"Religion or Relationship?"

Three men died and were standing at the pearly gates. What have you done to deserve Heaven? 1st--police officer, enforced law, fought crime. Peter, “OK, go on in.” 2nd--very wealthy and gave lots of money to charitable causes. Peter, “OK, go on in.” 3rd--director of an HMO organization. He had helped save millions of dollars for health care and insurance companies. He had helped cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse in the system. Peter, “OK come on in, but you can only stay for 3 days.”

We have all heard jokes about people showing up at the pearly gates seeking entrance into Heaven. While many of these jokes bring a smile to our faces, behind most of them is the false assumption that we must do something to get into Heaven. It is shocking to people to hear that they can’t do anything to earn entrance into Heaven. Grace goes beyond human comprehension. By our nature, we want to merit God’s favor. The scandal of grace challenges our normal way of thinking.

In our text today, we come across one of those persons who had a difficult time understanding the truth of free grace salvation. His name was Nicodemus, and as we move through our text, we will discover that Nicodemus was a very religious man who had a hard time realizing the difference between religion and relationship. Let’s listen in on his conversation with Jesus in John 3. Read text.

It was at night that this ruler of the Jews, Nicodemus, decided to pay the teacher Jesus a visit. There has been a lot of speculation as to why he came at night.

·         rabbis studied at night

·         to avoid the crowd

·         so their conversation would not be limited

·         because he feared being seen with Jesus

In John’s gospel, darkness opposes light. Perhaps the mention of the fact it was night symbolizes the darkness that shrouded Nicodemus’ heart and soul. But for whatever reason, Nicodemus comes at night in hopes that this miracle worker can answer some of his spiritual questions. He was a seeker.

Now, it must be said up front that Nicodemus was no ordinary citizen. He was rich. He was respected. He was religious. He was a ruler. Nicodemus was deacon material. He was committee chair potential. He had it all. He was a well-respected, admired Jewish citizen that people would have considered a role model.

He also has a deep respect and interest in Jesus. His designation of Jesus as Rabbi shows great admiration for Jesus. After all, he is a trained religious ruler and Jesus is only a commoner. To address Jesus with the title “Teacher” reveals Nicodemus’ deep admiration for Jesus. Nicodemus makes Jesus an equal.

He even recognizes Jesus’ ministry as blessed by God. “No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him,” he asserts. He acknowledges the divine blessing of God upon Jesus. Nicodemus falls into the category of the believers described at the end of chapter 2, he believes in Jesus, but strictly because of the miracles. He is an admirer but not a genuine believer.

Of course, Jesus knows Nicodemus’s heart (2:24), so he cuts straight to the heart of the matter: “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Jesus knows why Nicodemus is really there, so he immediately challenges him. “If you want to enter God’s kingdom, you must be born again.”

“Born again” is a common expression today (especially made popular when then Presidential candidate J. Carter announced he was a born-again Christian). To say you are born-again has become somewhat trite. It is a familiar term.

But what Jesus is talking about here is a supernatural event. It is perhaps best translated born “from above.” It is a spiritual new birth, a divine regeneration, a spiritual transformation. To be born again is to be made new by the Spirit of God.

Such language and teaching confuses Nicodemus. Predominant religious thought in that day affirmed that all Jews would be admitted to God’s kingdom apart from those guilty of deliberate apostasy or gross wickedness. But here Jesus is telling Nicodemus, a respected scholar, that he cannot enter God’s kingdom unless he is born again.

Nicodemus responds, “How can a person be born when he is old? Are we to enter our mother’s wombs a second time?” Jesus is speaking on a spiritual level and Nicodemus is hearing on a physical level. How can I be born again? Are there any women here who want to give birth to full-grown men?

Jesus explains further: “Nicodemus, I am speaking of a spiritual birth. Unless one is born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” I found no less than 7 opinions as to what Jesus means by this unique expression: to be born of the water and Spirit. A few of the more common views are: 1) baptism, 2) natural birth, 3) repentance (John the Baptist), or 4) the washing of regeneration, i.e., one must be cleansed by the Holy Spirit.

This final view seems to have the stronger evidence in that Jesus follows this expression by saying that the one who is born from above is born of the Spirit. “That which is born of the flesh is fleshly, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” To be born again, one must be born of the Spirit.

Jesus states that Nicodemus should not be surprised by these words. He should not be shocked that a person must be born from above. He should not be confused by Jesus’ reference to spiritual birth.

Just as the wind is unexplainable in many ways (you see its effect but you cannot pinpoint its source), even so, the new birth is a divine act controlled by God. God alone gives new life. New birth is a supernatural act that changes people. You can see its effect, but in many ways, you cannot explain its origin.

Nicodemus is still confused: How can these things be? Jesus answers, “Are you the teacher of Israel and you do not know these things?” You are one of the main guys. You have given your life to the study of spiritual truth, and yet, you cannot comprehend this very basic element of spiritual truth. You do not know what it means to be born from above. You are religious but lost.

“But,” says Jesus, “this shouldn’t surprise me; you do not believe the earthly things that I tell you. How can you believe the spiritual things?” In other words, it should come as no surprise that your sinful mind does not grasp this spiritual truth. Only the one born from above can understand God’s truth.

After all, no one has ascended to God. Instead, God has come down. He has descended in the form of a man. And only those who believe in Him as the Son of God will be granted eternal life (1:12).

To emphasize his point, Jesus turns to an Old Testament story that would be familiar to Nicodemus. He refers to the desert incident when God sent venomous snakes into the Israelite’s camp to judge them for their sin. As these snakes began to strike the people, God instructed Moses to make and erect a bronze serpent. And all those who looked up at the serpent were saved. Even so, Jesus would be lifted up on a cross, and those who look to Him will be saved. “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

And that is the key to entrance into God’s kingdom, that is the key to being born again: trusting in Jesus. You must be born again, and the one who is born from above is granted eternal life.

Nicodemus, you are religious in every sense of the word. But you have not entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; therefore, you are lost. You have not looked upon Jesus as your sole source for salvation. You are religious but you are not redeemed.

This text teaches us what it means to be born again. Let’s examine two primary truths from our text this morning:

I.            Being born again is not about human efforts (1-2).

If anyone “deserved” eternal life, it would appear that Nicodemus had all of the right qualifications. He seems worthy of eternal life. But this story reminds us that salvation is not about human effort or merit. We are reminded that:

A.           Position does not save you.

He was a man of the Pharisees, one of the 70 who comprised the Sanhedrin. In essence, he was a member of the Jewish Supreme Court. The Pharisees were right in many areas of doctrine, but they made one primary mistake: they externalized religion. Outwardly, they lived above reproach. They were considered the religious elite. They went to great lengths to obey not only the law but also the man-made rules of tradition that kept them from breaking the law. Nicodemus was a part of the religious elite. He had a distinguished religious position.

But a certain position does not save you. Being a deacon does not save you. Being a pastor does not save you. Being a SS teacher does not save you. Being a member of the board at non-profit organizations does not save you. Positions do not save. Being born again is not about human efforts. It is not about positions.

B.           Popularity does not save you.

The name Nicodemus means well liked or popular. Here was a man who was well known and respected in the community. He was popular. He was recognized as a spiritual leader. Mothers pointed to Nicodemus and told their children, “There is a good man. There is a good role model.” He was extremely popular.

But popularity does not save you. Being recognized as a “Christian” person does not save you. Being recognized as a spiritual leader does not save you. Being born again is not about popularity.

C.           Prestige does not save you.

Jesus identified Nicodemus as “the” ruler of the Jews. He was one to whom people turned for spiritual answers. He was recognized as a spiritual adviser, a religious guru, one who spent his life studying the Scriptures. His position was one of spiritual prestige, but he did not possess eternal life. He was “the” man when it came to religious matters but he was not saved. He was not born from above because prestige does not save you.

D.          Piety does not save you.

Nicodemus possessed great religious knowledge. As a member of the Pharisees, he knew and lived what was considered right and wrong. His first words to Jesus, “we know” express a certain level of spiritual knowledge. Yet the reality is that Nicodemus did not know. He was ignorant of spiritual truth.

He was religious to the core. The Pharisees went to drastic measures to make sure they obeyed the letter of the law. They fasted and prayed and studied the Scriptures. They lived spiritually disciplined lives, but they were lost. He was religious and lost.

Do you know why? Piety does not save. You can come to church, tithe, go to SS, lead a class, be a deacon, read your Bible, pray, witness, and practice spiritual disciplines and yet still be lost. You can do all the things that pious people do and be without Christ. Piety does not save. I have heard so many people say, “I live a good life. I try to do what is right. I go to church, etc.” but pious living does not save.

Being born again is not about human efforts. It is not about position, popularity, prestige, or piety. Then what is it about?

II.          Being born again is about a personal relationship (3-15).

Being born again is not about religion but about relationship. It is about being born from above. It is about new birth, transformation. Let’s talk about this new birth. What is new birth? What is it all about?

A.           New birth is a spiritual birth (3-6).

Being born again is not a physical act. It is not a mental or emotional decision. It is not a moral life style. Being born again is to be born from above. It is a spiritual transformation that comes only through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus says, “Unless one is born of the Spirit he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The new birth is a spiritual birth. It is a spiritual transformation that takes place when one surrenders their life to Jesus Christ in faith. It is a spiritual act. Too many attempt to make salvation physical (doing this or not doing that), but in reality, it is spiritual.

B.           New birth is a sovereign birth (7-8).

New birth is God-initiated and God-controlled. Through his illustration of the wind, Jesus emphasizes this point. Just as the human mind cannot understand the depth and details of how the wind blows, neither can sinful humanity understand how the new birth transpires. It is a matter of faith. Salvation is a sovereign act of God.

Let me say here that while unbelievers may know little of how Christianity “works”, they can observe how the children of God function in society. They can see the effects of the wind. The Christian’s life is a testimony of the unseen reality of God’s sovereign grace. The new birth is a sovereign act of God.

C.           The new birth is a supernatural birth (9-12).

Once again, as Jesus explains to Nicodemus, the new birth is a heavenly matter. Explaining salvation in natural/human terms is impossible. New birth is a supernatural experience that cannot be tested or diagnosed. It cannot be placed in a test tube and examined. New birth is not a scientific formula. There is no secret combination or recipe. You see new birth comes only through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. It is a supernatural process that produces supernatural results. You cannot explain the reality of genuine salvation. It cannot be explained. It can only be experienced thru God’s grace. Transformation cannot be explained.

It reminds me of the story in John 9 of the man who was blind from birth. Jesus healed him and the rulers question him, “How did this nman heal you?” The man can only answer, “I cannot explain it all. I just know one thing: I was blind and now I see.” And that is the testimony of everyone who is born again. I cannot explain who God can transform a sinner into a saint. I just know that I was lost and now I am found. I was blind and now I see. I was on my way to hell and now I am on my way to heaven. The new birth is supernatural. It is beyond human explanation.

D.          The new birth comes only through a Savior (13-15).

It is all about relationship, a relationship between a holy God and a sinful people. How can this be? How can a holy God have a relationship with a sinful people? Because He came down (v.13). And why did He come down? So that He might be lifted up on the cross (v.14), and those who look up, those who believe in Him, should not perish but have eternal life (v.15).

As the Israelites in the desert, we have all been struck down by sin. Sin has sunk its fangs in our spiritual souls and we are dying. The venom has made its way to our hearts and we are dying in our sins.

But God saw us in our sinful hopelessness, and He made a way. He sent a Savior, who was lifted up on Calvary’s cross. And now the message rings, “Believe in Him. Believe in Him. Believe in Him, for those who believe will not perish but have eternal life. Look to the cross. There is healing in the cross. There is a Savior. The new birth comes through a Savior.

Being born again is about a personal relationship. It is not about human effort. It is about new birth. A spiritual birth that is: initiated by God, brought about through the death of a Savior, and transforming in its power, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.