THESE THINGS!

JOH 3:9-10 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?

>>These things are the things which accompany a true work of regeneration.

>>Our labour of love is evidence that God has revealed these things in our lives.

HEB 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

>>The ignorance of Nicodemus, or i.e., the Pharisaical religious world about the need for the new birth is what Jesus spoke of in

MAT 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

FOR OUR FIRST POINT, let's consider the first effect of the preaching of the gospel of Jesus.

FOR OUR SECOND POINT, let's consider Nicodemus' ignorance of the gospel harmony with the Old Testament.

FOR OUR THIRD POINT, let's consider how that seeing is believing

>>First, let's consider the first effect of the preaching of the gospel of Jesus.

>>The first effect of the gospel of Jesus Christ when it is accompanied by the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, is to open the eyes to the individual's needs.

>>Nicodemus was a very religious man, with a great profession of faith. He said in JOH 3:2 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.

>>The gospel of Jesus Christ made no acknowledgment of his profession, but went right to his self righteousness and wrong motives to warn him of his false faith and shallow commitment.

JOH 3:5 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.

>>Jesus knew the unbelief and self-righteousness in Nicodemus's heart, and dealt with him as an unbeliever.

>>Our text reveals that Jesus confronted his spurious faith, his works based religion, his Pharisaical righteousness, and his bibical illiteracy.

JOH 3:9-10 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?

>>Nicodemus was one of those spoken of in JOH 2:23-25 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,

25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

>>Nicodemus illustrates false faith. With his mind he accepted to some extent the truth of Christ, but his heart was still unregenerate.

>>Jesus rebuked Nicodemus for his ignorance of the Spirit's work of grace in the heart. Jesus pointed to he hyper-legalism spoken of in

2TI 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

>>Nicodemus understood symbolical teaching, he was really saying, "I can't start all over! It's too late. I've gone too far in my religious system to start over," when he said, JOH 3:4 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?

>>Jesus was demanding that Nicodemus forsake everything he had or ever stood for, and he knew it.

FOR OUR SECOND POINT, let's consider Nicodemus' ignorance of the gospel harmony with the Old Testament.

JOH 3:5 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.

>>Nicodemus's need to be washed with the water of the Word was taught in the Old Testament.

EZE 36:25-27 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

>>Jesus admonished Nicodemus by telling him that he should have known these things

JOH 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

>>Jesus' reference to Nicodemus as "a master of Israel," indicates that he was a pre-eminent teacher in Israel, yet he is told he is ignorant of the way of salvation.

>>The Old Testament clearly taught the way of salvation. The apostle Paul told Timothy in,

2TI 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

>>Jesus was not announcing a new way of salvation distinct from Old testament redemption.

MAT 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

>>Nicodemus as a teacher in Israel should have been familiar with

ISA 1:16-18 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

>>The Pharisees stressed the letter of the law, instead of a new heart by the work of regeneration of the Spirit.

>>The Pharisees were so busy trying to earn salvation by the works of the law that they missed the precious truth taught in HAB 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

>>They scoured the Psalms for laws they could add to their list, but they ignored the most sublime truth of all--

>>that God forgives sins, covers transgressions, and does not impute sin to those who turn to Him in repentance.

PSA 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

FOR OUR THIRD POINT, let's consider how that seeing is believing

>>Nicodemus was nurturing a great sin he was not even aware of--the sin of unbelief.

>>When Nicodemus said "I don't understand," he really said, "I don't believe."

>>Jesus said JOH 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

>>The natural mind does not understand the things of the Spirit.

CO 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

>>Nicodemus didn't want to confess he was a helpless sinner. Jesus told him in,

JOH 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, [i.e., no one can earn his way to heaven] but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

>>Jesus did not say to Nicodemus, "Ye have been born again," nor is regeneration an option, He said, JOH 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

>>The gospel must begin where Jesus began, that is with the need for regeneration.

>>Jesus chose an Old Testament Scripture to teach Nicodemus where the gospel begins

JOH 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

>>Israel, which is a type of the church lived in rebellion until they realized they were dying from the bite of the serpent--then they repented.

>>Seeing was believing, they would die until they looked unto that brazen serpent.

NUM 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

>>This is not faith in the offer, but faith in the one seen as He was lifted up, demonstrated by obedience.

JOH 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

>>Faith is more than accepting or affirming the truth--saving faith results in seeing that serpents bite is unto death, and results in obedience.

>>Believing is seeing the condemnation of sin as Jesus told Nicodemus in

JOH 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

>>Jesus illustrates the distinction between faith and unbelief in the next two verses JOH 3:19-21 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

>>There is only a promise of condemnation to those who will not identify with those sinful, dying Israelites and turn from sin in obedient faith to the One who was lifted up.

ROM 6:9-12 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

>>Our text says, JOH 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

>>Jesus shows us what these things are that accompany salvation in

MAT 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

>>It is the fruit of these things that Hezekiah spoke of in ISA 38:14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

16 O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.

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