“Born again,” The Barna Group uses this term reporting their research. So that report is titled “Born Again Christians Just As Likely to do the same things as the world.  According to this report, only 9 percent of evangelicals tithe. Of 12,000 teenagers who took the pledge to wait for marriage, 80% had sexually immoral relationships outside marriage within 7 years of making this commitment. Twenty-six percent of traditional evangelicals do not think premarital sex is wrong.

In other words, “…the evangelical church as a whole in America is apparently not very unlike the world. It goes to church on Sunday and has a

veneer of religion, but its religion is basically an add-on to the same way of life the world lives, not a radically transforming power

.” – John Piper

The New Testament is opposite of the American World-view.

Identity of a Counterfeit

Religion does not Equal a Life-Transforming Relationship vv.1-8

What does that statement mean?  You can have rituals, traditions, know a lot of stuff, but still not be transformed.  Are you able to forgive?  Are you able to love?  Are you able to lower your pride?  Is there different about you that shows the existence of the Holy Spirit?  Is there evidence of God’s presence in your life?  Is there evidence of scripture changing you?  Is there evidence of a growing appreciation of God’s mercy?

What did the Pharisees believe

?  They were business men who had a respected leadership role, and had a place in the Sanhedrin.  During the time of Christ and the New Testament era, the Sadducees were aristocrats. They tended to be wealthy and held powerful positions, including that of chief priests and high priest, and they held the majority of the 70 seats of the ruling council called the Sanhedrin.
  1. They believed that God controlled all things, yet decisions made by individuals also contributed to the course of a person’s life.
  2. They believed in the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6).
  3. They believed in an afterlife, with appropriate reward and punishment on an individual basis.
  4. They believed in the existence of angels and demons

So, it is crystal clear here that it looks a lot like the beliefs of church people.  Pharisees hold a religious belief, yet this is very different than a life-transforming relationship!

v.5 “water and Spirit” symbolizes the cleansing of sin and a renewal only the Holy Spirit can bring.

Ezek. 36:24-27 “I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

vv.7-8 What does a baby do to be born?  Nothing, it’s a miracle!  The parents have done the necessary things needed to produce a baby!  I don’t know how salvation works, but it’s a miracle, the re-birth of a person is an amazing act of God!

This is what being born again looks like!  Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”   

There will be a thirst for the things of Christ!  The Word, Worship, Witnessing, and Christ-centered Fellowship!  You may have to fight the flesh, but the Spirit of God craves these things!

Identity of Someone Changed

Redemption occurs when Christ is Raised Above Everything vv.9-15

Ezek. 37:7-10 “So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”

Identity of a Christ Follower

A Heart Transformed Reaction to the Gospel Creates Rebirth vv.16-18

Luke 8:11-15 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”

Someone born again reproduces Christians!

Being born again causes you to react and resemble someone unlike this world!