The New Birth
By Pastor Bill Monroe ·
About this sermon
Can a person be good, moral, religious, and respected—and still need to be saved? Nicodemus was all of these things, yet Jesus confronted him with one of the most important statements in Scripture: "Ye must be born again." In John 3, we discover that the new birth is not a matter of religious reform or personal improvement. It is the supernatural work of God, bringing spiritual life into the soul through His Word and the Holy Spirit. Neither church membership, baptism, nor good works can take the place of this new life. Jesus also revealed the basis of the new birth when He pointed Nicodemus to the serpent Moses lifted up in the wilderness. Just as those who looked upon that serpent lived, those who look to Jesus Christ in faith receive eternal life. The new birth is not something we can accomplish. It is something only God can give. And the invitation remains as personal and urgent today as it was when Jesus spoke to Nicodemus: "Ye must be born again." Scripture: John 3:1–9, 14–18 Series: Believe and Live — The Gospel of John