John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” James 1:21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
When Jesus uttered the words to Nicodemus that one must be born again, His words were universal in nature and stated an absolute must. His words did not say what human beings can do, but instead they pointed human beings to what must happen to them. His words do not include the possibility that this is something that may happen but does not really have to happen, but instead they declare an absolute necessity. In the modern day it appears to be the popular stance by far to dismiss these words or try to get around them, but that is to do nothing more than twist the words of Scripture which is the Word of God.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
If we look with some degree of care and thought at the words of Jesus, the absolute and utter need of regeneration stands out in with extraordinary clarity. The first two words that Jesus spoke in answer to Nicodemus (“truly, truly”) clue us in that He is about to say something that needs to be listened to. The word “truly” is used 85 times in the New Testament with all but two of those used in the Gospels. Of the remaining 83 times, all but one is used by Jesus. No other writer by John records Jesus in the double “truly, truly” and he does so 25 times in the Gospel of John. However, each time Jesus is stating something of vital importance. When Jesus started off a statement with “truly, truly,” it was time to pay close attention to what He said.
After Jesus, who was the Truth, told Nicodemus and all who follow to wake up and pay attention (by saying “truly, truly”), He then said “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This points to an absolute necessity of what must happen to a person if the person was going to see the kingdom of God and then enter the kingdom. In John 3:5 Jesus uses the “truly, truly” again to point to the need to be born again to enter the kingdom. Here is a very literal translation of what Jesus said: “If not the begetting from above, you have no ability/power to see the kingdom of God.”
While we live in a world that rushes from point A to point B and does not take the time to think deeply, this verse requires us to look at it and think deeply for a period of time. We have in these words of Jesus a basic if…then statement. Then point of this type or form of statement is to put the stress upon what must happen for something else to happen. But the point is that the “if” statement must happen for the “then” condition to happen. For example, if you want to lift heavy weights, then you must train with heavy weights. Again, if you want to get very good at basketball, then you must practice basketball. Jesus, however, put it in a negative form. He said that if you are not born from above, then you have no ability/power to see or enter the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus tried to tell Jesus that he knew that Jesus was a teacher sent from God because of the signs (miracles) that He had done. Jesus, then, was telling Nicodemus that he could not see the kingdom of God though he (Nicodemus) had viewed the miracles and saw that Jesus was a man sent from God. There is a spiritual sight and a spiritual entry into the kingdom and those will only happen to those born of the Spirit. Nicodemus was befuddled to hear that he was not in the kingdom of God and that his natural birth as a Jew was not enough. The point, however, is that regardless of a person’s status in the outward things of religion, a person absolutely must be born from above and by the Spirit to have a spiritual sight and entrance into the kingdom of God. No one has any spiritual ability or power at all unless that person has been born of the Spirit of God. When Jesus used the word that is translated as “cannot”, He chose the word that has the idea of capability, ability, or power. It sets out the clear and unmistakable teaching that no one has any power or capacity to see or enter the kingdom of God unless that person is born from above (by the Spirit). The new birth is an absolute and utter necessity. Jesus made it quite clear that it was and is an absolute and utter necessity. No one should be deceived and think otherwise.
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