Embracing the Mystery of New Birth in Christ

 

Summary

In the passage from John 3:9-13, we encounter the profound dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, a master of Israel. This conversation reveals the essence of the Christian faith: the necessity of being born again to truly see and enter the Kingdom of God. The Gospel of John emphasizes the theme of eternal life, which is not merely an intellectual belief or a simple act of forgiveness but the life of God within the souls of men. This eternal life is characterized by receiving the fullness of Christ, a concept that challenges both non-believers and believers alike.

Nicodemus's struggle to understand the concept of being born again highlights a common obstacle: the pride of intellect and the reliance on human understanding. This pride is not only a barrier to entering the Christian faith but also a hindrance for believers in experiencing the fullness of God's grace. The Christian life offers the unsearchable riches of Christ and the possibility of being filled with the fullness of God, yet many limit these possibilities by confining the Gospel to the boundaries of human comprehension.

The sermon challenges us to recognize the folly of relying solely on human wisdom. Jesus uses the analogy of the wind to illustrate the mystery of the Spirit's work, which, like the wind, is unseen yet evident in its effects. The inability to understand even earthly things should humble us before the heavenly mysteries of God. The Christian faith invites us to transcend our limited understanding and embrace the divine mysteries of the Trinity, the glory of God, and the person of Jesus Christ.

Ultimately, the call is to submit to the revelation of God in Christ, who alone has ascended and descended from heaven. This submission opens the door to a life enriched by the Spirit, where believers can experience the breadth, length, depth, and height of Christ's love, leading to a transformative communion with God.

Key Takeaways:

- The necessity of being born again is central to the Christian faith, emphasizing that true Christianity is not just intellectual belief or forgiveness but the life of God within us. This new birth is essential to see and enter the Kingdom of God. [05:23]

- Pride of intellect and reliance on human understanding are significant obstacles to experiencing the fullness of God's grace. This pride limits our ability to receive the unsearchable riches of Christ and the fullness of God. [08:58]

- The mystery of the Spirit's work, like the wind, is unseen yet evident in its effects. Our inability to understand even earthly things should humble us before the heavenly mysteries of God, inviting us to transcend our limited understanding. [22:31]

- The Christian faith calls us to embrace the divine mysteries of the Trinity, the glory of God, and the person of Jesus Christ. These heavenly things are beyond human comprehension, yet they are the essence of the Gospel. [29:20]

- Submission to the revelation of God in Christ opens the door to a life enriched by the Spirit, where believers can experience the fullness of Christ's love and a transformative communion with God. This submission leads to a deeper understanding and experience of heavenly things. [47:23]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to John 3:9-13
- [01:11] - The Encounter with Nicodemus
- [02:00] - Theme of Eternal Life
- [03:18] - Illustrations of Abundant Life
- [04:31] - Obstacles to Receiving Life
- [05:23] - Necessity of New Birth
- [06:46] - Nicodemus's Struggle
- [08:40] - Pride of Intellect
- [10:13] - The Folly of Human Understanding
- [11:21] - Desire for Comprehension
- [14:59] - Limiting the Gospel
- [18:14] - Heavenly Things
- [27:32] - Earthly vs. Heavenly Understanding
- [39:03] - The Person of Christ
- [47:23] - Embracing the Fullness of God

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- John 3:9-13

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Observation Questions:

1. What was Nicodemus's initial reaction to Jesus's teaching about being born again, and how did Jesus respond to his confusion? ([00:32])

2. How does Jesus use the analogy of the wind to explain the work of the Spirit to Nicodemus? ([06:12])

3. What does Jesus mean when he says, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven"? ([20:36])

4. How does the sermon describe the limitations of human understanding in grasping the mysteries of God? ([21:17])

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Interpretation Questions:

1. Why might the concept of being "born again" be challenging for someone like Nicodemus, who was a learned teacher of Israel? How does this reflect on the broader challenge of intellectual pride? ([08:40])

2. In what ways does the analogy of the wind help us understand the mysterious nature of the Spirit's work? How does this analogy challenge our desire for control and understanding? ([22:31])

3. How does the sermon suggest that the Christian faith requires us to transcend our limited understanding and embrace divine mysteries? What are some examples of these mysteries? ([29:20])

4. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between submission to Christ and experiencing the fullness of God's love? ([47:23])

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when your intellectual pride or reliance on human understanding hindered your spiritual growth. How can you cultivate humility to overcome this obstacle? ([08:40])

2. The sermon emphasizes the necessity of being born again to see and enter the Kingdom of God. How can you ensure that your faith is not just an intellectual belief but a transformative experience of God's life within you? ([05:23])

3. Consider the analogy of the wind and the Spirit's work. How can you become more open to the unseen yet powerful effects of the Spirit in your life? ([22:31])

4. The sermon challenges us to embrace the divine mysteries of the Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ. How can you deepen your understanding and appreciation of these mysteries in your daily walk with God? ([29:20])

5. Submission to the revelation of God in Christ is said to open the door to a life enriched by the Spirit. What practical steps can you take to submit more fully to Christ's authority in your life? ([47:23])

6. Reflect on your prayer life. When you pray, do you feel like you are truly communicating with God, or does it feel more like talking to yourself? How can you cultivate a more genuine communion with God in your prayers? ([47:58])

7. The sermon suggests that experiencing the fullness of God's love leads to a transformative communion with God. What specific actions can you take this week to experience more of Christ's love in your life? ([47:23])

Devotional

Day 1: The Necessity of Spiritual Rebirth
To truly enter the Kingdom of God, one must experience a spiritual rebirth. This rebirth is not merely an intellectual assent or a simple act of forgiveness but involves the life of God dwelling within us. The Gospel of John emphasizes that eternal life is characterized by receiving the fullness of Christ. This concept challenges both non-believers and believers to move beyond a superficial understanding of faith and embrace the transformative power of being born again. This new birth is essential to see and enter the Kingdom of God, as it signifies a profound change in one's spiritual state. [05:23]

Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV): "To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

Reflection: In what ways can you invite the life of God to transform your daily actions and thoughts today?


Day 2: Overcoming the Pride of Intellect
Pride in one's intellect and reliance on human understanding can be significant obstacles to experiencing the fullness of God's grace. This pride limits our ability to receive the unsearchable riches of Christ and the fullness of God. Nicodemus's struggle to understand the concept of being born again highlights this common obstacle. The Christian life offers the possibility of being filled with the fullness of God, yet many limit these possibilities by confining the Gospel to the boundaries of human comprehension. [08:58]

1 Corinthians 1:25 (ESV): "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you rely heavily on your own understanding. How can you practice humility and seek God's wisdom in this area today?


Day 3: Embracing the Mystery of the Spirit
The work of the Spirit is like the wind—unseen yet evident in its effects. Our inability to understand even earthly things should humble us before the heavenly mysteries of God. The Christian faith invites us to transcend our limited understanding and embrace the divine mysteries of the Trinity, the glory of God, and the person of Jesus Christ. This humility allows us to experience the Spirit's transformative work in our lives, leading us to a deeper communion with God. [22:31]

Ecclesiastes 11:5 (ESV): "As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything."

Reflection: How can you become more open to the mysterious work of the Spirit in your life today, even when you don't fully understand it?


Day 4: The Call to Embrace Divine Mysteries
The Christian faith calls us to embrace the divine mysteries of the Trinity, the glory of God, and the person of Jesus Christ. These heavenly things are beyond human comprehension, yet they are the essence of the Gospel. By acknowledging our limitations and submitting to God's revelation, we open ourselves to a life enriched by the Spirit. This submission leads to a deeper understanding and experience of heavenly things, allowing us to experience the breadth, length, depth, and height of Christ's love. [29:20]

Colossians 2:2-3 (ESV): "That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Reflection: What is one divine mystery you struggle to understand? How can you practice trust and submission to God's wisdom in this area today?


Day 5: Submission to the Revelation of God in Christ
Submission to the revelation of God in Christ opens the door to a life enriched by the Spirit. This submission allows believers to experience the fullness of Christ's love and a transformative communion with God. By embracing the divine mysteries and acknowledging our limitations, we can experience a deeper understanding and experience of heavenly things. This transformative communion with God leads to a life filled with the Spirit's presence and the unsearchable riches of Christ. [47:23]

James 4:7-8 (ESV): "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find it difficult to submit to God's will? What steps can you take today to surrender this area to Him?

Quotes



To be Christian means to receive of the fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing less than that. It is merely an intellectual belief; it isn't merely being forgiven, even vital, essential though that is. Christianity rarely means the life of God In The Souls of men. [00:02:28]

Except a man be born again, he cannot even see the kingdom of God, leave alone enter it. A rebirth is absolutely essential. And what we've been doing is to note the marks and the characteristics of the new birth in order that we may know for certain whether we are truly Christian or not. [00:05:06]

The Supreme hindrance to our receiving the fullness of this life is pride of intellect and confidence in understanding. That is the greatest enemy in these spiritual Matters from beginning to end. And the fact that we may be converted into Christians does not mean that we finished with that particular problem. [00:08:45]

The moment you put the authority of the Bible on one side and refuse to submit to Revelation but say that that is truth only which you can understand and comprehend, you're guilty of this very thing. And that is what is being done today. Men are no longer governed by the scriptures. [00:14:50]

Christianity is that which brings a man to a knowledge of God. Take our Lord's own definition of life Eternal: this is life eternal, that they might Know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent. That's Christianity, knowing God, not just believing a few things about God. [00:29:48]

The Apostle Paul prays for the Ephesians that they may be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man. What for? That in order that they with all other Saints may begin to learn and to comprehend what is the breadth and the length and the depth and the height. [00:47:07]

The Christian, the true Christian, is an enigma and a problem to everybody who's not Christian. And this again, of course, is one of the best tests we can ever apply to ourselves. If people can understand you, my friend, in Toto, you are just not a Christian. [00:26:19]

The greatest perhaps of all the dangers, and it is a danger that is exposed and denounced in the New Testament. Here it is, here our Lord does it with Nicodemus. It's the very heart of his message to him, but he did it in many other places. [00:18:09]

The glory of the Gospel is being limited and lowered and narrowed to the measure of men's understanding. And this, I say, is the greatest Hind I think probably of all the hindrances to our receiving of his fullness and Grace upon Grace. [00:15:56]

The Christian faith invites us to transcend our limited understanding and embrace the divine mysteries of the Trinity, the glory of God, and the person of Jesus Christ. These heavenly things are beyond human comprehension, yet they are the essence of the Gospel. [00:28:48]

The mystery of the Spirit's work, like the wind, is unseen yet evident in its effects. Our inability to understand even earthly things should humble us before the heavenly mysteries of God, inviting us to transcend our limited understanding. [00:22:56]

Submission to the revelation of God in Christ opens the door to a life enriched by the Spirit, where believers can experience the fullness of Christ's love and a transformative communion with God. This submission leads to a deeper understanding and experience of heavenly things. [00:47:23]

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Transcript
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