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Devotions from Gospel Chapel Ministries HOME SERMONS SERMON NOTES
OPPOSITE TEACHINGS
"Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" (JOH 3:9-10)
"These things" are the things that accompany a true work of regeneration through the cleansing power of the Word. These things that Jesus was speaking of "Ye must be born again" and you must be "born of water and of the Spirit" are the essential elements of salvation. He said to Nicodemus, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" These things accompany a true work of regeneration. Look at TIT 3:3-5. "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another."
Isn’t that a perfect description of what’s in the heart of man by nature: hating one another, envying, malice, serving diverse lusts, disobedient, deceived? Look at verse 4, " But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done [we’re not going to be saved by the letter of the law], but according to his mercy he saved us , by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
We need to be washed in the blood of Christ, do we not? What do we mean by being washed in His blood? Is it merely to escape hell and go to heaven? No, we have to be cleansed from these elements that we see in verse 3: this hateful spirit of ours, this hating one another, this malice, living in pleasure, living in diverse lusts. We’ve got to be washed from our sin "by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." It is by this work of grace in our heart that we receive a new desire and have the work of regeneration (this renewing of the new man of the heart). The result is that we now love our neighbor as ourselves, and that hateful, spiteful spirit has been removed.
The Lord Jesus was named Jesus because He came to save us from our sin. Everybody wants to be saved from hell, but how many people want to be saved from their sin? He is our Saviour means He came to save us from our sins! He came to save us from that hateful spirit, from those "divers lusts," and from serving those lusts. He came to deliver us from that power of sin, that spirit of disobedience, and that foolishness of heart that we have by nature. How does He do that? He does it by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. These things Nicodemus did not understand. These things are what Christ is telling Nicodemus.
The Pharisees had a legalistic religion: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done." (TIT 3:5) We will not merit salvation because we kept the letter of the law. It is by the working of regeneration and the "washing of regeneration" and the "renewing of the Holy Ghost." It is by the changing of the heart. I want you to see what the Pharisees were by nature. The Lord Jesus says in MAT 5:20, "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." They didn’t understand the working of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost (and Nicodemus was a Pharisee).
"Except your righteousness shall exceed…[that] of the scribes and Pharisees…." I’ve heard many people say, "Oh, that means we need the righteousness of Christ." That is not what that means! He emphatically says, "your righteousness." He’s not talking about Christ’s righteousness. He says, "except your righteousness…exceed…[that] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom." MAT 5 goes through six contrasts, "Ye have heard…It hath been said…of old time." This is what the scribes and Pharisees were teaching. "But I say unto you…" and He shows the exact opposite of what they were teaching. They were teaching a letter-of-the-law religion, and He was teaching a heart religion.
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY…" (MAT 5:27) and they thought that as long as they didn’t commit the physical act of adultery, they were obeying the law. The Lord Jesus wants to see a heart religion. What did He say? "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (MAT 5:28) What the Lord is doing is going to a heart religion, to a change of attitude. Look at verse 31. "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you…." He shows them the spirit of the law. "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself…But I say unto you, Swear not at all…" (MAT 5:33-34a)
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
But I say unto you [I want you to see the heart religion], That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said [in other words this is what the scribes and Pharisees teach], Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies." (MAT 5:38-44a)
These things Nicodemus did not understand. Nicodemus did not understand the washing of regeneration, that purifying of the heart. The Lord addresses the Pharisees in MAT 23:25-26. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" Why? Their hearts were not cleansed. The washing of regeneration in the heart had never taken place. They did not understand these things. They had a legalistic religion. Verse 25 continues, "you…hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter [You do the letter of the law, but there’s nothing cleansed within the heart. Your attitude has never been altered.], but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." If you clean up your attitude, if your attitude has been washed with the washing of regeneration, if your whole disposition toward God has been altered, your actions will correspond. He says to clean up the inside, then the outside will be clean, too. Amen
Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.
I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy Word and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.
Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord-in me abide.
O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival-start the work in me.
The Word declares Thou wilt supply our need:
For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.
Our sermons and devotions are a ministry of Gospel Chapel located in Conrad, Montana. We also have a daily devotion and sermon notes on-line. We pray this devotion has been a blessing to those who read it. Thank you.