What does it actually mean to be "born again"? Drawing from Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, Dr. Stanley teaches that salvation is a supernatural transformation initiated entirely by the Holy Spirit. Discover how the Holy Spirit imparts new life, making it possible to relate to God and prepare for eternity.
Sermon Outline
When we’re struggling to understand something or have questions we can’t put into words, the Lord is there for us. This week, Dr. Stanley explores exactly how Jesus answered Nicodemus’s questions about salvation—and why we, too, need to understand the truth about rebirth.
Key Passage: John 3:1-16
Supporting Passages: Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 3:4; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:27
We all make mistakes, but God offers us the opportunity to start again. While He might not rewrite our history; He allows us to stop reliving it.
“No matter what you’ve done in the past, there is a way to have a new beginning.”
Understanding our new birth:
To be born again means to be born from above. This is not a physical second chance but a spiritual transformation that comes from God (John 3:3; John 3:6-7).
Regeneration is the biblical term for God imparting new life to a person through faith in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:5).
There are unavoidable appointments everyone faces. We must …
Die (Heb. 9:27).
Stand before God and give an account of our life (Rom. 14:10).
Choose to be born again to prepare for both.
“Once I have been given the gift of life, the cleaning up is the work of the Holy Spirit.”
Why unbelievers struggle when it comes to understanding the new birth:
The gospel remains hidden from them because their mind has been blinded to spiritual things (2 Cor. 4:3-4).
Apart from Jesus Christ, all people are spiritually dead in their sins and therefore separated from God (Eph. 2:1-3).
A spiritually dead person cannot respond to spiritual truth without the intervention of God’s Holy Spirit.
The new birth is not about being good enough, eliminating sin, adding virtue, or turning over a new leaf. It’s about God imparting the gift of life to those who put their faith in Jesus.
“Eternal life is the life of Jesus Christ within us.”
Three instruments God uses to bring about the new birth:
His Word convicts us of our need to be born again.
The blood of Christ washes away all sin and removes our guilt.
The Holy Spirit imparts eternal life to all who receive Christ by faith.
To anyone who receives Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit gives the life of God. That life is what Christ meant when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. (See John 14:6.) Paul described it by saying, “Christ, who is our life” (Col. 3:4).
After Watching
Nicodemus was a respected religious leader who still had questions about what it meant to truly know God. What questions do you find yourself sitting with, even now?
If you have been born again, take a few minutes to reflect on what your life looked like before and after. What’s one example of God’s work in you that you’re grateful for today?
