John The Revelator

"Tell me who's that writin'?
John The Revelator
Tell me who's that writin'?
John The Revelator
Who's that writin?
Son House

The Book of John

Chapter 3

When looking at passages of scripture, it is imperative that we put the passages in their proper context.  In John 3, Nicodemus goes to Christ at night to ask Him questions because he realizes that Jesus has come from God because of the signs and miracles that Jesus performed.  It is important to know that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and the belief among the Pharisees and the Jewish people was that the Messiah would be a warrior messiah, that would liberate them, and the Messiah was the savior of the Jewish people.  In John 3, Jesus destroys both notions.

One of Jesus' most important teachings was on the Kingdom of God.  He says in v. 3 that one must be born again to see the Kingdom of God.  When Nicodemus asks him how this is possible, Jesus replies that one must be born of spirit and water to enter the Kingdom of God.  Two things to note.  The first is that this birth of the spirit is nothing that a man born of the flesh can do.  What is born of the flesh is of the flesh and what is born of the spirit is spirit.  Since all men were born of the flesh, how can this be?  To be born of the spirit, the holy spirit must regenerate the sinful man first.  Regeneration consists in the implanting of the principle of the new spiritual life in man, in a radical change of governing disposition of the soul, which under the influence of the Holy Spirit, gives birth to a life that moves in a Godward direction.  In principle this change affects the whole man in intellect, will, feelings, and emotion(1)  The second note for believers and a great comfort to me, is that once born in the spirit, the flesh and all its desires no longer have any power over the believer.

v.8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Verse 8 is a clear picture of God's sovereignty in election and salvation.  How does a human response or action or inaction warrant birth in the spirit?  Just as the wind blows in any direction it pleases, nobody knows where the spirit comes or goes.  In these first 8 verses, Jesus has corrected Nicodemus' beliefs in salvation.  As a Pharisee, Nicodemus no doubt believed that salvation came from the law, but Christ teaches here that it comes from being born of the spirit, and the fact that Christ doesn't limit this birth in the spirit to the Jew, teaches us that salvation is not exclusive to the Jew.  We see this more clearly in verses 15 and 16.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.  For God so loved the world,  that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Salvation isn't based in works or keeping the law, but by first being born of the spirit and then believing in the Son of Man.  Both Jew and Gentile can share in this blessing for God's love extends well outside Israel and Judea.  What a fascinating thought for Nicodemus to hear!  

In verse 17, Jesus expounds further on the role of the Messiah.  He was not sent to condemn the world, but to save the world.  Jesus says that all who believe, those born of the spirit, will not be condemned.  Paul echoes this statement in Romans.  "Therefore there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus".  God loves his people and has sent his Son to reconcile his people to Him.  Those that don't believe, Christ says, are condemned already.  He doesn't say their disbelief will condemn them.  He says they are condemned already!  But why are the condemned?  Let's read verses 19-21.

"And this is the judgment:the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

Jesus has come to shine a light into the darkness.  The wicked do not want to be exposed by the light because their deeds are evil.  In fact, none are righteous, no not one.  All our deeds were like filthy rags to God.  It is our spiritual birth and preceding faith in Christ that allows us to come to the light and so that all men, those in the light and those in darkness will see the good deeds of the elect, so that it may be clearly seen that our works have been carried out in God.  It is God working through His people that shines light into the darkness so that he may be glorified.  

In closing,  Jesus teaches us that those born in the spirit will produce good deeds because it is the spirit working through them and nothing of their own accord, including being born of the spirit and placing their faith in Christ.  Being born again occurs through a regeneration through the Holy Spirit.  It frees the sinful mind from the bondage of sin and moves him toward God.  Many passages mention that the gospel is foolishness to the wise.  In reality, the gospel is foolishness to all who are not born of the spirit.  The fruit of regeneration is faith.  The fruit of faith is righteous acts carried out by God through the believer.  In the words of Derek Webb, "I am thankful, that I am incapable of doing any good on my own."

1. Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof