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Speaker: Rev. Shine Thomas
Posted on: 2011-01-30
Series: Christian Basics

Joke: It was census time in heaven and an angel came and said, "I want the men to make two lines. One line for the men that dominated their women on earth and the other line for the men that were dominated by their women. Also, I want all the women to go to the other side as the men are arranging themselves." With that said and done, the next time the angle looked, the women are gone and there are two lines. The line of the men that were dominated by their women was 10 km long, and in the line of men that dominated their women, there was only one man. The angle got mad and said, "You men should be ashamed of yourselves. You had to dominate your wives but you were all whipped by your wives. Look at the only one brave man that stood up and made me proud. Learn from him! The angle said to the one man and said, “Tell them man, how did you manage to be the only one in this line?" And the man replied, "I don't know -- my wife told me to stand here."

Introduction

One of the greatest tragedies in the world today is the fact that most people including a lot of religions do not know how they can go to heaven.

This morning we are going to see how a person can prepare themselves to go to heaven.

In our text today, we come across a person who had a difficult time understanding the truth of free grace of God which leads a person to heaven. His name was Nicodemus. Jesus explains to this man exactly how a person can go to heaven.

Let us turn to the Bible to the gospel according to John chapter 3.

John 3:1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.

Nicodemus was a very religious man. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. He knew the entire Old Testament by heart. He was also a teacher of the law. He was a separated man for the law who kept himself holy. He kept himself from sin and immorality. He was one of the most religious people of his day.

Nicodemus was a prestigious man. He was the member of the Jewish ruling counsel, member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the Jewish Supreme Court. This man had made it to the top of the ladder in the eyes of his society.

When we put all the qualities of Nicodemus we find that he was a perfect man in the eyes of the world - religious, educated, popular, rich, powerful, and he also knew Jesus. Maybe there are many of you who can identify with the qualities of Nicodemus but he did not know one vital thing. Nicodemus did not know how to go to heaven.

In the conversation with Nicodemus Jesus is sharing with him a secret to go to heaven. It is an open secret found only in the Bible. Let us read that conversation.

John 3:1-7 1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

Let us break this passage and see what Jesus says on how we can go to heaven.

John 3:3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” We cannot go to heaven unless we are born again.

How can we be born again?

John 3:3(AMP) Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above) he cannot ever see the kingdom of God.
So to be born again is to be born from above, born from high, born of God.

What is it to be born from high? John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

Therefore to be born again is to be born from high. To be born from high is be born of water and the Spirit.

Born of water and the Spirit

Born of Water

Water symbolizes the word of God. Ephesians 5:25-26 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.

When we read the word of God we are washed and purified and it gives way for a new birth in us. The Word of God is the actual instrument that the Holy Spirit uses in working the new birth.

1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Rebirth happens when we are born of the water which is the word of God. Therefore in order to go to heaven it is very important to read and obey the word of God.

Born of the Spirit

Some of you may be telling, “Pastor I read the word everyday; I know a lot of the word by heart, so I feel I am born again.” Listen, rebirth does not happen by knowing the word alone. Rebirth happens by water and the Spirit together. Unless the word is transformed in our lives by the Holy Spirit rebirth does not occur.

How do we know the transformation has happened by the spirit? It is when we read the word and the Holy Spirit works through the word in us transformation occurs. This is called as repentance. When we read the word Holy Spirit makes us realize that we are sinners – born in sin, living in sin, separated from God, and are in need of a saviour. Again the word says Jesus is the saviour and the blood of Jesus can cleanse us. Therefore when we believe in Jesus and confess our sins and accept Him as our saviour and Lord we are born again.

John 1:12-13 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

This is called rebirth or born again. This is called as salvation or being saved.

How do we receive Jesus?

Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

When we are born again we are saved. Spiritual birth happens, the spirit of God comes into the spirit of man. We become the children of God. Being born again is the first step to go to heaven.

John 3:15-18 15 - everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Now, once we are born again Christ takes birth in us. The word and the spirit brings repentance in us. The product of rebirth is repentance. When rebirth happens repentance happens. There is a change in our attitude, change in our mind, change in our life.

Repentance is an internal change. Repentance is not an emotion. Going to fasting prayer, coming for worship are all the actions of repentance. But true repentance and rebirth happens when we turn away from our sins. Repentance is not an external change. Repentance is an internal change that changes my external.

Illustration: Have you seen sugar patients administer insulin into their system. Everyday they take the syringe, take out the insulin from the vile, and inject it deep into their body. What happens, the insulin goes into their system, fights with the body sugar, and brings it back to the normal range.

This is the same with repentance. Jesus Christ being is being injected to our system through the word and the Holy Spirit. Then Christ inside us changes us completely and reconciles us to God. Remember just like the sugar patient injecting his own insulin, repentance can happen only with our permission, when we believe and accept him.

When Jesus is born inside there is a complete change in us. Our look, talk, walk will be different. Our life will be changed. We cannot continue with the worldly lifestyle and have Jesus in our lives.

Illustration: This reminds me of the time when a woman is expecting. Now a child being born in her and it changes her entirely. Soon the change inside brings the change to the outside. She walks differently, she sits differently. She knows she cannot be the same old self because she has to adjust to the internal changes that are happening.

Repentance is a radical transformation. Radical - Proceeding directly from the root. When we repent we are transformed inside out. It is a total transformation. That is why Paul says in Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

After I am born again I have the very same hand but Christ uses it now, I cannot use it for my sinful life. It is the same with my eyes, body, mouth etc. Jesus takes the total control of our life.

Jesus said if you want to go to heaven you have to be born again. But born again is of no use if there is no lifestyle of repentance. Being born again is the first step to repentance. Repentance is a big continuous process. Repentance starts from being born again until our death or the coming of our Lord. This is called working out our salvation.

Philippians 2:12 — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

(AMP) - work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).

Therefore, when a person is born of the water and the spirit and accepts Jesus Christ and when he continues to work out his salvation he goes to heaven.

Let us come back to the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. John 3:3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Like some of us who are still confused about what I said, Nicodemus was also confused. He said how can this be? John 3:9-10 9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. 10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

Nicodemus still could not understand the meaning of being born again. Jesus continues to talk to him and finally Jesus told an example from the OT to make him understand about rebirth. John 3:14-15 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

To emphasize his point, Jesus turns to a familiar OT incident. He refers to the desert incident when God sent venomous snakes into the Israelite’s camp to judge them for their sins. The snake bit the people and many Israelites died. As these snakes began to strike the people, God instructed Moses to make and erect a bronze serpent.

Numbers 21:8-9 8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

Jesus said, “Just like Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness and the people who looked at the snake were saved, likewise I will be lifted up on the cross and everyone who believes in me will have eternal life or go to heaven.”

John 3:14-15 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

It is very simple here. The key to entrance into God’s kingdom, the key to heaven is to believe in Jesus and be born again. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Conclusion

You may be religious like Nicodemus, you may be successful in a worldly sense, you may have good family, education but if you are not born again you will not go to heaven.

Through Nicodemus Jesus is telling us that that religion will not save us, position will not save us, riches will not save us, power will not save us, righteous works will not us him. What saves us is belief in Jesus Christ. What leads us to heaven is to be born again.

Have you been born again, born from above? Today I would like to give you an opportunity to accept Jesus in your heart and be born again.