WHAT IS NOT THE NEW BIRTH? NO IV.
By George W. Sinquefield
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HomewithGod.com
By George W. Sinquefield
John 3:3 (KJV)
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:7 (KJV)
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
A man was driving over the high Sierras in California, and just as he turned down the Western slope he saw a strange sign across the road. "This is not the road to Fresno." Road signs generally direct us to a destination but so many people had been deceived by this road that finally the negative warning was put up. The new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit from above and is the right road to salvation and a home in heaven. Satan has blinded the right way and he has offered and is offering many ways that are not the right way. Satan's ways lead to death and hell and I wish to point out several of his ways.
I. Religion Is Not The Way To Experience The New Birth.
The New Testament mentions several very religious people who were not saved.
Nicodemus -- I've already mentioned him in a previous sermon but let me say this again. His name comes from two words meaning "superior to all the people." A study of his life reveals to us that from a religious, moral, ethical standpoint Nicodemus, like Saul of old, stood head and shoulders above the rest of the people. It was to this man that Jesus said, "Ye must be born anew."
Cornelius --
Acts 10:1 through Acts 10:8 (KJV)
The rest of this chapter tells us that Cornelius went to Simon Peter's house and Peter explained to him how he could receive salvation.
Paul --
Philippians 3:4 through Philippians 3:10 (KJV)
The Rich Young Ruler --
Mark 10:17 through Mark 10:23 (KJV)
People At Athens --
Acts 17:22 through Acts 17:23 (KJV)
Paul explained to them the God they did not know and how they, even though they were very religious, could know Him and find salvation in Him.
The Bible tells us that many who think they are saved because they are very religious will one day discover the awful truth that they were not. They'll learn when it is too late that their religion was not sufficient. It did not make them right with God.
The world has many religions but only one Gospel, and that Gospel is the good news that Jesus is the one and only Savior.
Some people feel that they're all right with the Lord if they attend church regularly. Dr. Lewis Evans has said, "You can no more become a Christian merely by sitting in church than you can become a chicken by sitting in a chicken house."
Dr. Henry A. Parker, who was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida said this: "I am awfully afraid that there are multitudes of people today in America and over the world who have their names on church rolls and they feel that that is all that is necessary. They do not realize that they are headed for eternal hell. Church membership is not always to be equated with salvation. When a person joins a church, becomes baptized, and becomes identified with God's people by name, then he ought to be identified with God's people in reality."
One has said, "One of the greatest fields of evangelism in the world today is in the churches that are filled with hundreds and thousands of members that have never been saved."
I hope he is not right but I'm afraid he is for so many seem to think that church membership and salvation are the same. If you are not born anew, then church membership is the greased plank that the devil is using to slide your soul into hell.
One says - (speaking of different denominations), "We're all working for the same place, we're just going different roads." Now this would be so if salvation came through church membership. I hope many, after reading this sermon, will do a Paul did -- turn from religion to Jesus and receive forgiveness and salvation.
II. The New Birth Is Not The Result Of Praying Through.
There are those (very sincere) who tell us that one must pray through in order to be saved. No such thing is taught in the Bible. What is required is that the sinner, convinced by the Holy Spirit of his lost condition and his need for salvation, believe the gospel, repent of his sins and trust Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
A friend of mine and I boarded in a home with a fine couple. The wife was very sincere in her religious life but she was unlearned. She did not understand how one was saved and the church she attended was one that said you had to pray through. This dear lady came home one Sunday so happy and when we asked her the secret of her happiness, she said, "Mrs So and So has been trying to pray through ever Sunday for six months. The women would gather around her and pray with her. I believe she got through this morning. She wouldn't admit it but I'm sure she prayed through."
Suppose you go home very hungry and say to your wife, "Please prepare supper as early as possible." She does so and when the table is all set, she calls you to come and partake of what she has provided. Instead of doing so, you plead long and earnestly, literally begging her for food. What would she think of you?
The Lord has spread the gospel feast for starving sinners and invites all to "come and dine." But, instead of obeying His voice, some people fall on their knees and beg and plead for His mercy and grace. What the Lord wants is that starving sinners accept His invitation and feast on the Living Bread provided for their salvation.
Now I would never discourage one in this matter of praying. The Lord knows that very few of us pray as we should. But let us make sure that our doctrine is right. The Bible does say, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." To call upon Him in humility and repentance is to trust Him and it is this trusting, believing that saves.
John 3:16 (KJV)
John 3:36 (KJV)
The sinner's prayer goes something like this, "Dear Lord, I know i"m lost and cannot save myself. I know you died for me on the cross and you promised that if I would trust you, you'd save me. Lord I do trust you. Pleas forgive my sins and save me. Amen"
If you're lost in sin I urge you to pray this prayer and accept the Savior.
III. The New Birth Is Not The Result Of Being Sincere In What You Believe.
We've heard people say, "It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. That is certainly not the truth. You can be ever so sincere and be wrong at the same time. The experiences of many prove this.
Paul was one of the most sincere people you'll ever read about, but he was wrong. Paul declares that he was wrong and how he was saved.
Acts 22:3 through Acts 22:10 (KJV)
1 Timothy 1:12 through 1 Timothy 1:15 (KJV)
Many are the examples of people who were sincere but later learned they were wrong. Oklahoma City is on an air route between Chicago, Illinois, and Dallas, Texas. A certain airline has two flights which arrive in Oklahoma City at approximately the same time. They are numbered 130 and 131 respectively. Flight 130 goes to Chicago, and Flight 131 goes to Dallas. Quite often they are loading passengers at the same time on adjoining ramps. One day a man who wanted to go to Dallas boarded the flight to Chicago by mistake. He made a conscientious mistake. After all, outwardly the planes were so similar in most details. The one major difference was that one plane was bound for Dallas, and the other for Chicago. But regardless of the passenger's sincerity he got on the wrong plane. And instead of arriving at Dallas, his desired destination, he wound up in Chicago, hundreds of miles from the Texas city. The Dallas bound plane arrived in Dallas, but he was not on it.
Three years ago in Houston, Texas, a 46 year old laboratory technician gave 67 year old Mrs Margaret Van Alstine two ounces of deadly sodium cyanide, thinking it was a solution for a diabetes test. The patient fell dead. The laboratory technician had mixed up what she thought was a dextrose solution with crystals from one of the bottles in the laboratory. She thought she was right, and gave the solution to the patient to drink. As the patient drank it, she exclaimed, "Oh, that tastes horrible." and finally slumped from her chair dead. The laboratory technician was perfectly sincere, but she was wrong, and her mistake cost the patient's life.
A druggist mixed a prescription for one of his customers. The customer carried the prescription home, took it according to the instructions, and died. When the authorities questioned the man who filled the prescription, he was absolutely sure that the prescription was accurately filled. In order to demonstrate this, he told the authorities, "I filled the prescription out of this bottle, and I'll show you it's perfectly safe." Taking one of the pills from the bottle he too died. The pharmacist was perfectly sincere, but his mistake cost his life and the life of his customer.
It does matter what you believe. You can believe the wrong thing and be very sincere but it will not save your soul. Salvation is in the Person and that Person is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
How plainly did our Lord make this matter as He spoke to Nicodemus. He told about Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness because the people had been bitten by snakes. When they looked upon the serpent, they lived. Jesus said, "Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
Hear Jesus -- "I am the way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father except by me."
Have you experienced the new birth by coming to Jesus and trusting Him? The sculptor in London who built tombs for other people at last built one for himself and put the following inscription upon it. "What I was as an artist seemed of some importance while I lived; but what I really was as a believer in Jesus Christ is the only thing of importance to me now.
John 3:16 (KJV)
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: 6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. 7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; 8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
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.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
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.
