June 14, 2025 • 28 mins
What does it truly mean to be "born again"? In this exploration of Jesus's midnight conversation with Nicodemus, we unpack one of the foundations of the Word of God.
When Nicodemus, a respected Pharisee and Jewish leader, approached Jesus acknowledging Him as a teacher from God, Jesus responded with a statement that completely reframed their interaction: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." This declaration left Nicodemus confused, trapped in a literal interpretation of rebirth that seemed biologically impossible.
Jesus wasn't speaking of physical impossibilities but spiritual necessities. The Greek term for "born again" carries dual meaning – both "a second time" and "from above" – revealing that this spiritual transformation cannot originate from human effort but must come from God Himself. As Jesus explained, "That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit."
This message strikes at the heart of our human condition. We cannot manufacture spiritual rebirth through religious devotion, education, behavioral modification, or any human achievement. It requires divine intervention – a miracle that transforms us at our core. Yet this isn't cause for despair but hope, for the God who requires this rebirth is the same God who delights in making it possible. Through Christ's sacrificial work on the cross, what is impossible for humanity becomes possible through God.
Have you known this in your own life? Not just knowledge about God, but the life-changing miracle of being born from above? Join us as we explore what it means to trust the God who loves to save and who stands ready to perform this miracle in every heart that turns to Him in faith.
NEW BOOK! I'm pleased to say that we have completed a new book that has been years in the making. The Ten Shirot: Songs of Redemption looks at ten songs that were sung through pivotal times in Scripture. It's an examination of the redemption of Jesus, of worship, and of Scripture in a way that we believe you probably haven't seen before. Check it out at https://a.co/d/0a4KIooL .
The Redeeming Love Bible Broadcast is a ministry of Grace Baptist Tabernacle. We're located at 121 Arborside Lane in King, NC and we can be reached at welcome@gracebaptisttabernacle.org. Please continue to share these episodes, and please consider coming to visit our church. We are excited and expectant for you to come!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Greetings and welcome to the Redeeming Love Bible
broadcast.
My name is Phil Duddy,evangelist with Grace Baptist
Tabernacle of King, northCarolina.
Very, very happy to have youwith me on today's program.
Reach out to us atredeemingthelost at icloudcom.
We always do love to hear fromyou.
John, chapter 3.
Today we are going to belooking at part of the
(00:36):
interaction between Jesus and aman of the Pharisees named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jewswho came to Jesus by night.
And we have this precious,precious, precious interaction
recorded in John, chapter 3.
We're going to pick it up inJohn, chapter 3, verse 3.
So let's read the Word of Godtoday.
(00:57):
John, chapter 3, verse 3.
Jesus answered.
And so Jesus is answering, andhe prefaces his answer with
(01:19):
Verily.
Verily I say unto thee, truly,truly I say the word of God made
flesh.
The book of Hebrews tells usthat in these last days God has
spoken to us by his son, andit's the most direct personal
(01:42):
revelation that the Lord everdid give the earth.
He came in the flesh.
The Word of God became flesh,took on flesh, dwelt among us.
Jesus came, jesus lived, jesusbore witness of the truth, and
that's what he is doing righthere today.
He's assuring Nicodemus,because Nicodemus is a man of
(02:05):
the Pharisees, he's a ruler ofthe Jews, and he approaches
Jesus as though Jesus is ateacher, a rabbi.
He calls him rabbi and he sayswe know that your teacher come
from God.
No man can do these miraclesthat you do except God be with
him.
And Jesus is answering a man, aman who is yet in his flesh and
(02:31):
you're going to see what I meanby that and he says verily,
verily, I say unto thee, excepta man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God.
Jesus isn't going to talk aboutthe miracles that he's done,
but he's going to talk aboutsomething else here being born
(02:52):
again and the language here isprecious, I'm always preaching
out of King James but born again.
If you look at what that means,there is a sense of being born a
second time, a sense of beingborn over again, a sense of
being born anew.
(03:12):
Yet the word can also mean fromabove.
So the word can mean a secondtime, over again, anew and from
above, and I believe Jesus istalking about all of them Born a
second time.
(03:32):
And at the same time, thatsecond birth doesn't come from
anything that men and women cando, doesn't come from anything,
that's anything of the flesh,anything of the human Does not
come from that, but comes fromabove, comes from the Lord
(03:55):
himself.
And Nicodemus says back to himyou know, again, from the human
perspective, what Jesus issaying is impossible.
And Nicodemus, he comes backand he says how can a man be
born when he's old?
Can he enter the second timeinto his mother's womb and be
(04:19):
born?
And, my friend, this is thehuman perspective, because being
born again, just strictly fromthe human perspective, it's not
possible.
It's not possible at all,physically, biologically
(04:48):
possible, for someone to be borntwice, especially once that
person is all grown up,especially when that person is
older, especially when thatperson has lived a number of
years and grown up, grown from ababy to a toddler, to a child,
to a teenager, to a young adult,to an adult.
It's not physically possible tobe born again.
(05:11):
Physically speaking, we're bornone time.
And so what Jesus is sayinghere, my friend, you know,
except a man be born again, hecannot see the kingdom of God.
So this is important and Jesusis saying, truly, truly, I say
unto you, because I know thatyou're in this flesh, I know
(05:36):
that this flesh is fallen, Iknow that you're alienated from
me.
You're separate from me, fromme.
You're separate from me.
You're living in a world thatis fallen.
You're living in a world whereall the noise of the demonic is
just going on 24-7, all the time.
You're living in a world whereyour flesh has lusts, your flesh
(05:59):
has appetites, your flesh hasneeds, your flesh has appetites,
your flesh has needs, yourflesh has all of these things.
And you're living in a worldand the point is you're separate
from me.
And so I am coming in and sayingI am the Word made flesh, and
I'm going to preface everythingI say, because I know that this
(06:20):
is going to sound impossible toyou, but truly, truly, I say
unto thee, the Lord, godAlmighty, hallelujah says unto
thee, the Lord who is love.
Says unto thee, the Lord who isholy.
Says unto thee, the Lord whocannot lie, who cannot be
(06:44):
anything other than faithful.
Says unto thee, except a man beborn again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God and bless God.
I know that humanly that's notpossible.
And so Nicodemus comes backwith a very human answer how can
a man be born when he's old?
Can he enter the second timeinto his mother's womb and be
(07:07):
born.
And Jesus answers himHallelujah and amen.
Jesus answers him once againverily, verily, truly, truly, I
say unto thee Hallelujah.
We've got mercy in action here.
(07:27):
We've got love in action hereWe've got every evidence that
this is a God who loves toredeem, that this is a God who
loves restoration andregeneration, that this is a God
who sees all of the fallennessof the sin, sees all the
wickedness in the world, seesall of the fallenness of the sin
(07:51):
, sees all the wickedness in theworld, sees all the distance
between humanity and himself.
And he wants to bridge the gap,he wants to cross the distance.
He wants to restore, he wantsto redeem.
He wants that because heanswers this man.
He does not just write him off.
He doesn't just write him offand say he's hopeless.
(08:12):
He doesn't just write him offand say that he's a lost cause.
He doesn't just write him offand say that he's flippant.
He doesn't write him off andjust say that he doesn't know
anything.
But no, this God, he answershumanly.
He answers a man who is a manand has never been anything
(08:32):
other than a man, albeit a veryreligious one, but he's never
been anything other than a manand he's seen Jesus do some
things and he's maybe heardabout Jesus doing some other
things.
And he's coming and he'stalking to Jesus and Jesus has
said something to him and hejust doesn't get it.
(08:52):
It just doesn't compute, itdoesn't comprehend, it doesn't
make sense.
But Jesus is answering himstill, hallelujah and amen.
He still does that with folkstoday.
He says verily, verily,nicodemus, I'm assuring you,
this is true, this is from God,this is of God, I say.
(09:16):
The Word made flesh, the onlybegotten Son of God, the Lord
himself.
I say unto thee except a man beborn of water and of the Spirit
, he cannot enter into thekingdom of God.
Now, you've got some folks whosay that this water is referring
to the natural birth.
(09:37):
You've got some other folkssaying that this water is
referring to baptism.
But, my friend, you know,either way, either way, you want
to read that, regardless,baptism in itself, of itself,
all alone, by itself, doesn't doanything to save a soul, and
(09:57):
natural birth requires salvation.
So, either way, you want toread that.
But, my friends of the spirit,of the spirit, except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit,he cannot enter the kingdom of
God.
(10:17):
And Jesus goes on that which isborn of the flesh is flesh.
That which is born of theSpirit is Spirit.
Marvel, not that I said unto,unto thee, you must be born
again.
Hallelujah and amen.
Um, because, my friend, thatwhich comes of the flesh, that
which comes of the, the naturalhuman birth, my friend, flesh
(10:42):
will only produce flesh, fleshwill only produce flesh, flesh
will only produce flesh, butthat which is born of the Spirit
is Spirit.
Hallelujah and amen.
What this requires, my friend,is an act of God.
(11:02):
What this requires is, beyondthe human ability, this being
born again, this being born fromabove, this being born the
second time.
This is beyond human ability.
We can't control it humanlyspeaking.
We can't replicate it humanlyspeaking.
(11:25):
We cannot earn it, we cannotproduce it by any effort,
religious or otherwise.
We can't learn our way into it,we can't educate our way into
it, we can't get into it by wayof scientific advancement.
We can't replicate this, wecan't duplicate this, this.
(11:53):
We can't duplicate this.
We cannot do it with behavioralchange, we cannot do it with
psychology, we cannot do it withmedication, we cannot do it
with effort, we cannot do itwith anything like that.
We cannot do it In ourselves.
We cannot make ourselves bornagain In ourselves.
We cannot make ourselves bornabove.
We cannot, we can't affect realchange in our hearts.
(12:17):
You might be able to change somebehaviors, you might be able to
change and to maybe get someemotional healing, maybe get
some mental healing.
You might be able to do that,but you can't do this.
Nobody can, nobody's ever beenable to, nobody ever will be
(12:38):
able to.
Even with all the scientificadvancements that are going on
today as we speak.
Today as we speak, we willnever be able to make ourselves
be born again, because this isan act of God, this is what we
(12:59):
call a miracle.
This is a real, living, activeGod who really does things.
He really speaks, he reallymoves, he really reaches people,
he really draws people, hereally saves people.
He's not just an idea, he's notjust a story, because a story
cannot inspire you enough tomake you be born again.
(13:21):
An idea cannot inspire you ormotivate you or make your life
better or make your life easier.
It cannot make you be bornagain.
My friend, that's my point.
No human ability, no humaneffort to control this or
replicate it or duplicate it.
(13:43):
We can't do it, but this is anact of God.
Do it, but this is an act ofGod, this is a miracle, my
friend.
And he says that which is bornof the flesh is flesh.
All you're going to get fromflesh is flesh, but, my friend,
all you're going to get ofspirit, and that spirit is a
(14:04):
capital S hallelujah and amen.
That Spirit is a capital SHallelujah and amen.
That Spirit is none other thanthe Holy Spirit.
This is an act of the HolySpirit, and the Holy Spirit, the
Lord, god himself, producesSpirit.
He produces this, he does this.
(14:24):
And Jesus said you know, inlight of that, because the flesh
is fallen, the flesh is sinful,the flesh is temporary, the
flesh is being taken away.
Hallelujah and amen.
If you're born again today,listen to this the Lord has a
new body for you.
So this, whatever body you'rein now, you know amen.
(14:46):
You know the flesh is just avessel and the flesh is just
temporary.
And the flesh is going to bereplaced.
And it's going to be replacedby a flesh that is not fallen, a
body that is not fallen, avessel that is free from sin,
free from sin, free from all thelimitations, free from all of
(15:10):
the lusts.
This is going to be free andthis is going to be good and
this is going to be perfect.
My friend, this is going to bea resurrection.
Hallelujah and amen.
But, my friend, in the here andnow, if you get a fallen man and
a fallen woman together andthey have a child, that child is
(15:32):
going to be fallen, that childis going to inherit sin.
That child is going to inheritan unbeatable and unstoppable
tendency to sin.
Now the good news is hallelujahand amen.
That's why Jesus says marvel,not that I said unto thee he
(15:52):
must be born again.
This is God's solution.
God's solution is not to makethat child better, it's not to
improve that child.
That child needs to be bornagain.
That is God's solution to this.
Born again.
You got born once, naturally.
You're going to get born againfrom above.
(16:15):
You're going to get born againspiritually.
Hallelujah and amen and blessGod.
He uses a natural example.
He says the wind bloweth whereit listeth.
It blows where it goes and youhear the sound thereof, but you
can't tell where it comes fromand whither it goes.
(16:36):
So is everyone that is born ofthe Spirit.
Because, my friend, the naturalwill only get you so far.
The natural can never get youinto the spiritual.
The natural can never get youinto the spiritual.
It even says elsewhere in theNew Testament you know the
things of the spirit.
They're foolishness to thenatural man.
(16:57):
They don't make any sense.
Because you need a revelation,you need an act of the Holy
Ghost, you need an act of theHoly Spirit in your life.
You need this.
You need to be born again fromabove by the Spirit.
And, my friends, nothing in thehuman can do.
It Requires a miracle.
(17:20):
But I've got good news for you.
God's alive, god's living,god's active.
God is drawing people.
As you're listening to thismessage.
God is showing you that youneed this.
God is showing he really doesthings, he really moves, he
(17:40):
really speaks, he really knowsevery single one of us on a
personal basis, better than weknow ourselves, better than any
other person man, woman or childknows us.
God knows us perfectly and I'vegot good news for you.
Today you may despair when youhear that being born again
(18:06):
requires a miracle.
But, my friend, that's a lieand that's a deception.
That's a demonic thing, becauseyou and I have a God.
And, my friend, even if you'relost, even if you're dying, even
if you're hell-bound, even ifyou're under the wrath of God,
while you're listening to this.
You have a God who loves you,who loves this, who loves
(18:34):
salvation, who loves doing thismiracle.
He's not only ready to do it,he's not only able to do it, but
he loves to do this.
So do not throw your hands upand accuse God of holding back
and holding out on you andsaying, oh, woe is me.
(18:55):
I'm born, you know I need to dothis.
I can't do this.
You know God has said somethingimpossible that I cannot do,
and that's exactly true.
No, you can't do it, but youneed to trust the God who not
only can, the God who not onlycan but loves to do this.
Trust the God that loves tosave people.
(19:18):
Trust the God who loves to makepeople born again.
Trust the God Jesus.
He is a savior.
He is the savior, my friend.
And he didn't show up.
He didn't step down from glory,he didn't take on flesh, he
(19:42):
didn't, you know, go through thevirgin birth.
He didn't live, grow and liveand walk and talk and laugh and
rejoice and sing and cry andspeak and teach and preach and
do all these miracles and laydown his life and shed his blood
and rise up again from the deadon the third day.
He didn't do all of that fornothing.
(20:04):
He did that because God lovesto save people.
He did that because God lovesto save you.
He did that because God lovespeople.
He did that because there's adistance, there's a separation,
(20:24):
but God loves to close thatseparation.
God loves you.
Know, jesus.
He became sin on that cross, myfriend, and none of this was a
drudgery to him.
None of that.
He wasn't rolling his eyesthrough this.
He wasn't going through all theself-pity.
He wasn't going through the woeis me.
(20:46):
He wasn't going through the whyare you doing this to me, god?
He wasn't going through this.
He wasn't accusing his fatherof being bad or mean or cruel.
He wasn't doing any of that, myfriend.
He laid down his life willingly.
Nobody took it from him.
He laid it down of himselfbecause he loves to do it.
(21:06):
You know it makes perfect sense.
You know God loves to do whatGod loves to do, and God loves
to do that for you.
So we don't have a God who'sholding out on you.
We don't have a bad God who'shiding things from you.
We don't have a bad God who'skeeping things from you.
We have a God who loves to dowhat God loves to do.
(21:30):
We have a God who does whatonly God can do.
And he says you know, salvationis by grace and through faith
in Jesus Christ.
It's by grace and through faithand not of our own works, not
of ourselves, lest any manshould boast.
And so, my friend, you need totrust him.
(21:52):
Boast.
And so, my friend, you need totrust him, you need to put your
faith in him.
And so, my friend, if there's aGod-given faith rising up in
you today that says I believeyou God, I trust you God.
I know that you're speaking tome and I'm hearing what you're
saying, and you're saying that Ihave never been born again.
(22:13):
You might have been in churchyour whole life, every time the
doors are open.
You might have perfectattendance.
You might have a great titherecord, you might know this
Bible backwards and front ways.
You might know the Greek, youmight know the Hebrew, you might
know all the history, you mightknow all the historical context
(22:35):
and all that stuff you mightknow.
You know all these things aboutGod, but I'm asking you today
has this ever happened in yourlife?
Because if you have not thespirit of Jesus, you're not his.
If you've not been born again,you cannot see the kingdom of
(22:56):
God and you cannot enter thekingdom of God.
John 3.3 says he cannot see thekingdom of God.
John 3.5 says he cannot enterinto the kingdom of God.
And so I'm asking you today hasthis happened in your life?
Not asking what you've done,not asking what you haven't done
(23:19):
.
I'm asking what has the Lord,god Almighty, done?
What has the Holy God done, theliving God, what has he done in
your life?
Has he done this?
And my friend, hallelujah andamen, if he hasn't and God's
showing you that, then don'tdespair but rejoice.
(23:43):
Rejoice, because the Lord isstopping you from going into a
devil's hell.
The Lord is showing you thatyou're yet in your flesh, you're
yet in your sins.
But the Lord is also showingyou today I love you, I know you
(24:09):
and even though you're in yoursin and maybe that's all you can
see today, but I became thatsin on that cross for you, I
became your sin, I died yourdeath.
In doing so, I took your sinoff the table.
(24:29):
Believe on me and I'll apply myblood to you.
Believe on me and I will makeyou to be born again.
Hallelujah and amen.
He does this miracle and heloves to do this miracle.
My friend, he rejoices, all ofheaven rejoices when this
(24:52):
happens, my friend and my friend.
He rejoices, all of heavenrejoices, rejoices when this
happens.
My friend and my friend, cometo him today.
Call upon the name of the lordtoday.
Let that faith that's in youcome up into some words out of
your mouth to the lord today.
Um, just like he's standingright in front of you or
(25:13):
standing right next to you, myfriend, talk to him, ask him to
be born again and ask him infaith, ask him believing that
he's a real, living, active Godwho is holy, just and good.
And he's drawing you and he'sspeaking to you.
Ask him to be saved, ask him tobe born again.
(25:34):
And, my friend, he won'tdespise genuine faith.
He won't turn away genuinefaith.
He won't turn away anyone who'sheard him today and who
believes him today and who wantsto come to him today.
He will not turn you away tocome to him today.
(26:01):
He will not turn you away.
He's coming to you now.
Will you run from him or willyou embrace him?
Will you believe him or willyou explain him away?
And, my friend, if you believehim today, well, come on in,
come on home.
Hallelujah and amen, andblessed be the name of the Lord
and church.
I pray that you've beenencouraged by this.
I thank you for listening,thank you for being a part of
this broadcast, thank you forhelping us reach.
We are right around 60different nations around the
(26:26):
world and that's in a great way.
You know it's glory to God andhe is using you in that, and so
please do continue to sharethese, continue to spread these.
It's encouraging for us to seegrowth in different areas of the
world.
It's encouraging us for us tosee different countries coming
in and different cities anddifferent towns and different
(26:48):
areas of countries that we'realready in.
We're encouraged to see thispop up in all these different
places around the world andplease do continue to play these
for your churches, for yourfriends, for your families and
for yourselves.
Amen, hallelujah and pray.
It's been a blessing to you.
Pray, it's a real encouragementto you.
And again, reach out to us.
(27:10):
We're a ministry of GraceBaptist Tabernacle in King,
north Carolina.
Gbtministriescom andredeemingthelost at icloudcom.
Reach out to us.
We'd love to hear from you, andmay the Lord continue to richly
bless us.
Amen.
I love you.
Greetings and welcome to the Redeeming Love Bible
broadcast.
My name is Phil Duddy,evangelist with Grace Baptist
Tabernacle of King, northCarolina.
Very, very happy to have youwith me on today's program.
Reach out to us atredeemingthelost at icloudcom.
We always do love to hear fromyou.
John, chapter 3.
Today we are going to belooking at part of the
(00:36):
interaction between Jesus and aman of the Pharisees named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jewswho came to Jesus by night.
And we have this precious,precious, precious interaction
recorded in John, chapter 3.
We're going to pick it up inJohn, chapter 3, verse 3.
So let's read the Word of Godtoday.
(00:57):
John, chapter 3, verse 3.
Jesus answered.
And so Jesus is answering, andhe prefaces his answer with
(01:19):
Verily.
Verily I say unto thee, truly,truly I say the word of God made
flesh.
The book of Hebrews tells usthat in these last days God has
spoken to us by his son, andit's the most direct personal
(01:42):
revelation that the Lord everdid give the earth.
He came in the flesh.
The Word of God became flesh,took on flesh, dwelt among us.
Jesus came, jesus lived, jesusbore witness of the truth, and
that's what he is doing righthere today.
He's assuring Nicodemus,because Nicodemus is a man of
(02:05):
the Pharisees, he's a ruler ofthe Jews, and he approaches
Jesus as though Jesus is ateacher, a rabbi.
He calls him rabbi and he sayswe know that your teacher come
from God.
No man can do these miraclesthat you do except God be with
him.
And Jesus is answering a man, aman who is yet in his flesh and
(02:31):
you're going to see what I meanby that and he says verily,
verily, I say unto thee, excepta man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God.
Jesus isn't going to talk aboutthe miracles that he's done,
but he's going to talk aboutsomething else here being born
(02:52):
again and the language here isprecious, I'm always preaching
out of King James but born again.
If you look at what that means,there is a sense of being born a
second time, a sense of beingborn over again, a sense of
being born anew.
(03:12):
Yet the word can also mean fromabove.
So the word can mean a secondtime, over again, anew and from
above, and I believe Jesus istalking about all of them Born a
second time.
(03:32):
And at the same time, thatsecond birth doesn't come from
anything that men and women cando, doesn't come from anything,
that's anything of the flesh,anything of the human Does not
come from that, but comes fromabove, comes from the Lord
(03:55):
himself.
And Nicodemus says back to himyou know, again, from the human
perspective, what Jesus issaying is impossible.
And Nicodemus, he comes backand he says how can a man be
born when he's old?
Can he enter the second timeinto his mother's womb and be
(04:19):
born?
And, my friend, this is thehuman perspective, because being
born again, just strictly fromthe human perspective, it's not
possible.
It's not possible at all,physically, biologically
(04:48):
possible, for someone to be borntwice, especially once that
person is all grown up,especially when that person is
older, especially when thatperson has lived a number of
years and grown up, grown from ababy to a toddler, to a child,
to a teenager, to a young adult,to an adult.
It's not physically possible tobe born again.
(05:11):
Physically speaking, we're bornone time.
And so what Jesus is sayinghere, my friend, you know,
except a man be born again, hecannot see the kingdom of God.
So this is important and Jesusis saying, truly, truly, I say
unto you, because I know thatyou're in this flesh, I know
(05:36):
that this flesh is fallen, Iknow that you're alienated from
me.
You're separate from me, fromme.
You're separate from me.
You're living in a world thatis fallen.
You're living in a world whereall the noise of the demonic is
just going on 24-7, all the time.
You're living in a world whereyour flesh has lusts, your flesh
(05:59):
has appetites, your flesh hasneeds, your flesh has appetites,
your flesh has needs, yourflesh has all of these things.
And you're living in a worldand the point is you're separate
from me.
And so I am coming in and sayingI am the Word made flesh, and
I'm going to preface everythingI say, because I know that this
(06:20):
is going to sound impossible toyou, but truly, truly, I say
unto thee, the Lord, godAlmighty, hallelujah says unto
thee, the Lord who is love.
Says unto thee, the Lord who isholy.
Says unto thee, the Lord whocannot lie, who cannot be
(06:44):
anything other than faithful.
Says unto thee, except a man beborn again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God and bless God.
I know that humanly that's notpossible.
And so Nicodemus comes backwith a very human answer how can
a man be born when he's old?
Can he enter the second timeinto his mother's womb and be
(07:07):
born.
And Jesus answers himHallelujah and amen.
Jesus answers him once againverily, verily, truly, truly, I
say unto thee Hallelujah.
We've got mercy in action here.
(07:27):
We've got love in action hereWe've got every evidence that
this is a God who loves toredeem, that this is a God who
loves restoration andregeneration, that this is a God
who sees all of the fallennessof the sin, sees all the
wickedness in the world, seesall of the fallenness of the sin
(07:51):
, sees all the wickedness in theworld, sees all the distance
between humanity and himself.
And he wants to bridge the gap,he wants to cross the distance.
He wants to restore, he wantsto redeem.
He wants that because heanswers this man.
He does not just write him off.
He doesn't just write him offand say he's hopeless.
(08:12):
He doesn't just write him offand say that he's a lost cause.
He doesn't just write him offand say that he's flippant.
He doesn't write him off andjust say that he doesn't know
anything.
But no, this God, he answershumanly.
He answers a man who is a manand has never been anything
(08:32):
other than a man, albeit a veryreligious one, but he's never
been anything other than a manand he's seen Jesus do some
things and he's maybe heardabout Jesus doing some other
things.
And he's coming and he'stalking to Jesus and Jesus has
said something to him and hejust doesn't get it.
(08:52):
It just doesn't compute, itdoesn't comprehend, it doesn't
make sense.
But Jesus is answering himstill, hallelujah and amen.
He still does that with folkstoday.
He says verily, verily,nicodemus, I'm assuring you,
this is true, this is from God,this is of God, I say.
(09:16):
The Word made flesh, the onlybegotten Son of God, the Lord
himself.
I say unto thee except a man beborn of water and of the Spirit
, he cannot enter into thekingdom of God.
Now, you've got some folks whosay that this water is referring
to the natural birth.
(09:37):
You've got some other folkssaying that this water is
referring to baptism.
But, my friend, you know,either way, either way, you want
to read that, regardless,baptism in itself, of itself,
all alone, by itself, doesn't doanything to save a soul, and
(09:57):
natural birth requires salvation.
So, either way, you want toread that.
But, my friends of the spirit,of the spirit, except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit,he cannot enter the kingdom of
God.
(10:17):
And Jesus goes on that which isborn of the flesh is flesh.
That which is born of theSpirit is Spirit.
Marvel, not that I said unto,unto thee, you must be born
again.
Hallelujah and amen.
Um, because, my friend, thatwhich comes of the flesh, that
which comes of the, the naturalhuman birth, my friend, flesh
(10:42):
will only produce flesh, fleshwill only produce flesh, flesh
will only produce flesh, butthat which is born of the Spirit
is Spirit.
Hallelujah and amen.
What this requires, my friend,is an act of God.
(11:02):
What this requires is, beyondthe human ability, this being
born again, this being born fromabove, this being born the
second time.
This is beyond human ability.
We can't control it humanlyspeaking.
We can't replicate it humanlyspeaking.
(11:25):
We cannot earn it, we cannotproduce it by any effort,
religious or otherwise.
We can't learn our way into it,we can't educate our way into
it, we can't get into it by wayof scientific advancement.
We can't replicate this, wecan't duplicate this, this.
(11:53):
We can't duplicate this.
We cannot do it with behavioralchange, we cannot do it with
psychology, we cannot do it withmedication, we cannot do it
with effort, we cannot do itwith anything like that.
We cannot do it In ourselves.
We cannot make ourselves bornagain In ourselves.
We cannot make ourselves bornabove.
We cannot, we can't affect realchange in our hearts.
(12:17):
You might be able to change somebehaviors, you might be able to
change and to maybe get someemotional healing, maybe get
some mental healing.
You might be able to do that,but you can't do this.
Nobody can, nobody's ever beenable to, nobody ever will be
(12:38):
able to.
Even with all the scientificadvancements that are going on
today as we speak.
Today as we speak, we willnever be able to make ourselves
be born again, because this isan act of God, this is what we
(12:59):
call a miracle.
This is a real, living, activeGod who really does things.
He really speaks, he reallymoves, he really reaches people,
he really draws people, hereally saves people.
He's not just an idea, he's notjust a story, because a story
cannot inspire you enough tomake you be born again.
(13:21):
An idea cannot inspire you ormotivate you or make your life
better or make your life easier.
It cannot make you be bornagain.
My friend, that's my point.
No human ability, no humaneffort to control this or
replicate it or duplicate it.
(13:43):
We can't do it, but this is anact of God.
Do it, but this is an act ofGod, this is a miracle, my
friend.
And he says that which is bornof the flesh is flesh.
All you're going to get fromflesh is flesh, but, my friend,
all you're going to get ofspirit, and that spirit is a
(14:04):
capital S hallelujah and amen.
That Spirit is a capital SHallelujah and amen.
That Spirit is none other thanthe Holy Spirit.
This is an act of the HolySpirit, and the Holy Spirit, the
Lord, god himself, producesSpirit.
He produces this, he does this.
(14:24):
And Jesus said you know, inlight of that, because the flesh
is fallen, the flesh is sinful,the flesh is temporary, the
flesh is being taken away.
Hallelujah and amen.
If you're born again today,listen to this the Lord has a
new body for you.
So this, whatever body you'rein now, you know amen.
(14:46):
You know the flesh is just avessel and the flesh is just
temporary.
And the flesh is going to bereplaced.
And it's going to be replacedby a flesh that is not fallen, a
body that is not fallen, avessel that is free from sin,
free from sin, free from all thelimitations, free from all of
(15:10):
the lusts.
This is going to be free andthis is going to be good and
this is going to be perfect.
My friend, this is going to bea resurrection.
Hallelujah and amen.
But, my friend, in the here andnow, if you get a fallen man and
a fallen woman together andthey have a child, that child is
(15:32):
going to be fallen, that childis going to inherit sin.
That child is going to inheritan unbeatable and unstoppable
tendency to sin.
Now the good news is hallelujahand amen.
That's why Jesus says marvel,not that I said unto thee he
(15:52):
must be born again.
This is God's solution.
God's solution is not to makethat child better, it's not to
improve that child.
That child needs to be bornagain.
That is God's solution to this.
Born again.
You got born once, naturally.
You're going to get born againfrom above.
(16:15):
You're going to get born againspiritually.
Hallelujah and amen and blessGod.
He uses a natural example.
He says the wind bloweth whereit listeth.
It blows where it goes and youhear the sound thereof, but you
can't tell where it comes fromand whither it goes.
(16:36):
So is everyone that is born ofthe Spirit.
Because, my friend, the naturalwill only get you so far.
The natural can never get youinto the spiritual.
The natural can never get youinto the spiritual.
It even says elsewhere in theNew Testament you know the
things of the spirit.
They're foolishness to thenatural man.
(16:57):
They don't make any sense.
Because you need a revelation,you need an act of the Holy
Ghost, you need an act of theHoly Spirit in your life.
You need this.
You need to be born again fromabove by the Spirit.
And, my friends, nothing in thehuman can do.
It Requires a miracle.
(17:20):
But I've got good news for you.
God's alive, god's living,god's active.
God is drawing people.
As you're listening to thismessage.
God is showing you that youneed this.
God is showing he really doesthings, he really moves, he
(17:40):
really speaks, he really knowsevery single one of us on a
personal basis, better than weknow ourselves, better than any
other person man, woman or childknows us.
God knows us perfectly and I'vegot good news for you.
Today you may despair when youhear that being born again
(18:06):
requires a miracle.
But, my friend, that's a lieand that's a deception.
That's a demonic thing, becauseyou and I have a God.
And, my friend, even if you'relost, even if you're dying, even
if you're hell-bound, even ifyou're under the wrath of God,
while you're listening to this.
You have a God who loves you,who loves this, who loves
(18:34):
salvation, who loves doing thismiracle.
He's not only ready to do it,he's not only able to do it, but
he loves to do this.
So do not throw your hands upand accuse God of holding back
and holding out on you andsaying, oh, woe is me.
(18:55):
I'm born, you know I need to dothis.
I can't do this.
You know God has said somethingimpossible that I cannot do,
and that's exactly true.
No, you can't do it, but youneed to trust the God who not
only can, the God who not onlycan but loves to do this.
Trust the God that loves tosave people.
(19:18):
Trust the God who loves to makepeople born again.
Trust the God Jesus.
He is a savior.
He is the savior, my friend.
And he didn't show up.
He didn't step down from glory,he didn't take on flesh, he
(19:42):
didn't, you know, go through thevirgin birth.
He didn't live, grow and liveand walk and talk and laugh and
rejoice and sing and cry andspeak and teach and preach and
do all these miracles and laydown his life and shed his blood
and rise up again from the deadon the third day.
He didn't do all of that fornothing.
(20:04):
He did that because God lovesto save people.
He did that because God lovesto save you.
He did that because God lovespeople.
He did that because there's adistance, there's a separation,
(20:24):
but God loves to close thatseparation.
God loves you.
Know, jesus.
He became sin on that cross, myfriend, and none of this was a
drudgery to him.
None of that.
He wasn't rolling his eyesthrough this.
He wasn't going through all theself-pity.
He wasn't going through the woeis me.
(20:46):
He wasn't going through the whyare you doing this to me, god?
He wasn't going through this.
He wasn't accusing his fatherof being bad or mean or cruel.
He wasn't doing any of that, myfriend.
He laid down his life willingly.
Nobody took it from him.
He laid it down of himselfbecause he loves to do it.
(21:06):
You know it makes perfect sense.
You know God loves to do whatGod loves to do, and God loves
to do that for you.
So we don't have a God who'sholding out on you.
We don't have a bad God who'shiding things from you.
We don't have a bad God who'skeeping things from you.
We have a God who loves to dowhat God loves to do.
(21:30):
We have a God who does whatonly God can do.
And he says you know, salvationis by grace and through faith
in Jesus Christ.
It's by grace and through faithand not of our own works, not
of ourselves, lest any manshould boast.
And so, my friend, you need totrust him.
(21:52):
Boast.
And so, my friend, you need totrust him, you need to put your
faith in him.
And so, my friend, if there's aGod-given faith rising up in
you today that says I believeyou God, I trust you God.
I know that you're speaking tome and I'm hearing what you're
saying, and you're saying that Ihave never been born again.
(22:13):
You might have been in churchyour whole life, every time the
doors are open.
You might have perfectattendance.
You might have a great titherecord, you might know this
Bible backwards and front ways.
You might know the Greek, youmight know the Hebrew, you might
know all the history, you mightknow all the historical context
(22:35):
and all that stuff you mightknow.
You know all these things aboutGod, but I'm asking you today
has this ever happened in yourlife?
Because if you have not thespirit of Jesus, you're not his.
If you've not been born again,you cannot see the kingdom of
(22:56):
God and you cannot enter thekingdom of God.
John 3.3 says he cannot see thekingdom of God.
John 3.5 says he cannot enterinto the kingdom of God.
And so I'm asking you today hasthis happened in your life?
Not asking what you've done,not asking what you haven't done
(23:19):
.
I'm asking what has the Lord,god Almighty, done?
What has the Holy God done, theliving God, what has he done in
your life?
Has he done this?
And my friend, hallelujah andamen, if he hasn't and God's
showing you that, then don'tdespair but rejoice.
(23:43):
Rejoice, because the Lord isstopping you from going into a
devil's hell.
The Lord is showing you thatyou're yet in your flesh, you're
yet in your sins.
But the Lord is also showingyou today I love you, I know you
(24:09):
and even though you're in yoursin and maybe that's all you can
see today, but I became thatsin on that cross for you, I
became your sin, I died yourdeath.
In doing so, I took your sinoff the table.
(24:29):
Believe on me and I'll apply myblood to you.
Believe on me and I will makeyou to be born again.
Hallelujah and amen.
He does this miracle and heloves to do this miracle.
My friend, he rejoices, all ofheaven rejoices when this
(24:52):
happens, my friend and my friend.
He rejoices, all of heavenrejoices, rejoices when this
happens.
My friend and my friend, cometo him today.
Call upon the name of the lordtoday.
Let that faith that's in youcome up into some words out of
your mouth to the lord today.
Um, just like he's standingright in front of you or
(25:13):
standing right next to you, myfriend, talk to him, ask him to
be born again and ask him infaith, ask him believing that
he's a real, living, active Godwho is holy, just and good.
And he's drawing you and he'sspeaking to you.
Ask him to be saved, ask him tobe born again.
(25:34):
And, my friend, he won'tdespise genuine faith.
He won't turn away genuinefaith.
He won't turn away anyone who'sheard him today and who
believes him today and who wantsto come to him today.
He will not turn you away tocome to him today.
(26:01):
He will not turn you away.
He's coming to you now.
Will you run from him or willyou embrace him?
Will you believe him or willyou explain him away?
And, my friend, if you believehim today, well, come on in,
come on home.
Hallelujah and amen, andblessed be the name of the Lord
and church.
I pray that you've beenencouraged by this.
I thank you for listening,thank you for being a part of
this broadcast, thank you forhelping us reach.
We are right around 60different nations around the
(26:26):
world and that's in a great way.
You know it's glory to God andhe is using you in that, and so
please do continue to sharethese, continue to spread these.
It's encouraging for us to seegrowth in different areas of the
world.
It's encouraging us for us tosee different countries coming
in and different cities anddifferent towns and different
(26:48):
areas of countries that we'realready in.
We're encouraged to see thispop up in all these different
places around the world andplease do continue to play these
for your churches, for yourfriends, for your families and
for yourselves.
Amen, hallelujah and pray.
It's been a blessing to you.
Pray, it's a real encouragementto you.
And again, reach out to us.
(27:10):
We're a ministry of GraceBaptist Tabernacle in King,
north Carolina.
Gbtministriescom andredeemingthelost at icloudcom.
Reach out to us.
We'd love to hear from you, andmay the Lord continue to richly
bless us.
Amen.
I love you.
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