I seem to have flowed effortlessly into a new series – this time on Spiritual Regeneration. Believe it or not, spiritual regeneration is not solely a New Testament issue, because the Old Testament prophets spoke about it. That is why Jesus chided Nicodemus in John 3: 10 for being ignorant about this truth although he held a PhD in the Law of Moses.

I will begin this series with the teachings of Jesus, the Expert Source. One of the most interesting encounters is that between the Lord and Nicodemus and is found in St John 3: 1-12:

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4: Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8: The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9: Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10: Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12: If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

There are many rich truths embedded in Jesus’ teaching to us, and I will highlight some of them:

  • you must be born again  (3)
  • you cannot see the kingdom of God unless you are born again (3)
  • You must be reborn of water (5)
  • You must be spiritually reborn (5)
  • you cannot enter the kingdom of God unless you are born of water and the spirit (5)
  • there are two births – a natural and a spiritual. The natural birth produces a new human, while the spiritual birth produces a new spirit  (6)
  • the spiritual birth is like the wind – it is invisible. You cannot see it with your eyes, but you can tell the effects in the life of the reborn spirit (8)
  •  The spiritual rebirth is heavenly truth (12)

Please follow this link for more on the human spirit

https://pppministries.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/the-spirit-of-man/

Blessings and more in the upcoming post!