1. John 3 Rebirth - "Being Born Again" & Salvation. This passage is so loaded
doctrinally! I think the three most offered answers when people are asked
if they are born again are: “I don’t believe in that holy roller stuff!” (no
doubt referring to the frantic behavior of some who are presumed touched by the
Spirit during worship); the second is, “what do you mean?”; and, lastly, “I
don’t know!” Some believe that being born again means that God refreshes us
with His Spirit, which would infer that we are reborn several times.
God reveals to His people the character or operationality of salvation for
believers. (we find a further level of understanding in John 4.) Salvation was
not earned by being legally ‘right’ by an obedience to the Law. God says that the 10
commandments and the other Mosaic laws could not eternally save; in the
Law God demonstrates how to worship Him, how to rely solely on Him for our
needs; He refers to the Law as a "disciplinarian" that would reveal our need for a Savior, but which could not eternally save someone. Nicodemus and other religious
leaders of his time relied upon both the Torah – God authored, and the Talmud, or the “Oral Law” – human
interpretation of the Torah. Holding fast to both the Law and interpretations
developed by the priests and rabbis was the standard of righteousness that was
thought to make them worthy of life in the world to come.
Before
we go into the deep exposition of Jesus’s words in John 3, let’s look at
Ephesians 2 to get a fundamental understanding of salvation.
Evangelicals
and others generally believe that salvation is a synergistic process –
that before you can be saved, you have to develop faith, so that salvation is
dependent first upon actions we take. That is, according to some beliefs, it is our efforts through which we
can negotiate a peace with God that makes us worthy of salvation. Or, more
commonly, “you have to get right before you come to Church!” Reading the first
3 verses of Ephesians 2 we are told by the Holy Spirit a different beginning.
[read a couple of times from different versions - easy to do at the Biblegateway.com link above] Can a dead person believe in
God and develop faith? Because the Spirit is telling us here that we were dead
– D E D D -- spiritually. We were consumed by lusts that lent to trespasses – the
act of going outside of the law into forbidden area – and by a myriad of sins,
which are inherent in us and easily influenced by the satanic world culture in
what we think, do, and are.
Answer
this: when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, was Lazarus really dead? Or was
he in-between life and death in some suspended state of consciousness? Put a
pin in the Ephesians passage for a minute and Let’s see what the Spirit tells
us at John 11 about Lazarus. We’ll read verses 11-17, and then pick up at
38-39.
Not only was Lazarus dead, but his body was beginning to decay – there was
already a stench emanating from Lazarus’ tomb! Lazarus was dead – D E D D. There
was no life in him – not even one gasp of breath. So when Jesus got to the
tomb, did He wait for Lazarus to come out simply because He was present there in
front of the tomb? Did the mourners – both genuine and in tradition – through
their tears and crying, through their pleadings, cause Lazarus to
come back to life? Or was Lazarus starting to remove the many bandages that
were on him so that he could be ready for Christ’s arrival? NO! NO! Read verses
41-44. No matter how much crying and mourning, no matter that the family
believed that “someday” in “the resurrection” that their beloved brother would
return to them – someday, somehow, somewhere. No. It was only by the power of
God in Christ that Lazarus is raised from the dead. Jesus COMMANDS Lazarus
to come out! He commands him. It was not until then that Lazarus could
move, become sentient, become alive and obediently come forward from the tomb
(since he was bound head to toe, some scholars suggest that he came forward
without walking). He was made alive by Christ, regenerated/re-created.
Regenerated is a word you’ll hear church folk say sometimes; it means, relative
to being born again, to form or be formed again; come or bring into existence once again
spiritually through the Holy Spirit.
Going back to Ephesians 2
again at verses 1-3: Spiritual death is as insusceptible by human efforts as was
Lazarus’ physical death. What is worse is that the spiritual death which we ALL
walked in – you know that expression, “dead man walking”, was and is the result
of the inherited sin nature from Adam. Our already condemned state of spiritual
death was exacerbated with our being infused with a world culture influenced and
guided by the devil and his demons. We were objects of God’s wrath, because God
loathes sin and does not “entertain”, i.e., He does not become Abba to spiritually dead
people. We were born spiritually dead, dead relationship with God,
and remain so until a similar command is given to us to become alive
spiritually. let’s pick up at verse 4 through verse 10. [reader reads it] What
does the Spirit say had to occur before we could be saved? [God had to make us
alive; He calls us out of our spiritual death (KJV says quickened)], He without
any help from us resurrects us or raises us up back to spiritual life, raises us up as it were to
life in the Spirit, placing His Eternal Spirit within us to regenerate us and
deposit a new faith instantaneously as He did with Lazarus. In the face of
those Bible truths, the thought that we of our own volition according to
evangelicals and others who make that claim, can prepare ourselves to be saved,
can clean up our life to become fitting before a Holy God, can read scripture and
understand it and then apply it in a way that pleases God is ludicrous! Can
dead people think? Can dead people reason?
Do
you think that being raised from the dead changed Lazarus’ outlook on life? When God raises us from spiritual
death to spiritual life, He performs an unequivocable miracle within us where
we not only come to life but are endowed with the faith needed to please God.
God has chosen – we did not originate that choice - to create
new life in us, restores us to spiritual aliveness. This is the "process" referred to in John 3 as being born again.
So with this detailed backdrop on God's salvific plan, we can now 'unpack' Jesus' explanation to Nicodemus of being born again. We’ll take it step by
step.
(a) Nicodemus bravely comes at night to where Jesus is staying. What he had
to say he did not want to ask in an open forum or on the street as many of the
Pharisees liked doing with the purpose of tripping Jesus up. Nicodemus wanted
more than what his opening words said; Jesus, who was fully God and fully man
knew in His Godship what was on Nicodemus’ heart, what brought him out of his
home at night to seek Him out Jesus, and so Jesus wastes no time getting to the heart
of the matter. Cool, right? Read verse 2. During the course of the conversation
Jesus would ask Nicodemus how could he, i.e., Nicodemus, who was a teacher of
Israel not understand the requirement of being born again and what that means.
Even today, those who have a standing within the Church of God are still
puzzled by what it means, although they have before them God’s Word of truth that provides the answer.
(b) Entering the kingdom of God – was Jesus saying that in
order to go to heaven you have to be born again, thus equating the kingdom
of God with heaven? It is true that many equate God’s kingdom with heaven since
God and Christ sit on thrones in the Kingdom. In studying this passage, I am
thinking that Jesus, in speaking of the kingdom of God, means not just the ‘heavenly’
Kingdom, but His universal kingdom – God’s rule, over those who are His Church
– both here on earth and in heaven. It is not a singular geographical location,
nor is it solely heaven. I mean, what did Jesus teach us to pray in the Lord’s
prayer about God’s kingdom? [allow answer] That God’s kingdom would also be on
earth. So the kingdom is borne from heaven, "from above", – i.e., God’s rule emanates from
heaven. Thus, I think that Jesus was referring to entering into God’s
theocratic spiritual domain where worshipers on earth and heaven obey God and
do the work and will God has appointed them to do. The Holy Spirit binds together believers who are living on earth into this kingdom domain which is growing
with believers daily. Jesus’ parables of the kingdom refers to this change of
rule within our hearts while we are still alive on earth. Therefore, It is not
a geographical location as Jesus confirms in the account at John 4 where Jesus’
encounters the Samaritan woman. Jesus further shows the invisible aspect of the
kingdom of God when He says that "the kingdom is within you" – [ask for any
questions or more clarification]
(c) Born again of water... Let’s talk about the “water” first. Jesus
says we must be born of water and Spirit before we can enter into the kingdom. Nicodemus
was clearly puzzled because he knew that in order to be born, conception must
take place and one must live in the waters of a mother’s womb for nine months. So
he tells Jesus, I’m a grown man; I cannot climb back into my mother’s womb! So
we come to this point on which Christians will sometimes disagree – even Christians
within the same denomination! I do not want this to be an argument, or a "2 by 4" insistence
on a point of view, or judgement but rather an opportunity to share what we
have learned, and allow the Holy Spirit to correct any misplaced thoughts.
This is where
believers have different viewpoints of what the “water” represents, namely:
- Some say that the
“water” is baptismal water – that you have to have been baptized in water in
order for the ‘salvation transition’ to take place;
- Others say that Jesus was telling
Nicodemus that only those born from the womb – who lived within that protective
sac for the duration would meet the requirement of “water”.
- Yet others say
that the ”water” means that a person will be required to know God’s Word –
which the scriptures metaphorically refer to as water, as part of the
qualification for being born again.
My personal thought, based on the context of the conversation, is that the “water” refers to the waters of birth from a
human mother. Jesus says as He continues explaining this regeneration process
to Nicodemus: “what is flesh is flesh (born of a woman) and what is Spirit is
Spirit” (born of God). It would seem that in being born again, a person must
first be human born of a woman. As such, there are no born again angels, no born again animals.
In passages of the Gospels where we read about the person that hanged on the
cross next to Jesus, and who confessed his belief in Jesus as Savior and
Messiah, the criminal had first rejected Jesus and had joined in with the other
criminal in the verbal abuse of Christ. (Mark 15:29, 32) Luke’s account in
chapter 23, verses 39-43 reflects that when the Holy Spirit opened the thief’s
mind and heart, the thief repented and rebuked the other criminal for his continued
castigation and berating of Christ, and then asks Jesus to remember him when He
enters the kingdom. Jesus, who in His Godship foreknew the “election” of the
thief, did not act surprised by the thief’s question, did not have to convince
the thief that his change of heart was by the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit
did His work with the thief, so that Jesus responds, “Truly I tell you today
that you will be with me in Paradise”, i.e., he would be raised back to life and would live again in Jesus' presence. Jesus
does not add, “but, first we have to get you down from this cross and
baptized in the Jordan River or the temple pool for this salvation to stick, and then put you back up on the cross.”
Some denominations equate the Christian water baptism to the water baptism that John the
Baptizer performed for the forgiveness of sins – a baptism of repentance. It
was synonymous to a cleansing ritual under the Mosaic Law that would make God's people ready to worship Him and to
come into His presence before the Tabernacle. The Christian’s cleansing is by the blood of Christ and
the Word according to Ephesians 5 and Hebrews 9; it is a continual cleansing –
when you’re not in the Word you are not getting clean! As scripture shows us
and even the catechism shows—to some extent, that water baptism does not
guarantee salvation; rather, it is an outward sign or symbol of an inward grace
or saving faith transferred to us, so as to make a worthy commitment to Christ. According to Ephesians 1:12-14, it is
God the Holy Spirit in us that is the guarantee. In Romans 6:2-4, the apostle
Paul refers to the grace of salvation that causes us to die to sin – being
transferred from spiritual death and darkness, to spiritual life and light.
Creating a complete change of heart within the individual, and becoming
submitted to Christ using the metaphor of being baptized into Christ’s death,
i.e., dying to Christ is dying to sin, as Christ died for all sin. Then there comes the raising to life, The Life of Christ sustained by the Holy Spirit.
(d) Born again through
the Spirit. Undoubtedly, Nicodemus – as some professing Christians do even now
– saw and see the Holy Spirit or Spirit of God solely as a power or force of
God. They did not/do not understand the personhood of God the Holy Spirit.
Also, during the “Old Testament Times” the Holy Spirit’s work in and with a
human was often limited or bestowed for a particular time frame or purpose.
Like the anointing of artisans in the building of the Tabernacle; in God’s
prophets who spoke by the Spirit; the writers of OT scripture who were informed
by the Spirit. Or the accomplishment of miracles and such. However, due to what
Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah would accomplish on the cross, God the Holy
Spirit would actually dwell within a person who has confessed Christ
crucified for his/her sins, and who have made Jesus the Lord over their life;
they recognize that they have been bought or redeemed with the precious blood
of Jesus and no longer can claim ownership of themselves. 1 Corinthians 6
plainly shows that one’s salvation becomes operational within a person who has
been washed in the blood, which justified them before a Holy God, and who are
sanctified (set apart by God to accomplish His purpose through them) through
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which
guarantees that position. [repeat slowly] God the Holy Spirit had Paul
communicate this truth more than once to the churches of his day (see
Ephesians, Romans, et al.), and has caused it to permanently reside in the
collection of holy writings, i.e., the Bible – made holy because it’s Author,
God the Holy Spirit, is Divine. Jesus, during His last night on earth, told
soon-to-be traumatized disciples in John 14-17 that the Holy Spirit would come
and be in them, indwell them to guarantee their salvation and empower them for
God’s purposes for them. Romans chapter 8 tells us plainly that the Spirit
gives life, and if He does not dwell in a person they are not of Christ – no
matter how they identify themselves. Ephesians 1 tells us that God has placed
the Holy Spirit in those who are saved as a guarantee of our salvation,
signifying that the Holy Spirit is tasked with the growing of believers into
the image of Christ. [touching back to the “election” - a hard saying whose explanation would consume the better part of half a day - God foreknew who He
would choose to be graced with salvation; therefore, God the Holy Spirit cannot
be influenced by any rite or ritual to indwell someone who is not called to
salvation – no matter what happens within the worship tradition of a
congregation. We humans are made individually aware of our salvation, but we
cannot read anyone’s heart – let alone police our own without the Spirit’s
intervention. In Acts 11:16 and 1 Corinthians 12, scripture refers to this indwelling as being
baptized by the Spirit. It is that baptism which guarantees our
salvation. (Ephesians 1:13,14)
(d) Sainthood. The Roman Catholic Church for hundreds of years has
claimed the right and authority to reward certain persons with the designation
of sainthood. Such individuals were believed to be men and women of “heroic
virtue” who would after their deaths hold a privileged place with God in
heaven. [see full article here] Because of this, saints were considered to be spiritual guides and
mentors, who would add their prayers in heaven to those offered by Christians
still living in the material world. Their ranks include martyrs, kings and queens,
missionaries, widows, theologians, parents, nuns and priests, and “everyday
people” who dedicated their lives to the loving pursuit of God. The designation
process is called canonization, which has been described as a long and a
politically fraught process. The first canonized person by the Roman Church
occurred in 993 AD; certain named persons in scripture, including the apostles
and those associated closely with Christ, were posthumously referred to as St.
Peter, St. Mark, St. John, etc. Yet, is this the Bible’s definition of saints? [see also full articles at the online Encylopedia Brittanica, on this day, BBC report]
I’m
afraid not! In scripture passages (and this is just a partial list) we find the
opposite: at Matthew 27:52, Acts 9:13,32, 41; Romans 1:7; Romans 8:27; Romans
12:13; Romans 15:25, 26.31; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 16:15; Ephesians
1:1; Philippians 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:10; and Revelation 5:9. As you read these
passages, you will see that these were written to the common folk who worshiped
God in the community of believers. These were persons indwelt by the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit calls them “saints.” (pls. note that of the commonly
used Bible versions, only the NIV omits the word “saints” and uses instead,
“holy ones”).
For those whose minds are still married to the Roman Catholic See’s self-authority
to name saints, let us go deeper into the language in which these passages listed
above were written – Koine Greek. The word for “holy” in the Greek language
derives from the word hagios (HAH-gee-ohs). Interestingly, there are
passages in the Old Testament, e.g., Psalm 31:23; Deuteronomy 33:2-3; 2
Chronicles 6:41, to name a few - speak also of “holy ones” or saints; in that
instance the Hebrew word kedosh or phrase kol kedoshav is used.
So what does holy one in scripture refer to? It is translated – appropriately
– as “saints” (harking back to the Latin translation of hagios to "sanctus") – which means individuals set aside by God through the Holy
Spirit indwelling them to do God’s holy work and purpose. God does not make
us saints because of our works, but because of His work in us. We could never
on our own merit be made a saint through heroic works, despite the “sainthood”
that the Catholic Holy See authorizes itself to perform. We become saints positionally – that
is, when we are saved and born again through the Spirit, God makes our position
that of being holy, covered by Christ’s blood, no longer estranged from Him. We
are transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light
(Colossians 1:12-13). Again, God does not make us saints because of our works,
but, rather, because of His work in us, through the Holy Spirit, Who makes us “children of
God, born of God, heirs with Christ.” That is the Biblical definition of what a
saint is. The Bible does not claim levels of sainthood as some have been led to believe; as seen above, sainthood is not a title earned by exceptional acts, therefore to be something that places persons at a better advantage than others. That is not Biblical. There are no lower saints, higher saints, etc. Sainthood is a position in which God places all who have been saved - being a saint simply means that God makes holy what was once unholy. (See 1 Peter 2) (Dr. Charles Stanley preached more than once on this topic because of the ingrained wrong understanding held by many as to what God calls a saint. The sermons can be found online at intouch.org.) It is surmised that the Roman Catholic Church was persuaded to promote the idea that persons "achieving" sainthood would be assigned to different levels of holiness by the governing body incorporating culturally accepted teachings in that regard. This would appease some, and by so doing, the Roman Church would place itself in a role of authority presumed endowed by God, but which is, in truth, one that God never gave it.
Per the above, not all translations make the distinction of translating the original languages for "holy ones" as "saints" in the English
translation, but the Hebrew and Greek words cited above will be present each
time. Translations that use the word “saints” appropriately in their English
versions (this list is not all-inclusive but am citing some of the familiar
translations/versions) are the English Standard Version, the Amplified Version,
the 21st Century NKJV, the American SV, the Holman Christian,
International Standard, King James V./NKJV, The Living Bible, NASB, and NRSV. The NIV does not include the word saints in either the Old or New Testament, no doubt because of the Latin rendering of "sanctus" for the ancient Hebrew and Greek words. It translates the original Hebrew and Greek as "holy ones" without the added Latin version.
So is it wrong to call the apostles St. so and so? No. What is wrong is not
calling all of the persons saints that God calls saints.
So, by God’s determination, He sets aside persons to carry out
His will. He does not leave this up to a denomination or a political
process; only He can read the heart and know its contents. Jesus plainly says,
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I
will raise them up at the last day.”
So to sum up: how does God make His
determination as to who He sets aside? The process is formally called election. In the Old Testament we see God's hand at work: it was those who were bought/redeemed by blood from enslavement in Egypt, and brought
into covenant relationship with Jehovah God/Elohim/Adonai, who would be called
to be holy as God is holy. Their keeping covenant with God would allow them to
be in right standing with God, or as some are described in the Old Testament,
being “righteous persons.” (Deuteronomy
7:6-8; 2 Samuel 7:23-24; et al.) God created a people through whom He would
reveal Himself, record the oracles and employ them in God’s Name, and it would be that God ordained/set aside nation
through whom the Messiah – God’s remedy and salvific provision would come; He would become
the bridge that heals the broken relationship between God and humanity. In the OT, those
saints or persons set aside or apart by God to carry out His holy purpose would be
enabled to do so by the Holy Spirit - e.g., see 1 Kings 8:53 - for a determined time frame. The psalmist David, in Psalm 51, asks God to not take His Holy
Spirit away from him; the psalmist knew that God’s Spirit would rest on certain
individuals for a limited time and for a unique purpose – that He would not be
permanently indwelling persons at that time. Things would change upon Christ’s coming and His work at the cross. He fulfilled the requirement to be a
perfect sacrifice for the death-dealing sin inherited from Adam. Because of
that one act, we who are not under the Mosaic Covenant are graced to enter into
a New Covenant with Christ that would restore our relationship with the Father.
The Holy Spirit baptizes us, indwells us to guarantee that relationship; He
does so following the individual’s repentance of sins and repentance of their
rejection of Jesus, and removal of self from the throne that belongs
to Christ and make Him our Lord.
