Spirit baptism takes place at regeneration. They declare that regeneration takes place when the believer is baptized into the body of Christ by means of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 12:13), who cleanses the believer by the water of the word (Eph. 5:26). They imply that the verse teaches the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit of Titus 3:5. Thus, they claim John 3:5 teaches that “born of water” is the washing of regeneration, and the “Spirit” is the renewal of the Spirit.
Like those who accept the teaching of baptismal regeneration, those who hold the view that baptism in the Holy Spirit is regeneration are too anxious to add the word “baptism” to Spirit when it fits their doctrine. Since there are only seven references to baptism in the Spirit, all of which point to Pentecost, their adding baptism to Spirit in John 3:5 and equating it with I Corinthians 12:13, which does not refer to regeneration, is not justifiable. Being born out of the Spirit (regeneration) and Christ’s baptizing the body of believers in the Spirit at Pentecost to empower them for service immensely differ. One is instantaneous, out of the source of the Spirit (John 3:8); and the other is by the agency of Jesus Christ in the sphere of the Spirit (I Cor. 12:13). In the first, the preposition ek (ablative of source) is used, and in the second the preposition en (locative of sphere) is used. “Born out of the Spirit” is individual, and “in the sphere of one Spirit we all were baptized into one body” was corporate (I Cor. 12:13; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:1-4).
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That which has been born out of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born out of the Spirit is spirit. —John 3:6 (translation)
A person who understands John 3:6 never questions either man’s depravity, peccability, concurrence in sin, and fleshly religion, or Christ’s conception by the Holy Spirit, true Christianity, Christian warfare, eternal preservation of the saints, and true worship. “Born from above” is one of the great mysteries of Scripture. The mysteries (musterion, secret or mystery) of Scripture serve a twofold purpose—to conceal the secret from some but make it known to others (Matt. 13:11). Among the mysteries of God’s word are the mystery of God (Col. 2:2), Christ (Col. 4:3), God’s will (Eph. 1:9), God’s elect in Christ (Col. 1:26, 27), faith—objective system of truth (I Tim. 3:9), iniquity—the man of sin (II Thess. 2:7), and Israel and the kingdom (Rom. 11:25, 26). The mystery that concerns us in our present study is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).
Nicodemus had acknowledged that Jesus Christ had come from God and that God was with Him in His performance of miracles. Why then did he raise questions concerning the words which Christ spoke about being born from above? Christ’s works, which Nicodemus recognized, were the confirmation of His message (Mark 16:20; John 5:36). Nicodemus’ questions manifested the depravity of his heart. Only those who have experienced the mystery of Christ within can understand what is either said or written concerning regeneration (Matt. 11:25-27; John 6:45; I Cor. 2:12-16; I John 2:20-27). Subsequent to his questions in verse 4, Nicodemus, who was standing only on a religious rite, was subjected to the greatest refutation of synergism (joint action of agents) recorded in Holy Scripture (John 3:6-8).
Having completed our study of the differing views of John 3:5, we will conclude this section of John 3, which focuses on the subject of regeneration. In the Old Testament, God first said “live” (Ezek. 16:6) before He said “look” (Is. 45:22). The same order is given in John 3:1-16; life is necessary in order for one to see and embrace the Savior. After removing any religious rite on which Nicodemus stood, Christ said, “That which has been born out of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6a—translation). The verb “has been born” is a perfect passive participle nominative neuter singular of gennao, which means a completed action in past time with a continuing state of being. Since a participle is a verbal adjective, which has the characteristics of both the verb and the adjective, we observe by the inflected form of the adjectival part that the participle functions as a substantive. Hence, the nominative neuter singular article (to) agrees with the nominative neuter singular adjectival part of the participle which literally signifies the human nature which has been born out of (ek, ablative of source) the flesh (ablative feminine singular of sarx) exists (present active indicative of eimi, to be or exist) as human nature (a predicative nominative feminine singular of sarx).
The Greek noun sarx is used 148 times in the New Testament in a variety of ways, a few of which follow:
1. Flesh is the soft substance consisting of fat and muscle of humans and animals: “All flesh is not the same flesh, but one of men, and another of animals, and another of birds, and another of fish” (I Cor. 15:39—translation).
2. Flesh speaks of the totality of what man is in human existence: “For by reason of the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before Him; for through law is full knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20—translation).
3. Flesh has reference to the peccable human nature of depraved man: “That which has been born out of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6a—translation).
4. Flesh signifies Christ’s impeccable human nature: “And the Word became flesh [became veiled in impeccable human nature]...” (John 1:14—translation). “And the angel responded to her: The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall fall upon you; for this reason also the holy thing being born shall be called, Son of God” (Luke 1:35—translation).
5. Flesh refers to the lower and temporary principle of sin in the Christian: “But now no longer I work it out but the sin dwelling in me. For I have known that nothing good is dwelling in me [my sinful nature], for to be desiring is present with me, but to be accomplishing the good is not” (Rom. 7:17, 18—translation).
6. Flesh designates the marital relationship of man and woman: “And He said: for this cause a man shall leave father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall exist as one flesh” (Matt. 19:5—translation).
The significance of the word flesh (sarx) that concerns us in our present study is the peccable or sinful nature in fallen man. The human nature which has been born out of sinful nature is in a continuous state of being depraved.
Sinful human nature can produce nothing but sinful human nature: “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image...” (Gen. 5:3). “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5). “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one” (Job 14:4). Since sinful human nature subsequent to the fall is in a continuous state of sinfulness, it can in no way make any contribution to one’s being born from above. Therefore, the passive sinner is at the mercy of the sovereign God of grace who chooses and saves whom He will. The leper who came to Jesus Christ spoke to Him according to the Scriptures: “And there comes a leper to Him begging Him and kneeling saying to Him, If you will you are able to cleanse me. And having been filled with compassion extended His hand and touched him and says to him: I am willing, you be cleansed at once. And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed” (Mark 1:40-42—translation).
Leprosy is a striking representation of the character and consequences of sin. Although the men in the synagogue had refused Divine sovereignty, the leper submitted to it. The event concerning the leper who came to Christ, recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Matt. 8:2-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16) followed on the heels of what Christ said when He went forth from His testing subsequent to His baptism. While the people were marvelling at Christ’s gracious words, He said, “Truly I am telling you: No prophet is accepted in his own hometown. But I am telling you about reality, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, when great famine came over all the land, and to not one of them was Elijah sent except to Sarepta of Sidon to a widow woman. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and not one of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:24-27—translation). A sermon on grace in general will be tolerated by any religious institution; however, a message on grace in particular is hated by everyone who embraces the synergistic concept of soteriology. Proof of this is found in the reaction by the religionists in the synagogue who heard what Christ said: “And all in the synagogue hearing these things were filled with rage” (Luke 4:28—translation).
Although the leper did not doubt Christ’s ability to heal his leprosy, he was not sure at this point in his untutored mind that God willed to heal him. Here is where the Greek gives help which cannot be seen so plainly in most English translations. The third class condition, which expresses a probable future condition, of “If [ean, conjunction used with the subjunctive mood verb] you are willing [theles, present active subjunctive of thelo, to will or desire]” (Luke 5:12—translation) indicates that the leper’s healing depended on God’s will rather than the will of the leper. Do you suppose this leper had heard about Christ’s saying in the synagogue shortly before which caused such rage? “And having risen they threw Him outside the city, and led Him to a brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down” (Luke 4:29—translation). This reveals the hatred religionists have for the Biblical doctrine of an election of grace (Rom. 11:5). The leper by the grace of the sovereign God had surpassed the religious training of Christ’s enemies.
Unlike those who are the corrupt fruit of easy believism, the leper did not presume anything; but he learned experientially that he had been cleansed. He was not taught by Arminians on the basis of assumption to use the word “since,” the first class condition which expresses reality—"Since you are willing, you can heal me." By grace he knew that the old sinful nature which had been born out of the source of the flesh continuously existed in him as sinful flesh. He said, “If you are willing, you are able to cleanse me” (Luke 5:12b—translation). And the Lord Jesus “...having extended His hand touched him saying: I am willing, you be cleansed at once; and immediately the leprosy departed from him” (Luke 5:13—translation). Hence, his physical cleansing demonstrated his spiritual cleansing on the basis of Christ’s impending sacrifice with the same immediacy as his physical healing.
Following the leper’s healing, Christ “...sternly charged and immediately sent him away, and says to him: See that you tell no one anything, but go show yourself to the priest and offer with reference to your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them” (Mark 1:43, 44—translation). The things to be presented to the priest had the same relation to the cleansed leper as gladly receiving the word, baptism, and continuing steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching had to the repentant Jews of Acts 2:38 or as baptism had to Paul (Acts 22:16).
The person who has been born out of God can testify that he has a spiritual nature existing in a continuous state as a spiritual nature: “and that which [to, definite article which agrees with the nominative neuter singular of the adjectival part of the participle of gennao, the subject of estin] has been born [perfect passive participle of gennao, completed action in past time with a resulting state of being] out of [ek, ablative of source] the Spirit [tou, ablative neuter singular agreeing with pneumatos, ablative neuter singular of pneuma, source] is [estin, present active indicative of eimi, to be or exist] spirit [pneuma, nominative neuter singular of pneuma, used as a predicate]” (John 3:6b—translation). By the use of the neuter gender, there should be no doubt that a person’s nature is the point of emphasis. This may also be further illustrated by the neuter gender of “the holy thing”—"...for this reason also the holy thing [to hagion] being born [present passive participle nominative neuter singular of gennao] shall be called, Son of God" (Luke 1:35—translation). However, the only similarity between John 3:6b and Luke 1:35 is the neuter gender. The nature Christ assumed was impeccable, whereas the human nature of the Christian is peccable. The sex of a Greek substantive does not always correspond to that of an English substantive, because in Greek, gender is more a matter of grammar than sex. However, gender can be determined by the form of the word.
The Roman Catholics have a doctrine called “Immaculate Conception,” which means Mary did not possess a depraved human nature because she was without the stain of original sin. On the contrary, Scripture proves that Mary rejoiced in God her Savior (Luke 1:46, 47). Their saying that Mary was conceived and born without spot or stain of original sin is a heretical, man-made doctrine. If Mary were absolutely free from original sin, why did she speak of the days of her purification (katharismos, cleansing or purification) (Luke 2:22)? Purification was needed for the parents of Jesus Christ, not for the child. Since sin is connected with mankind because of our solidarity with Adam in the fall, Jesus Christ cannot be related with the “new creation” in our need for purification, because He is eternally united with the Godhead. Sin can have no linkage with the God-Man except by its imputation to Him on behalf of the elect at Calvary.
Mary, like every other human being, was associated with John 3:6a—"that which has been born out of the flesh is flesh" (translation). Although having been born out of the Spirit, Mary, apart from the Holy Spirit coming upon (future middle indicative of eperchomai, to come upon, used 10 times—Luke 1:35; 11:22; 21:26, 35; Acts 1:8; 8:24; 13:40; 14:19; Eph. 2:7; James 5:1) her, could never have received, conceived, or brought forth the sinless Person who assumed human nature in her womb. As important as the virgin birth is to the Christian message, it does not completely explain the sinlessness of Jesus Christ. However, one must admit that the two truths are closely related. Even though our finite minds cannot fully comprehend the mystery of the incarnation (the hypostatic union of the Divine and human natures), we can lay hold of what we do not fully comprehend. This is the reason the statement “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37) follows Luke 1:35.
The logic of the virgin birth, which means that Jesus Christ did not descend from Adam by ordinary generation, is recorded in Scripture. Therefore, the act of procreation (producing offspring) as such does not corrupt the offspring. At this point, let us give some thought to God’s creation of Adam and Eve. From the formed (yasar, root meaning is form or fashion and is synonymous with create—God’s creative activity) man of dust, God created Adam by breathing into him the breath of life; and from a rib of flesh, God created Eve. God creates as easily as He speaks. The human nature of Jesus Christ which He assumed in the incarnation was from the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, human initiation is completely excluded. This enables us to understand the total absence of sin from the Person and life of Jesus Christ. The Holy One came into personal contact with sin only by imputation at Calvary. On the cross, Jesus Christ vicariously and sacrificially bore sin on behalf of the elect. All the titles and designations the Son of God/the Son of man assumed indicate His identification with the elect as the subjects of Divine grace. Anyone blasphemes who says or thinks that Jesus Christ was identified with “fallen” mankind in either life or death except by imputation.
What God did in the womb of Mary, who had not only a nature having been born out of the flesh but also a spiritual nature having been born out of the Spirit, the person with God-given faith believes; but he cannot comprehend it by reasoning. According to Luke 1:26-35, Mary had to be informed of the gift of grace. Furthermore, its significance was confusing to her, as it is to all the recipients of God’s undeserved favor. Grace is not a reward for faith, but it produces faith. To miss the meaning of grace is to miss the total revelation of God to man. When Gabriel said to Mary, “Hail, thou that art highly favoured...” (Luke 1:28), he was not saying that she was a dispenser of grace but a recipient of God’s undeserved favor. The Greek of Luke 1:28 reads, “...chaire [present active imperative second person singular of chairo, to rejoice or be glad], kecharitomene [perfect passive participle vocative feminine singular of charitoo, to favor highly]....” Translated it reads, “Rejoice, you have been highly favored....” Although Mary was endued with grace, she was not “full of grace” in the sense that Christ was full of grace (John 1:14-16). Mary was poor, yet rich; troubled, yet meditative; at first doubtful, but later believed (Luke 1:29, 38, 45).
Christians can relate with both having been born out of the flesh and having been born out of the Spirit (John 3:6). We know the continuing existence of our sinful human nature made no contribution to our having been born out of the Spirit. Furthermore, we know that although having been born out of the Spirit, we are not absolutely (completely, wholly, or fully) spiritual, but we were absolutely sinful before we were born from above. Having been born out of the Spirit, Christians have a new nature; however, we still have our old sinful nature, which by grace we are no longer under dominion. Birth from above, however, does not free one from having been permanently sold (perfect passive participle of piprasko, to be a slave to or sold under) under sin as to sin’s penalty of physical death and the constant warfare between the Spirit and the flesh (Rom. 7:14, 25; Gal. 5:17). After all, why did the virgin, who brought Jesus Christ into the world as the God-Man, die? Furthermore, why was she troubled and doubtful, and thus, like us, in need of comfort and instruction?
Flesh alone satisfies flesh; spirit alone satisfies spirit (John 3:6). The more spiritual the worship by Christians, the less attractive it is to the flesh. The following is the order for worship: (1) Prayer is first in order because by the Spirit of adoption we cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15). One who has been regenerated approaches God in prayer by the agency of the Holy Spirit within (Rom. 8:26, 27). (2) Worship is not in the realm of physical things (John 4:20-22). It is in the sphere of man’s renewed spirit (I Cor. 2:11-15), bearing witness with God’s truth. (3) Worship is the source of power for service (worship—Eph. 1-2, work—Eph. 3-4, and warfare—Eph. 5-6). The absence of worship signifies the absence of acceptable service.
The Lord Jesus contrasted true worshippers with false worshippers in His discourse with the woman of Samaria: “And the woman answered and said: I have no husband. Jesus says to her: you spoke correctly, I have no husband; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this truly you have said. The woman says to Him: Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain [Gerazim, where the Samaritans worshipped]; and you are saying that in Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary to be worshipping. Jesus says to her: Woman, believe me, for an hour is coming when you shall worship the Father neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You are worshipping what you have not known, we worship what we have known, because salvation is of the Jews; but an hour is coming and it is now, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in the sphere of the spirit and truth; for indeed the Father seeks the ones worshipping Him; God is spirit [a spiritual Being], and the ones worshipping Him must worship Him in the sphere of the renewed spirit and truth” (John 4:17-24—translation).
The Son came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The Holy Spirit regenerates the ones for whom Christ died. The Father seeks worshippers. Worship signifies reverence, honor, and adoration. It agrees with Him who is worshipped. No one who disagrees with what God says worships Him no matter how sincere he is. Much that is called worship is not worship. One is incorrect to state that all religions have good in them. If all religions are right, the Bible does not mean what it says but what people think it says. The Holy Spirit alone can give the renewed person the knowledge of what is right or wrong. Therefore, we can know and embrace the Holy Spirit only with our spirits, an impossibility for the flesh. There is an initial renewal of one’s spirit, and then there is a continuous renewal.
Worship is spiritual when the door of the new heart is closed to all intruders and open to the truth of God. Going into one’s closet for prayer and closing the door is one thing, but the door of the heart left open while he supposes he is praying is another thing. Since God is Spirit, we must worship Him with our renewed spirits according to God’s revealed truth. Two missionaries were ridiculed by a Catholic priest for ministering with only a Bible and a song book. However, there is no difference between the priest going from the Bible to altars, candles, crucifixes, etc., and the degeneracy of Christendom from God’s word to Sunday School, Training union, bulletins, banners, dramas, gymnasiums, sports events, clowns, movies, musicals, family centers, etc. All these things are flesh feeding flesh. We worship only in our renewed spirits. We use our bodies in service; but we do not serve Jesus Christ in the sphere of the flesh but in the sphere of the renewed spirit.
God is spiritual in nature. He is nonmaterial substance of a pure unmixed essence and not limited by material substance or nature. A material body may be dissolved, but the Godhead is incapable of dissolution. The essence of God is indivisible and therefore cannot be divided into parts. The sun is entire in every place; shall not God who created the sun be much more than His created sun (Jer. 23:24; I Kings 8:27)? Since God is spirit, our approach to Him and our apprehension of Him must be spiritual in character. That which has been born out of the flesh can neither approach nor comprehend God. A spiritual nature is necessary to comprehend the truth concerning God; even then, we never fully comprehend Him. Believers are related with the spiritual order of things.
Natural thoughts of God may be degraded or elevated, but they tend to obscure what has been revealed. The Lord through Moses warned against degrading thoughts of God: “And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it. Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude [form] on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth” (Deut. 4:14-18). The degradation of God by natural man is also magnified in Romans 1:23-32. The Lord through Moses also warned against thoughts that compare God with the elements He created: “And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven” (Deut. 4:19). We must neither degrade God by comparing Him with ourselves or creatures lower than ourselves nor elevate Him in our thinking to the sun, moon, stars, and elements above us. Either one obscures the revelation of God in Christ. We must beware of degradation and elevation. Men may speak highly of God, but everything must be brought to the test of Holy Scripture. The wicked may eclipse God’s glory, but they cannot touch His essence.
God is spirit; therefore, He is omniscient (Ps. 139:7-10; Jer. 23:24). Since God is spirit, He can be comprehended only by the Holy Spirit. God is spirit; therefore, He can be worshipped only in spirit. Worship that is acceptable to God must be suited to His nature. Two kinds of worship, one of spirit and the other in truth, are not taught in John 4:24—"God is spirit, and the ones worshipping Him must worship Him in the sphere of the renewed spirit and truth" (translation). The preposition en, locative of sphere, indicates the sphere of the new nature and God’s revealed truth. We must worship Him in the sphere of our new nature according to the revelation of the truth He has given to us. People who are heretical in their concept of God, Christ, salvation, etc., do not worship. One’s spirit is not right if he is erroneous in what he believes. The renewed spirit is in opposition to external things, and the truth is in opposition to error. Hence, God cannot be worshipped in a renewed spirit and error. Spirit satisfies spirit, and flesh satisfies flesh. God is spirit, and the redeemed spirit of the believer is his highest excellence. Both the spirit of God and the spirit of man are mentioned in I Corinthians 2:11—"For who among men has known the things of a man except the spirit of a man in him? so also in the same way no one has known the things of God except the Spirit of God" (translation).
Since God is a pure spiritual Being, the following things are true:
1. God is a pure spiritual Being; otherwise, He could not be God the Creator. Every artificer first has his model in his mind. Man creates to the extent of forming a mental image of something. Only in the externalization of his idea is man hemmed in. He is restricted by his finite nature.
2. God is a pure spiritual Being; otherwise, He could not be infinite in nature. He did not create at random. The act of a fool is to build without object. God did not create without a purpose.
3. God is pure spiritual Being; otherwise, He could not be one. “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD” (Deut. 6:4). If the pure spiritual Being possessed a body as a man, He would be capable of division. Where the greatest unity is, there is the greatest simplicity.
4. God is a pure spiritual Being; otherwise, He could not be invisible (I Tim. 1:17). Sometimes a representation of God but not of His essence is made to the inward sense. Sometimes men are said to see Him but only in the sense of fuller manifestation.
5. God is a pure spiritual Being; otherwise, He could not be independent. That which is made up of parts depends on parts, but God is not made up of parts. He is the eternal, indivisible One. The Triunity is not one plus one plus one, but one times one times one which equals one.
6. God is a pure spiritual Being; otherwise, He would not be immutable. “For I am the LORD, I change not...” (Mal. 3:6).
7. God is a pure spiritual Being; otherwise, He would not be omnipresent. “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else” (Deut. 4:39).
A body cannot be in two places at once. Wherever we are we know. A confusing thought to many is how bodily members can be ascribed to God. Since men are unable to conceive of a spiritual Being apart from physical attributes, these physical attributes as they bear some likeness to ours are used to signify the acts of God. God’s wisdom is called His eye. His efficiency is represented by the arm. The sincerity of His affections is expressed by His heart. The revelation of His Divine will is called His mouth. The manifestation of His favor is portrayed as His face. Christ called Himself a vine, a branch, a light, etc. Who understands Him to literally be those things? God has assumed forms by which He has manifested Himself in the pillar of cloud, the burning bush, the elements, a more definite form, the fiery furnace as a man, and the angel of the covenant in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, He is the Son of man, God absolutely considered assuming and veiling Himself in human nature. It has been said that God is excellent without imperfection, a spirit without parts, great without quantity, perfect without quality, everywhere without place, powerful without members, understanding without ignorance, and highest who is infinitely beyond.
Man’s inability to see what he was never intended to see is no imperfection in his nature. Man was never intended to see God absolutely considered with his physical eyes. God is invisible. A spirit can be known only by its operations through a material body. Hence, God manifested Himself not to sense but to experience. God has revealed Himself in the humanity of the Lord Jesus. He is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15). How absurd and abominable are all other images, pictures, etc. Can we make an image of that which we have never seen? No man has seen God. Since God is everywhere present, it is absurd to worship Him by an image. We are not to use the ceremonies of the Old Testament, like the tabernacle, priesthood, and offerings, because Jesus Christ has come; and He is the fulfillment of all those types and shadows. Since we are not to use the ceremonies which God once appointed, should we use things He never appointed? He never appointed anything but the word of God for us to use to study and worship Him in the sphere of the renewed spirit according to His truth. There are two parts in worship but not two kinds of worship.
God’s attitude toward His people who do not follow His precepts is jealousy. “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God” (Deut. 4:24). (See Ex. 20:5; 34:14; Deut. 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; 32:16, 21; Josh. 24:19; Ezek. 16:38, 42; I Cor. 10:22.) I Corinthians 10:22 shows that the principle in the Old Testament is carried into the New Testament. The existence of jealousy in God implies the existence of love. Jealousy in God is never spoken of except in reference to those He loves. He is jealous of His people. God has a right to our love because He has shed abroad His love in our hearts. Any wandering of affection and any deviation of allegiance carries wounds and provocation to jealousy. Do we as God’s people seek pleasure in the company of His enemies? “Adulteresses, have you not known that the friendship of the world is hatred toward God? Therefore whoever may desire to be a friend of the world, is being constituted an enemy of God” (James 4:4—translation). “For they [Israelites] provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images” (Ps. 78:58). “Little children, keep yourselves from idols...” (I John 5:21). An idol is anything which comes between the believer and the Lord.
Jealousy is the shadow cast by love. The greater the love the greater the shadow. All sin is a characterization of virtue, and sin never looks so shameful as when placed beside the virtue it characterizes. As a musician revolts against a discord, the soul rich in love revolts against whatever impinges on and violates that love. Jealousy, like anger, can be either good or bad. We are to be angry at sin without sinning (Eph. 4:26). Lack of anger at sin manifests that one does not love the Savior. Jealousy is evil when it is against the joy or success of another and when it is suspicious of another without foundation. In such cases, it can be the rage of a man (Prov. 6:34). Nothing can satisfy such rage. Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous. But who is able to stand before envy? Elijah’s jealousy for the glory of God and His truth was good: “...I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (I Kings 19:10). Paul applied the same principle stated by Elijah to the Corinthians: “I wish you would be patient with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are being patient. For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one husband that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ” (II Cor. 11:1, 2—translation). Paul’s jealousy was not envy that the Corinthians were following other teachers, but he was anxious over them lest being led astray by false teachers they might be deceived.
Jealousy is the anger and pain of injured and insulted love. God cannot remain silent when He loses any of the affection, trust, or reverence by which He has stirred our souls. Jealousy is sensitive awareness to any abatement or transference of affection.
In concluding the study of John 3:6, the following things should be evident to every sincere believer:
1. That which has been born out of sinful nature will never in time be anything but sinful nature (John 3:6a).
2. That which has been born of the Spirit shall exist forever as a spiritual nature (John 3:6b).
3. The believer, though born out of the Spirit, does not while living in time lose his sinful nature which has been born out of the flesh (John 3:6; Rom. 7:14-25; 8:3).
4. The believer has two natures which are in continual warfare (Gal. 5:17; I John 2:1; 3:6, 9).
5. The virgin Mary, like all Christians, had both a sinful nature and a spiritual nature (Luke 1:46, 47; 2:21-40).
6. God the Father prepared a body in the likeness (not reality) of sinful flesh, which the Son of God assumed as the Son of man, by the agency of the Holy Spirit coming upon the virgin (Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Heb. 10:5).
7. Flesh alone satisfies flesh; spirit alone satisfies spirit (John 3:6).
6
Do not wonder because I said to you: It is necessary for all of you to be born from above. The Spirit is breathing where He desires, and you are hearing His voice, but you have not understood where He is coming from and where He is going; thus is everyone who has been born out of the Spirit. —John 3:7-8 (translation)
There are only three basic views of the new birth: (1) pelagian—what I must do to be saved; (2) concurrent—man cooperates with God to bring about the new birth; (3) free grace—the Scriptural teaching experienced by every child of God that salvation is all of God. Christ did not teach doing and leaving undone. His was the principle of being and becoming. The new work is created before it can be lived. Hence, the child of God goes from positional sanctification by the grace of God to progressive sanctification in which the recipients of grace become more like Him.
In contrast to Christ showing Nicodemus his responsibility and stating the general nature of that responsibility, Christ had been speaking to Nicodemus about the new birth. He did not, as some assume, speak of an entire change of nature. Nothing recorded in John 3:1-8 hints at Jesus Christ changing the nature of the sinner. The old nature is not changed (v. 6). Regeneration is not the changing of the old nature, but it is the impartation of a Godlike nature. The Lord gave us the principle of spiritual life in the new birth; and by the power of this spiritual life, He enables us to overcome the old nature that remains in us. There is a continual warfare between the old and new natures in every person who has been saved by the grace of God.
Christ’s statement in John 3:7—"Do not wonder because I said to you: It is necessary for all of you to be born from above" (translation)—does not mean what most people think. The verb dei, meaning must or necessary, is usually represented as man’s duty. However, man has no more to do with birth from above than he does with his physical birth. Every physical birth produces a life that did not previously exist except in purpose. Furthermore, birth out of the Spirit is a person’s coming into existence as a Christian who did not exist as a Christian before, except in God’s eternal covenant of grace. Birth from above is supernatural, instantaneous, invisible, and eternal. No place in Scripture is “born of God” ever presented as man’s duty. The imperative mood is never associated with the work which is exclusively God’s.
Confusion about the subjects of God’s sovereignty and man’s birth from above is evidenced by people who say, “The sinner must invite Jesus into his heart,” and “Open the door of your heart and let Jesus in.” These statements are unscriptural, but they are not as absurd as the statement made about Christ’s discourse with Nicodemus by persons who give lip service to God’s sovereignty in regeneration: “Do not wait to think about the new birth until you understand it, as Nicodemus did, or you may never experience it.” What is the basic difference between the first statements and the last? The first statements are made by people who believe that sinners are active in their birth from above. The last statement is declared by persons who talk about God taking the initiative in regeneration, but they then refute their declaration in their discussion of it. Those who categorically deny that God takes the initiative in regeneration do not differ from those who first admit it, but within the context of discussing regeneration, they deny it. The latter deserve greater ridicule because they talk out of both sides of their mouths.
Many in professing Christendom think they were born Christians because their parents were Christians. A woman once came to an inquiry room where a noted evangelist asked her if she was a Christian. She replied in the affirmative. When asked the length of time she had been a Christian, she said she was born one. The preacher congratulated her on being the first he had ever met who was born a Christian, because all others were born children of Adam. A Christian was asked by his professor where he was born, and he replied by giving the names of two cities. The interrogator questioned how he could be born in two different cities. The Christian answered by quoting John 3:10—"...Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" The Christian had been born out of the flesh in one city, and he had been born out of the Spirit in the second city. One having been born from above has been born a Christian.
Christ said to Nicodemus, “Do not wonder because I said to you: It is necessary for all of you to be born from above” (John 3:7—translation). The negative adverb me used with the aorist active subjunctive verb thaumadzo becomes a prohibition; therefore, it is used like a present imperative. The cause of the prohibition is significant because of the meaning of the impersonal verb dei and the use of the second person plural pronoun humas, you. The translation of the Greek words dei humas gennethenai anothen is “It is necessary for all of you to be born from above.” “It is necessary” is the translation of the present active indicative of dei. It does not refer to man’s duty but to God’s purpose. Will any attempt to say that God is unjust to determine to regenerate some when He would have been just to determine to destroy all? All of God’s chosen ones from among both Jews and non-Jews (John 10:16) will be born from above, thus constituting one flock with one Shepherd. “...and as many as have been appointed [tetagmenoi, perfect passive participle nominative masculine plural of tasso, to appoint or designate] to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48—translation). Hence, God’s purpose determined that the elect shall believe, and His purpose shall be accomplished: “...My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure” (Is. 46:10 NASB). (Study Eph. 1; Rom. 8; John 10; 17.) Furthermore, the pronoun humas, accusative masculine plural of the pronoun su, meaning you, proves that Christ had more in mind than the one to whom He was speaking. Not only is it a necessity for the elect to be born from above, but it is also determined by God that they shall be made alive in Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ closed His discourse on the necessity of being born out of God by showing how sovereignly and mysteriously it is accomplished: “The Spirit is breathing where He desires, and you are hearing His voice, but you have not understood where He is coming from and where He is going; thus is everyone who has been born out of the Spirit” (John 3:8—translation). Since commentators are divided on whether the word pneuma should be translated wind or Spirit in John 3:8, Biblical evidence should be considered.
The Greek word pneuma is used 363 times in the New Testament, and most of the references designate the third Person in the Godhead. He is given such titles as the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19), Spirit of God (Rom. 8:9), Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9), Spirit of truth (John 14:17), Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2), Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15), Spirit of grace (Heb. 10:29), etc. The noun is also used when speaking of the nonmaterial part of man (Acts 7:59; I Cor. 5:5), the inner perceptive part of man (I Cor. 2:11), demonic spirits (I Tim. 4:1), angels as ministering spirits (Heb. 1:14), the spirit of the Lord Jesus (John 19:30; Rom. 1:4), etc. Although the noun pneuma is neuter gender in the Greek, it is translated correctly in Scripture as “He” or “Him” when the demonstrative masculine pronominal adjective ekeinos, he, is used (John 14:26; 16:8, 13, 14) and also in other references where the adjective is not used, such as Romans 8:16, because He is a Person. Gender to the Greeks was a matter of syntax rather than sex. Since the Holy Spirit is a Person, we should speak of His Person as He or Him and not it.
The word pneuma is translated “wind” only in John 3:8 in a number of English translations; but without any reservation, this author believes that translation is incorrect for the following reasons: (1) The immediate context opposes the translation of pneuma as wind. Christ was not giving an analogy of comparison, as some believe, but He was explaining as much as we can understand about the mysterious work of the sovereign Spirit in regeneration (John 3:5-7). (2) As God breathed physical life into man formed of dust from the ground (Gen. 2:7), the Holy Spirit breathes spiritual life in the ones He desires (John 3:8). (3) It seems unlikely that Christ would use an analogy that does not have the ability to move and choose at its own discretion. Recognizing that there are no perfect analogies in created matter to illustrate spiritual achievements, an impersonal wind blowing where it desires runs amuck without the control of the sovereign God Himself. This is to say nothing about the meteorological explanation of air movements and speed controlled by high pressure and low pressure areas. Since we are not making a study of meteorology, all we need to understand is that the sovereign God controls the wind movements. (4) Some use the adverb houtos, which is translated “so” in many English translations, as proof that our Lord was making a comparison. The adverb houtos can be used thus—in the same way, like this, thus, or so. The adverb “thus,” meaning in the way indicated, is used in our Lord’s declaration, “The Spirit is breathing where He desires, and you are hearing His voice, but you have not understood where He is coming from and where He is going; thus [in the way indicated by what Jesus Christ had said] is everyone who has been born out of the Spirit” (John 3:8—translation).
Heaven is a prepared place for a people purposed by God in eternity. Christ’s work on the cross in time was God’s provision for accomplishing His purpose. The application of the provision by the Holy Spirit to the passive elected sinner is the beginning of spiritual life in the lost sheep. According to our context, the person who has been born out of a corrupted physical nature cannot, because of his depraved condition, make any contribution to his being born out of the Spirit. Furthermore, regeneration is not the result of the Spirit’s use of means. The light of day was not a means of restoring sight to the blind man. Physical food is a means of physical growth, but it presupposes physical vitality. Likewise, the word of God is a means to spiritual growth, but it presupposes spiritual life. No desire for the word exists in spiritually dead persons. The new life is not implanted because man perceives the truth of God, but he perceives the truth on account of life that has been implanted.
God’s purpose does not begin when one first understands truth. Many speak of preparatives for regeneration, but those who refer to people seeking, knocking, and praying ignore the fact that what they call preparatives for regeneration are, if they are genuine, the manifestations of regeneration. Whatever conviction is wrought in a person before regeneration is nothing more than conviction of conscience; it is not of one’s will. Some Reformers are not without error concerning preparatives for regeneration. The preaching of the law or the gospel to bring about conviction cannot be said to be preparation for being born from above. To know that one is a sinner and deserves hell is not preparation for the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Some are of the opinion that the enlightening work of the Spirit precedes His illuminating work in regeneration. This is unscriptural, and persons who have heard the truth preached must be warned against the idea that they are obligating God to regenerate them. Regeneration is not an act of debt but of grace.
Regeneration is the beginning of spiritual existence, but not the beginning of physical existence. Regeneration is God’s work; conversion is man’s turning to God in the power of the regenerating Holy Spirit. Conversion occurs with the newly implanted nature. Regeneration is a single act, complete in itself, and never repeated. Conversion is the beginning of a holy life which manifests itself by a series of constant and progressive holy acts.
SECTION II
THE
OBJECTIVE ASPECT OF LIFE
John 3:9-15
7
THE OBJECTIVE REVELATION OF CHRIST
Nicodemus responded and said to Him: How can these things come into being? Jesus replied and said to him: You are the teacher of Israel and you have no knowledge of these things? Truly truly I am telling you, we are speaking what we have known and are testifying what we have seen, and you are not receiving our witness. Since I told you earthly things and you are not believing, how shall you believe if I may tell you heavenly things? And no man has ascended into heaven except the One having descended from heaven, the Son of man. —John 3:9-13 (translation)
Having completed His discourse on the subjective work of the sovereign Holy Spirit in regeneration, Christ turned to the objective revelation of Himself. In answer to the third question by the teacher of Israel, “How can these things come into being?” (translation), Christ replied, “You are the teacher of Israel and you have no knowledge of these things?” (John 3:10—translation). Arminians step in at this point to talk about Nicodemus’ traditional preoccupation. Those who believe in gospel regeneration say that since men are regenerated by the preaching of the gospel, Nicodemus at this point had not been given the gospel. Those who teach baptismal regeneration believe every birth has three stages in the ultimate change in regeneration: (1) the planting of the seed, (2) the gestation period, and (3) the delivery. They believe the seed is the word of God planted in the sinner’s heart. Their opinion is that the Holy Spirit operates through the word which is living and active. Their idea is that the gestation period comes subsequent to the planting of the seed. They assume that, meeting the conditions of faith and repentance, the sinner is brought to life by the Spirit who not only has arranged the meeting of the sinner and the preacher, but also gives life at the time of baptism. In contrast to these beliefs, Nicodemus was without the subjective work of grace by which he could hear and understand what Christ was teaching.
Nicodemus’ problem was that he was not hearing Christ’s voice, because the Holy Spirit had not breathed life into him (John 3:8). The word for “voice” is phone, voice or language. Christ used this same word when He said, “To this One the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice [phone], and He calls [phonei, present active indicative of phoneo, to call, call forth, or summon] His own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3—translation). The following are characteristics of regenerated sheep: (1) They recognize the voice of the Shepherd (John 10:3). (2) They believe His teaching (John 17:8). (3) They have spiritual discernment (I Cor. 2:12; Heb. 5:14). (4) They have the mind of Christ (I Cor. 2:16). (5) They try the spirits (I John 4:1). (6) They follow the Shepherd (John 10:4). (7) They flee from false shepherds (John 10:5).
Some say Nicodemus had been led by Jesus Christ into a psychological attitude of teachability. Their argument is based on what they describe as a change of attitude between the questions of John 3:4 and the question of John 3:9. In a day when religionists have substituted psychology for the Holy Spirit and their humanistic appeals for the word of God, no wonder they would make such a statement about Nicodemus. Sinners are being told that they must have self-esteem because of their importance as somebody. Preachers who tell people what they want to hear become successful in the eyes of men. In religious revival campaigns, people are told, “the Lord has done all He can, and now the result is left to you.” One’s depraved ego is inflated to think his destiny is left to his decision. Religious excitement, great crowds, and many decisions are no criterion for spiritual awakening.
Living in an age when religionists have been influenced by the same psychological training given to business men, politicians, athletes, etc., concerning the secret to success, some uninformed believers are being affected by a reprogramming of the mind. Christians are subjected to the same reprogramming in the work place. Since the subconscious mind is said to be stronger than the conscious mind, the stimulus operating below the threshold of consciousness as a result of the reprogramming will cause uninformed Christians to suggest things that do not identify with the spiritual realm. In order for people to be successful in the work place, they are taught the following things: (1) Self-confidence—you are able, or you can do this job. (2) Self-image—You must have a good picture of yourself. (3) Success motivation—Your desire must be stronger than your fear. (4) Enthusiasm—You must think that nothing is impossible for you in this job. (5) Creativity—You must have imagination in order to be creative. (6) Winner’s attitude—There is no such thing as being a good loser. (7) Stop procrastinating—Do not put off until tomorrow what you should do today. (8) Effective communication—Learn to communicate well with fellow workers. (9) Decision making—Learn to make decisions on your own. (10) Personal dynamics—Be driven by the force of your religious faith. Every informed Christian has no problem knowing that some of these things do not relate to the Christian life. Promoters of these rules in the work place usually introduce them by making such statements as, change your mind and you change your course; you will have a wonderful life if you feel good about yourself; you are as good as anyone else, because God made you good.
Following Christ’s statement to Nicodemus, “You are the teacher of Israel and you have no knowledge of these things?” (translation), He began to give the objective truth concerning Himself, which the unregenerate religious teacher was not receiving. “Truly truly I am telling you, we are speaking what we have known [perfect active indicative first person plural of oida, to know, understand, or perceive] and are testifying what we have seen [perfect active indicative first person plural of horao, to see, experience, or understand], and you are not receiving [present active indicative of lambano, to receive] our witness” (John 3:11—translation). The two perfect tense verbs demonstrate the positive message of Christ based on His present knowledge founded on His past experience. Christianity is a positive message, because its foundation is the positive Being of God. Since man is a positive sinner admitting no question, before he can receive the positive unquestionable message of the gospel, he must have the positive breath of life breathed into him. When this takes place, he will receive the word for himself, thus experiencing a conversion which cannot be questioned.
To further establish the fact that Nicodemus had not been regenerated, Christ said, “Since [first class condition which affirms reality] I told you earthly things and you are not believing, how shall you believe if [ean] I may tell [eipo, aorist active subjunctive of lego with ean, third class condition, is more probably future condition] you heavenly things?” (John 3:12—translation). Preachers who think they can make the Scriptures relevant (suitable or fitting) to the unregenerate are forced to admit, whether they believe it or not, they have exchanged the word of God for their own depraved opinions. (See Rom. 1:25.) Whatever is relevant to the unregenerate is not relative to Holy Scripture, and whatever is suitable to the Scriptures is not relative to the unregenerate (John 3:19-21; I Cor. 2:14). Any person who thinks he can make spiritual things suitable to the natural man understands neither man’s depraved condition nor the spirituality of heavenly things. Apart from being born from above, one is possessed by the only nature he has, the one born out of the flesh. His heart is ruled by his depraved nature, and he is a slave to the passions of his corrupt heart.
The revelation of God in the Son of man is the heart of the gospel: “And no man has ascended into heaven except the One having descended from heaven, the Son of man” (John 3:13—translation). Some manuscripts add, ho on en to ourano—"who is in heaven." The Son of God assumed the human nature provided Him by the Father into such personal union that He is properly called either the Son of God or the Son of man. Thus, we have a Savior who preexisted as the Son of God and became the one Mediator of God and of men, the man Christ Jesus who gave Himself as a ransom for all of God’s elect (I Tim. 2:5, 6a).
Christianity involves a change which may be compared to a birth from above. That birth is accomplished by the work of the sovereign Spirit. However, it could never be accomplished by the Spirit