First John, chapter 3. I'm going to read a few verses
of scripture here and then get into my message. But I've entitled
this message, Born of God, What It Does and Does Not Do. Now you can know, if the Lord
is pleased to bless this message afterwards, whether or not you've
actually been born of God. That's something I want to know. Born of God. Beginning in verse
4 of 1 John chapter 3, Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth
also the law. For sin is the transgression
of the law. Now, as we go on reading through
this passage of scripture, every time you read about the commission
of sin, whosoever committeth sin, it's talking about transgressing
God's law. That sets up everything, really.
I've heard people say, well, what that means is you don't
practice sin as a habitual habit. Do you? Do you commit the same
sin more than once? Do you do so habitually? Yes. Does that excuse it? No. Does that mean you think it's
okay? No. But we're talking about what this passage of scripture
actually says. That's what we want to look at.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresses also the law. Sin is the transgression
of the law. That's what sin, what he means
by sin. you break the law let's go on reading verse 5 and you
know that he was manifested to take away our sins did he do it? did he do it? when he said it is finished They
were taken away. They are no more. And in Him is no sin. You know what that means? That
means if you're in Him, you have no sin. Verse 6. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth
not. Now what does it mean to abide
in him? Well, in him is a place, isn't it? And if you abide in him, that
means you don't want to be anywhere else. There's a conscious desire
to only be found in him. You don't want God to look at
you in any other way but in Him. And that's what it means to abide
in Him. You don't want to be anywhere else. You know exactly
what Paul meant when he said, oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in Him. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faithfulness
of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. When
God comes looking for me, there's only one place I want to be found,
in Him. Now look what it says, whosoever
abideth in him sinneth not. Well that means he doesn't practice
sin. No, it means he does not sin, period. That's what it means. But what about my sin? I'm not
gonna deny that I've taken away. He was manifested to take away
our sins. In Him is no sin. Whoso abideth
in Him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen
Him, neither known Him. Little children, verse 7. Let
no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is
righteous even as he is righteous. What is the doing of righteousness?
It's anything a righteous man does. You have to be righteous
to do righteous. And every believer is the very
righteousness of God in him. Now this thing of doing righteousness,
look what verse 29 of chapter 2 says. If you know that he is
righteous, you know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born
of him. Now this is the result of the
new birth, the new nature. It's a righteous nature. It's
a holy nature. As we're going to go on reading,
we're going to see that this nature does not commit sin. Let's go on reading. Verse 8. He that committed sin, and let me say that about everybody
looks at this, that means you practice sin as a habit. That's not permissible in the
language of this passage of scripture. It's talking about the actual
commission of sin. He that committed sin is of the
devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose
the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works
of the devil. What are the works of the devil?
The commission of sin. It all started with him and his
temptation of Adam. Christ was manifested to destroy
the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin. Now how many different ways are
there to take that? Whosoever is born, birthed of God, doth
not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot,
he lacks the ability to sin, because he's born of God. Now obviously this is talking
about the two natures of the believer. He has an evil nature,
a sinful nature, and he has a holy nature that does not sin. Now
that's hard to get your mind wrapped around if you don't have
two natures. You won't understand it. Somebody that only has one
nature, they think that's got crazy. That doesn't make sense.
That's contradictory. I don't believe that. But if
you have two natures, you know exactly what this is saying.
You might not be able to express it verbally, but you know what
it feels like. You experience it. You only have one consciousness,
and both natures come out of that one consciousness. Kind
of like a water faucet, you know, you got hot water, cold water,
but it comes out of the same faucet. You got it coming out
of the same faucet, one consciousness, but it's still true, every believer
has a holy nature, and every believer has a sinful nature. And that's what's being spoken
of in this text. It's not talking about practicing sin habitually. Now, I long to not sin. There's never an excuse for sin.
I want to be holy. I want to be obedient. I want
to never sin again. That's what John says. These
things write unto you that you sin not. That sounds awful attractive
to me. But what is this new nature? What is this thing of being born
of God? Now, this is just as essential to salvation as any
other aspect of salvation. Election is essential to salvation,
isn't it? You can't be saved if God didn't elect you. The
person and work of Christ is essential to salvation. You can't
be saved unless Christ gives you his righteousness and pays
for your sins. And the new birth is essential to salvation. You
cannot be saved apart from being born from above. Now what does
this new birth do? I would like to know whether
I've actually been born of God, wouldn't you? What I want us
to do is to look in the places in the New Testament where being
born of God is spoken of. Now, it's taught in the Old Testament
as well. While you're turning to John
chapter 1, you remember when God said in Ezekiel 36, a new
heart I'll give you? Something that was not there
before that I give. A new heart also will I give
you. That's regeneration. That's the
new birth. It's taught in the Old Testament,
but turn here to John chapter 1. This is the first time it's
mentioned in the New Testament. Verse 11. He came unto his own,
and his own received him not, but as many as received him.
To them gave he power to become the sons of God. Even to them to believe on his
name which were born there it is Which were born which were
birthed which were given life Now before go on Why do I need
to be birthed? Because I don't have spiritual
life It's that simple. I don't have spiritual life.
I'm dead in sins. What does dead sins mean? I It
means exactly what the Lord said to his disciples when they saw
the rich young ruler walk away. And they said, if he can't be
saved, who then can be saved? Here's the Lord's answer. With
men, it is impossible. That's what total depravity means.
If God leaves me to myself, all he's got to do is leave me alone.
And I will not be saved. I need to be birthed. I need
to be given life. Now, let's go on reading verse
13. Which we're born. Not of blood. You're not born
from above because your mom and daddy are. Not of the will of
the flesh. Three wills as big a liar has
ever been told. Nobody's born because they decide
to be born. It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Not
of the will of man, not because a bunch of men got together and
said, we're going to pray for this man until God saves him. But of God. But of God. Now, what is the evidence of being
born of God? Look back in verse 11. He came unto his own, and
his own received him not, but as many as received him. Now that's the evidence of being
born of God. You received him. What's it mean to receive him?
Somebody says, well at least I received him. I did something.
At least I received him. As if that makes any difference.
If you didn't receive him, he never gave himself to you. Somebody, if I see you in need,
a real need, I give you $100 and say, I want this to help
you out. You say, well, at least I received
it. I'll probably take it back. That's not the point of receiving. You received something because
he gave it to you. As many as received him. To them gave he
the power to become the sons of God, and here's what it is,
even to them which believe on his name. You know what that
means? That means you believe you're
saved wholly for his namesake. Everything that's involved in
his name, his sovereignty, his justice, his holiness, his power,
everything that's in his name, he's the one who saves you. You're
saved for his namesake. And you know that when you're
born of God. which were born, not of blood,
not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of
God. Now here we see the necessity
of being born of God. Turn to John chapter three. Verse one, there was a man of
the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same
came to Jesus by night and said unto him, 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. Jesus answered
and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man
be born again from above, he cannot, he lacks the ability
to see the kingdom of God. Now, if I'm not born from above, I
cannot see the things of the kingdom of God. I just can't.
I can't understand sin. I can't understand grace. I can't
understand the glory of Christ. I can't understand my need of
Him. I can't see. Except I'm born from above. But
if I'm born from above, you know what? I see. I see. First of all, I see that I can't
save myself, and I see my desperate need of Him. And I see my continual
need of Him, and I see His love. I see. What happens when folks
are born from above? They see. And if they're not born above, they
can't see. You take a monkey. And you have
the best calculus teacher to ever live that can explain it
so clearly and simply that any idiot could learn it. That monkey
can't. He lacks the ability. And unless
a man is born from above, he lacks the ability to see the
kingdom of God. Verse four, Nicodemus saith unto
him, how can a man be born when he's old? Can he enter the second
time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water, the word. That's not talking about baptism.
That's talking about the washing of water by the word, the word
of God, the truth. Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
You and I cannot enter the kingdom of God apart from him birthing
us into the kingdom through the gospel preached. Now, if you're
birthed by God, you know what? Door's wide open. You can enter the kingdom of
heaven. You enter as soon as you're birthed. It's not a process
either. It's not steps. You're there
as you're born of God. Go on reading, verse 6. That
which is born of the flesh is flesh and it'll never be anything
else. You can't rise above your nature.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh. Paul said the carnal
mind is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of
God. Neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. pure spirit. And marvel not that I said unto
you, you must be born again. Don't be amazed by this. It's
an absolute necessity. The wind blows where it wills,
where it listeth. Thou hearest the sound thereof,
but canst not tell whence it cometh or where it goeth. So
is every one that is born of the Spirit. This is the sovereign
act of God. How much control do you have
over the wind? How much? Absolutely none. How much control do you have
of the new birth? Absolutely none. This is the sovereign work
of God. He blows where he wills. Turn to Galatians chapter 4. What does the new birth teach
us? The new birth teaches us that salvation really is by grace.
Now, Galatians chapter 4. Verse 21, tell me ye that desire
to be under the law. Do you not hear the law? For
it is written, and I think this is interesting, when God tells
us what the law has to say, he could have gone straight to the
Ten Commandments and that would be true, wouldn't it? But that's
not what Paul goes to when he tells us to hear what the law
has to say. He gives us the story of Abraham,
and Sarah, and Hagar, and Ishmael, and Isaac. Now, I think this
is interesting. When I read that story, if I
didn't have this passage in Scripture to tell me what it meant, I wouldn't
have a clue. I would have never known that this is about grace
and works. I would have never known this is about the two covenants.
I would have just thought it was one of those amazing Old
Testament stories that I can't really understand. But look what
happened. Verse 22. It's written that Abraham
had two sons, the one by bondmaid, the other by free woman. Now
you remember the story. God told Abraham, you're going
to have a child through Sarah. Years pass. Sarah's already gone
through menopause. Sarah can't bear a child. And
she says to Abraham, obviously God's promise is not going to
come to pass unless we do our part. That's called salvation by works.
That's all it is. If any part of salvation is dependent
upon you doing something, that's works. Now, she says, obviously
we need to do our part. Hey, Abraham says, okay. And they have a son named Ishmael. God never acknowledges him as
a son. You remember in Genesis 22 where
he said, take now thine only son, Isaac, whom you love. Ishmael's
not acknowledged as a son. But now they have Ishmael, and
what happens? Verse 22, for it's written that Abraham had two
sons, the one by bondmaid, the other by free woman, Sarah, who
had this miraculous son. But he who was of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise. Flesh and God's promise. works
and God's promise, which things are an allegory for these are
the two covenants. This is salvation by works and
salvation by grace. The one from Mount Sinai, which
genders to bondage is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai. That's what the giving of the
law was. Hagar represents law. That's all Hagar represents.
Us doing our part. This Hagar is Mount Sinai in
Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem, which now is in bondage with
her children. But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which
is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou
barren, that bearest not. Break forth and cry, thou that
travailest not. For the desolate hath many more
children than she which hath a husband. Now we, brethren,
as Isaac were of the children of the promise, but as then he
that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born
after the Spirit." There it is. flesh and spirit. You know what
this tells me? Grace and works can't coexist. They can't be together. He that
was born after the flesh is always going to persecute him that's
born after the spirit. But really the new birth just
teaches us salvations of the Lord. It's his grace. Turn to
first Peter chapter one. 1 Peter 1. Verse 3. Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant
mercy hath begotten us, hath birthed us again unto a lively,
a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Now, if you have, if I have a living hope, I know that there's only
one reason for that hope. The resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead. I know the only reason I have
this living hope is because He was raised from the dead. He
put my sin away. He was raised for my justification
and now I stand before God without guilt. So if you're born, if
you have a living hope, you have this one reason for having that
hope. the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. Look in verse 22 of the same
chapter, seeing you purified your souls and obeying the truth
through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that
you love one another with a pure heart, fervently being born again. There it is again, being born
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word
of God which liveth and abideth forever. Now the incorruptible
seed is the gospel message. There is no new birth without
hearing the gospel. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
for it is the power of God. unto salvation to everyone that
believe it. There is no new birth, there
is no regeneration, there is no work of God apart from hearing
the gospel. That's the incorruptible seed,
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The corruptible seed
does not produce life. Salvation by works cannot produce
life. It can't make that inner man.
It can't make the hidden man of the heart, which is not corruptible,
that Peter speaks of again. It is only the gospel, and let's
go on reading. Verse 24, here's the message
for all flesh. This is the message that you
hear. For all flesh is as grass. You remember there, I love it
in Isaiah 40 where the voice said cry and Isaiah said what
shall I cry? All flesh is grass. That's the
message. All flesh is grass and the glory
of man is the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower
thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth. Forever, and this is the word
which by the gospels preached unto you. Now all flesh is grass.
Is that my flesh, your flesh? Evil. Grass. The goodliness thereof,
like the flesh, fades away. What is the one thing that's
going to abide on Judgment Day? The person and work of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The Word of God. That only is what abides on Judgment
Day. Turn to 1 John chapter 2. First John chapter 2, verse 29.
If you know that he is righteous, you know most people don't know
that. And if you ask them, do you believe God is righteous?
They'll say, oh yeah. Well, if you believe in salvation by works,
you don't believe he's righteous. If you think he can accept something
you've done, you've taken away his righteousness. If you believe
Jesus Christ can die for somebody and they wind up in hell anyway,
you don't believe he's righteous. There's so many implications.
If you believe that when Christ died, it was the innocent being
condemned, you don't really understand his righteousness. You don't
understand the gospel. Most people, although if you
ask them, yeah, do you believe the gospel? Yeah, I believe he's righteous.
But they don't. They don't. But if you do, If you really
believe he's righteous, and I tell you what, the only people who
really believe he's righteous are the people who have Christ's
righteousness as their only righteousness before God. Those are the ones
who believe he's righteous. They're afraid to look anywhere
else. If you believe that he is righteous, you know that everyone
that doeth righteousness is born of him. The doing of righteousness can
only be the result of being born of God. You don't become righteous by
doing righteousness. You do righteousness as you are
born of God. Now this next scripture even
emphasizes this even more. Look in verse 9. is born of God doth not commit
sin. That's what it says. For his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot
sin, he lacks the ability to sin because he is born of God. Now, the new nature can't sin.
This is that meek and quiet spirit Peter spoke of, which is not
corruptible. It's not even subject to corruption. This is the inner
man. This isn't the new man. It does not commit sin. Now, let me ask you a question.
Can God sin? No. Can Christ sin? No. Can God the Holy Spirit sin? No. Can that which is born of God
sin? No. Partakers, Peter said, of
the divine nature. That divine nature cannot sin. Now, do I see that? I see it in the Word. I see it in the Word. I believe
it in the Word. Do I see it in myself? No. Do
I believe it? Yes. Yes. That new man does not commit
sin. 1 John 4, verse 7. Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God. is birthed by God. He that loveth
not knoweth not God, for God is love. He that loveth. Now,
obviously this is not talking about romantic love. It's not
talking about parental love. It's not talking about all these
loves that we're quite thankful for. I mean, what kind of...
We couldn't even exist without these things. And they're gifts
of God. I'm thankful for these, but that's
not the kind of love it's talking about. He that loveth. Every believer loves God. I love the Sovereign God. I love
the Just God. I love the Holy God. I love the
Independent God. I love the Eternal God. I love
the Omnipotent God. Every attribute of God, I love. I love Him as He's revealed in
His Word. Now to do that, you have to be born of God. I love
His people. I really do. Anybody that loves
Christ, I love them. I love them. And you do, too,
if you're born of God. It comes natural. He that loveth
is born of God. Now, I'm not asking you how much
you love God, because if you love God, you feel like you're
ashamed of your love. You ought to love Him a whole
lot more, shouldn't you? You ought to love Him infinitely
more. There's no question about that. But you do love Him, don't
you? You wouldn't change Him if it were in your power to do
so. If you could change anything about Him, you wouldn't do it
because He's perfect and you love Him as He is. He that loveth
is born, birthed of God. That's what love does. It doesn't
commit sin, and it does love, doesn't it? That's what being
born of God does. It does not commit sin, and it does love.
Now look in 1 John chapter five, verse one. Whosoever, one of the best words in the
Bible, Whosoever I'm a whosoever. I Love that scripture whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved That's better
than if it said Todd not because there's other Todd not hurts
Somebody said that last night this whosoever I can get in that
demographic. I'm one of them whosoever Whosoever
doors wide open Whosoever believing that Jesus is the Christ is born
God. Is it that simple? Yes. Do you believe, now let me ask
you a question, do you believe that Jesus is the Christ? Do
you believe he's God's anointed prophet, that he is the Word
of God, that he is all God has to say? Do you believe that?
Do you believe he's that priest after the order of Melchizedek
that if he represents you before God, you must be saved? If he
brings your name before the Father, if he remembers you, all he's
got to do is remember you. You're like that thief, Lord, remember
me. If you only remember me, I must be saved. Do you believe
that if he represents you, if he died for you, if he lives
for you, if he intercedes for you, you must be saved? He's
the priest after the order of Melchizedek. Do you believe he's
God's king? that He rules and reigns and
controls everything. And you need Him as such. You
need Him to cause you to do His will. You need Him to work faith
in you, work repentance in you, work love. You need Him as King.
If you believe that He's God's prophet, if you believe that
He's God's priest, if you believe that He's God's King, you're
born of God. Believe it. Look in verse 4 of chapter 5. For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world. And this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh
the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God. And what I'd like for me and
you to do for just a moment, if we can, is forget everything
you think about yourself. I'm not asking you if you believe
you're one of the elect. I'm not asking you if you believe
that Jesus Christ died for your sins. I'm not asking you if you've
been born from above. I'm not asking you if you're
saved. Just forget everything you think about yourself. Do you believe that he is the
son of God? You remember when the Lord said
to his disciples, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man am?
And they gave various answers. He said, but whom say ye that
I am? Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. The disciples who had been disciples
are now leaving, the 5,000 in John chapter 6, and the Lord
watched them leave. Now I can imagine what the disciples
might have been thinking about at this time, can't you say something
to get them to stay? But he watched them leave, and
then he looked at the 12 and said, will you also go away? And Peter's answer, to whom shall
we go? Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the Living God, and we believe and are sure that Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the Living God. That's the answer. The Ethiopian eunuch, he's heard
Philip preach the gospel to him out of Isaiah 53. Wouldn't you
have loved to have heard that message? And during the course
of this time he said see here's water evidently heard something
about baptism because it said see here's water What hinders
me from being baptized? And philip said if you believe
with all your heart you may And he said I believe What? What do you say? I believe i'm
saved I believe i'm one of the elect I believe christ died. No, I believe that Jesus Christ
is the eternal uncreated Son of God. I believe He's the Son
of God. Do you believe that? Do you believe
that? You've been born of God. I think
the most powerful thing I think of is Peter after... Remember
the Lord said, Peter, I prayed for you that your faith fail
not. And this tells us what faith is. He said, I prayed for you
that your faith fail not. Now everything else about Peter
failed, didn't it? Everything. And after the resurrection,
if you would have come up to him and said, Peter, do you believe
you're saved? I'm not sure. Do you believe
you're one of the elect? Maybe not. Do you believe that
Christ died for you? I couldn't say. Do you believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God with all my heart? That never left. That's the faith
that did not fail. That is faith. You see, what you believe is
determined by who you believe. One final scripture, verse 18
of chapter 5, For we know that whosoever is
born of God sinneth not. There that is again. We know
that. Whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten
of God keeps himself. He keeps himself. And that wicked
one touches him not. Now what in the world does it
mean to keep yourself? It means, and you know it's only
by grace you do it, but you stay in Christ. That's the only place
the wicked one's not going to touch you, is in Christ. And
you know the only place of safety, the only place of security, the
only place of salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ as you're
found in Him. If in this room there was nothing
but perfect sinlessness, pleasure, everything you could ever desire,
And outside of this room there was nothing but wrath. Where
would you want to be? You'd want to be in this room, wouldn't
you? And you know what else? You wouldn't want to go out.
You'd want to stay right here. Whosoever is born of God sins
not, but he keeps himself. I know the only reason I'm only
in Christ is because Christ put me there and God put me there
and I won't be out because of His will. But I tell you what,
this is where I want to be. I don't want to be anywhere else.
but in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now this is, this is what the new birth does. It
makes you want to be only in Christ. Amen.