Jesus surprised Nicodemus when He declared that no one can enter God’s kingdom without first being born again. Many people today are just as surprised. What is this rebirth? From his sermon series in the gospel of John, today R.C. Sproul addresses the doctrine of regeneration. Get R.C. Sproul’s commentary on the gospel of John for your donation of any amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/3732/john-commentary Revisit Ligonier Ministries’ recent 2024 year-end update to hear the Lord is using your support of this teaching fellowship to equip the global church: https://ligm.in/4f5OjRW Meet Today’s Teacher: R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was known for his ability to winsomely and clearly communicate deep, practical truths from God’s Word. He was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew’s Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. Meet the Host: Nathan W. Bingham is vice president of ministry engagement for Ligonier Ministries, executive producer and host of Renewing Your Mind, host of the Ask Ligonier podcast, and a graduate of Presbyterian Theological College in Melbourne, Australia. Nathan joined Ligonier in 2012 and lives in Central Florida with his wife and four children.
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You may have been born in a Christian home. You may have been raised in a Christian home or reared in a Christian home, and you may have been instructed and gone to a Christian school, gone to a Christian college. None of those things make you a Christian.
That which is born of the flesh, your natural birth, all that gives to you is flesh, and flesh of that sort is powerless to enter into the kingdom of God.
One of the most famous conversations recorded for us in the Bible is the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus at night in John chapter 3. And what they discuss is of vital importance for each and every one of us. I'm glad you're joining us for this Sunday edition of Renewing Your Mind. I'm Nathan W. Bingham. Each Sunday, we feature the preaching ministry of R.C.
Sproul, the founder of Ligonier Ministries and the first minister of preaching and teaching at St. Andrew's Chapel. We're still in a short sermon series in John's Gospel, which means that until midnight tonight, you can request the hardcover edition of Dr. Sproul's line-by-line walk through the Gospel of John when you give a year-end donation of any amount at renewingyourmind.org.
So what did Jesus mean when He told Nicodemus that people need to be born again? And is it ever proper for us to call ourselves born-again Christians? Here's Dr. Sproul.
Our Scripture this morning is taken from the third chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John, beginning at verse 1, reading through verse 17. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. And this man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.
Jesus answered and said to him, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "'How can these things be?'
Jesus answered and said to him, "'Are you the teacher of Israel?' and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, we speak what we know, testify what we have seen, and you do not receive our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
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