Our last speaker today, Pastor
Todd Nybert, Todd's Road Grace Church. I feel like I probably know more
about Todd Nybert's ministry than maybe anyone else. In case
you don't know, he's our son's and our daughter's pastor. And
whenever we're together, one of them invariably will say,
well you know Todd says, And I hear from Todd frequently that
way. And I'm always so blessed and
so thankful. I'm thankful that they have you.
And within a month, Lord willing, he's going to be the pastor of
our grandson. Janet told Todd the other day, I want you to
have many more years to teach our grandson. So that's our prayer. And I pray the Lord bless you.
And I hope you feel right at home here. You know, Todd's from
Ashland, so he's Ashland's favorite son. So you feel right at home. Come preach the message God's
giving you. It's such a blessing to be with
you. As Marvin said, I feel very honored to be here with you.
And I love you and your family. Would you turn with me to the
book of 1st John? I've entitled this message, What
the New Birth Does. I've got six scriptures I would
like to read from 1st John chapter, or 1st John, 1st and 1st John
chapter two. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone that doeth
righteousness is born of Him. 1 John chapter 3 verse 9. Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin. For his seed remaineth in him,
and he cannot sin. He lacks the ability to sin,
because he is born of God. 1 John chapter four. Verse seven, beloved, let us
love one another for love is of God and everyone that loveth
is born of God and knoweth God. First John chapter five, verse
one, Whosoever. That's one of my favorite words
in the Bible. Whosoever. I can fit myself into that demographic.
Might be some other demographic that I can't fit myself into,
but I'm one of these people. I'm a whosoever. Whosoever believing that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. Look in chapter, or verse four. For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world. And this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith. And then in verse 18, we know that whosoever is born
of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself,
and the wicked one toucheth him not. Again, the title of this message
is what the new birth does. One of the great mysteries of
the gospel. And by mystery, I don't mean
like a murder mystery, whodunit. A mystery is that which could
not have been known had not God made it known. A mystery is believed. We might not completely grasp
it. I don't grasp how God is one
God in three distinct persons, but I believe it with all my
heart. The mysteries of scripture. And one of the great mysteries
of the gospel is that of being born of God. For John chapter 1 verse 12 and
13, as many as received him, to them gave he the power to
become the sons of God, even to them which believe on his
name, which were born, which were birthed, not of blood, not of the will
of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God, birthed. fathered by God. James 1 18 of his own will begat
he us, birthed he us through the word of truth. I'm going to quote a bunch of different phrases
from the scriptures that speak of this new birth, being born
of God. It's called being born of God,
being born again or born from above, born of the spirit. It's called in scripture a new
creation. It's called the new man. The hidden man of the heart,
which is not corruptible. I love the way it's called a
hidden man. You know why it's called a hidden man? Because we really don't see it.
We know of his effects, but I can't say that was new that that was. The new man. Being born of incorruptible seed
by the word of God, which lives and abides forever. Being partakers
of the divine nature. Christ in you. The spirit that
lusts against the flesh. Christ liveth in me. Christ in you. The life that
I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God. The new heart God said He would
give. The clean heart David asked God
for. The spirit he puts within us,
what David called the spirit that has no guile, no deceit. I have no doubt that this is
what the Lord is referring to when he says, blessed are the
pure in heart. They shall see God. It is only
the one who possesses this pure heart that sees the living God,
that this is His work of grace in us, being born again. This is what regeneration is.
You've heard the term regeneration. Well, there's the work of the
Father in election. How essential is that to salvation?
How essential is that? Absolutely. There is the work
of the Son in redemption and paying for our sins and giving
us His righteousness. How essential is that? Absolutely
essential. How essential is the work of
God the Holy Spirit in giving us a new heart? Being born of
the Spirit. How essential is that in salvation? Absolutely essential. Paul said, we are his workmanship. Created, there it is, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. Now, in John's epistle, he gives
us six things which he who is born of God does. He that doeth righteousness is
born of God, and in the original, the definite article is used. He that doeth the righteousness
is born of God. He that's born of God doth not
commit sin. Everyone that loveth is born
of God. He that believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. Whosoever is born of God overcometh
the world. He that's begotten of God Keep
it. Himself. May the Lord give us his spirit. To know. What these? Verses of scripture. Me. First, John Chapter 2 verse 29.
If you know that he is righteous. Now, you
know that, don't you? That is essential knowledge. Eric, you read it. They being
ignorant of God's righteousness. Every natural man is ignorant
of God's righteousness, and that's demonstrated by the fact that
they go about to establish their own righteousness. That proves
you're ignorant of God's righteousness if you think there's anything
you can do to establish a righteousness before Him. Ignorant. Ignorant. If you know that He is righteous. Do you know that? Do you know
that? Do you know He's righteous? Do
you know the righteous Father? Altogether righteous. I believe
he's speaking specifically of who he calls in 1 John 2, 1,
Jesus Christ, the righteous. You know that he's righteous,
don't you? The righteous Holy Spirit. Now, this is something
every believer knows. I don't have to convince you
of this. You know it. You know it so. If you know that he is
righteous, you know that everyone that doeth Righteousness is born
of him. Now, if you have something other
than King James, most of the translations will say everyone
that practices righteousness is born of him. You practice righteousness. Now,
let me say that how a believer lives is of critical importance. I'm not taking away from the
importance of this. I love that passage of scripture
in 1 Peter 3, 15, where Peter says, always be ready to give
every man that asks you a reason for the hope that's in you. I
don't reckon it's ever happened, but I wish it would. Somebody
look at me and say, wow. the way you're treating me, the
non-judgmental, merciful, gracious way you treat me, and the seeming
love you have for Christ and his gospel. Give me a reason
for the hope that's in you. I'd love for somebody to do that.
I'm afraid I don't think it's ever happened, but I hope it
does one of these days. I hope I would do that. And I'm
not in any way saying our lives are unimportant. Blessed are
the poor. in spirit. I want to be poor
in spirit, don't you? Blessed are they that mourn. They mourn over their sin. They're
meek before God. They hunger and thirst after
righteousness. The merciful. Peacemakers, pure
in heart, persecuted for righteousness sake. I'm not in any way suggesting
that the life of the believer is not important. It is. It is. But as he say, if you're born
of God, you're practicing righteousness. No. That's all he's talking about
there. Now, I want to live in a way
that honors the Lord in everything I do. But in the original, the definite article is used. He that's born of God doeth thee
righteousness. How can that be? David said in
Psalm 71, 16, I have made mention of thy righteousness, even thine
only. Why is that? Because there is
only one righteousness. Believe that? There's only one
righteousness. His. I love it when the Lord said
to John the Baptist, when the Lord came and told John to baptize
him, John, may he baptize you. Something seems wrong with that.
I have need to be baptized in thee and say thou baptize me.
What if the Lord came up and said to you, I want you to baptize
me? You'd have some trouble, wouldn't
you? But the Lord said, suffer to be so now. I know it seems
completely, I know what it seems like. Suffer
to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Everything he did, he did as
an us. When he fulfilled all righteousness,
I personally fulfilled all righteousness. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 4, by
Faith, able, offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice, by
the which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts. He was righteous. Turn with me for a moment to
2 Corinthians chapter five. Verse 10. You know, before I understood what
this verse of Scripture meant, I almost wanted to avoid reading it. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 10.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
that everyone may receive the things done in his body according
to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Now, do you hear what that says?
You and I are going to be judged, and we're going to receive judgment
according to the things we have done, we have done in this body,
whether it be good or whether it be bad. Now, I realize people
taking this verse, Talk what they call the Bema judgment,
the believer's judgment, where you'll be judged according to
your works done in this earth, whether they're good and bad,
you'll receive a reward in heaven. Maybe you'll get a penthouse
in heaven and somebody else is gonna be down here in the basement
because their works didn't reach the status of your works. That's
evil. I don't know what else to call
it, it's evil, it's evil. There's one righteousness, Christ.
Can you improve on that? Can you take away from it? There's
one righteousness. The work of Christ is so really
mine that the things done in my body are all good. Now, if you look at that any
other way, you're going to have to assume that you're not going
to be saved if you look at that any other way. Because if that's
talking about Well, what about the bad things that have been
in my body? Well, you have done bad things, but that's not the
point. That's not what's being taught here. He doeth the righteousness. Now, this gives us some understanding
of what the imputation of righteousness really means. I love it in Revelation
chapter 19, verse 8, where it says, Unto her was granted fine
linen, clean and white. This is the righteousness of
the saints. That's the righteousness of the
saints. Now is this talking about my
righteous life? Is there anything you've ever
done that you would consider that fine linen, clean and white? Any action? No! No! But the righteousness of Jesus
Christ is the righteousness of the saints. His righteousness
is my righteousness. If you know that he is righteous,
you know that everyone that doeth the righteousness, that's justification. That's justification. Everyone
that doeth the righteousness is born of God. Imputation is
not an accounting change. When you go from being legally
counted guilty to being legally counted righteous, what would
we do about a judge if somebody was guilty of a crime? And he
says, I know you're legally guilty of that crime, but I'm a merciful,
gracious God. Therefore, I'm going to legally
account you righteous instead. Why, he'd be fired, wouldn't
he? We'd get him out of office. That's unjust. That's wrong. God doesn't do that. God imputes
righteousness where there is righteousness. Now that is the
doing of righteousness. Doesn't scripture say every believer
is the very righteousness of God in him? Here's the fact of the matter. The real me. Has never seen. God said I'll by no means clear
the guilty. At no time will he ever clear you if you're guilty
before him, you won't be cleared. He that doeth the righteousness
is righteous, even as he is righteous. Look in first John chapter three,
verse seven. Little children. Let no man deceive you. He that
doeth, and once again in the original, that's the definite
article. He that doeth the righteousness
is righteous even as he is righteous. Even as he. He that doeth the righteousness
is born of God. Look in 1 John 3, verse 9, you're
already there. Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin. Born of God means fathered by
God. Can the Holy Spirit give birth
to anything but that which is holy? It's impossible. Can God sin? No. No. He can't lie. You know why he
can't lie? Because he can't sin. He can't birth that which is
sinful because of who? He is. He can't give birth. Remember,
it's called partakers of the divine nature. God cannot birth
that which can sin. He that's born of the Spirit
is Spirit. He that's born of the flesh,
he's not going to be anything other than that. Flesh. Birth
by God. God can't sin. The Lord Jesus
Christ could not sin. I've heard people say, Well,
where was there any merit in his obedience if he couldn't
sin? That's plumb-dumb. I don't know
what else to call it. That's just plumb-dumb. He's
God! That's like, that's the same
argument Satan used with Eve. Look, right now, there's no merit
in your obedience because you're just obeying your nature. Now,
if you take this fruit, your eyes will be open. You'll know
the difference between good and evil, and you'll choose the good
over the evil. And that's what will make you
like God. It sounds plausible. She took the fruit. No, God cannot sin, God, the
son cannot sin, God, the Holy Spirit cannot sin, and God cannot
birth that which sins. I hate it when I read the other
versions, he that's born of God doesn't practice sin. Do you practice sin? Come on.
Come on. I don't want to be mean, but
there was a Jehovah Witness girl talking to me. And I said, why
are you? What are you going to say to God when he says, why
should I let you into heaven? And she said, well, I, you know,
begins with an I, and all the kind of stuff. And I said, really? This is not talking about, oh,
since I'm born of God, I practice. No, it doesn't say that anyway.
It says he that's born of God doth not commit sin. The new man does not commit sin. This is a reference to the new
nature that we're born with. Somebody says, well, what about
the fact that I still sin? Well, you still have the old
nature. You know it painfully, don't you? You still have the
old nature. And it's not It's not, well, I've got an angel
on one side and a devil on the other, and I'm trying to listen
to one and listen to the other. No, that puts three people in
there, not two. That's three, isn't it? That's
three. Black dog, white dog, which one are you going to feed?
Well, who's doing the feeding? That's ridiculous. You have two
natures, one born of the Spirit, born of God, that cannot sin. And the other nature, oh, don't
you Don't you look forward to dying and not being a sinner
anymore? Being in the very presence of Christ without guilt, without
sin? Now, that nature you have right
now. And this shows the power of the old nature. Would you
even look at anything you've ever done and say, well, that's
holy? No, you can't do that. You can't do that. But you have
a nature that does not commit sin. He that's born of God does
not commit sin. That which is born of God does
not See? Now, let me make this comment
before moving on. This is really essential to understanding
regeneration. If I don't believe this, I don't
really believe in total depravity. I believe that God takes the
old man and does something with it. No. No. Born of God. Father. by God, 1 John chapter four,
verse seven. Beloved, let us love one another
for love is of God and everyone. Now notice that, notice that
everyone, not most, everyone that loveth is born of God and
knoweth God. Now, you know and I know that
there's other kinds of loves. I'm thankful for them. I'm thankful
for romantic love. I'm thankful for the love that
exists between parents and children. I'm thankful for the love of
friends. What would this life be if we
didn't have those kind of loves? It would be very, very difficult.
It'd be impossible. And I'm thankful for that. But
that's not the love he's talking about here. You can love your
wife and love your children. love your husband, what means
you're loving yourself is what it means. We're all good at that. I've heard people say, I just
can't forgive myself. I never had any problem with
that. I can forgive myself. I forget
it quick enough. But learning to love yourself,
I was born loving myself. I asked my wife. She can tell
you all about it. But that's not the love he's speaking of.
He's talking about a genuine love. love to God as he is. You love him as he's revealed
in his word. That means you love his holiness.
You give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. You love His
justice. You love the fact that He's absolutely just and will
never let any one sin go unpunished. Do you love Him for that? You
admire Him for that? You love His graciousness. You
love His love. You love His immutability. You
love His omnipotence, His power. You love His independence. You
love everything about Him. And you love everybody that loves
Him. If somebody loves him, you love them. He that loveth him
that begat, loveth him also that's begotten of him. And I said this
last night, you have a genuine love to everybody. Your worst
enemy, you still wish them the grace that you know. You still wish them that they
would know. Everyone that loveth is begotten of God. Chapter five, verse one. Whosoever, what if it says, If the elect
believe that Jesus is Christ, they're born of God. What if
I said that? I'd be nervous. What if I'm not one of the elect? It doesn't say that. And God
says things exactly as they should be said. Whosoever. I'm one of them. Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God, birth of God. Now, the Christ. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ. Now the Christ is God's prophet,
God's anointed prophet, God's priest, God's anointed priest,
God's king, God's anointed king. Every other prophet said, thus
saith the Lord. He never said that. I say, he
is the word of God. And now what a prophet does,
he brings the word of God. He is the word of God. He's a priest
like no other priest. Oh, the Levitical priest, they
brought the blood of an animal. The priest after the order of
Melchizedek brings his own blood into the very presence of God.
He's a king like no other king because every other king, any
authority he has is borrowed, given to him. He doesn't have
any authority inherent in and of himself. But this is the king
whose will is always done. This is the king who has the
ability to make sure I do what he's decreed for me to do, what
he's given me to do. I need him as my prophet, my
priest, and my king. Do you need him in those offices?
Prophet? The word of God? A priest to
represent you because you don't have any way of coming into God's
presence? He's going to have to do it for you with His own
precious blood. Do you need Him as your King
to rule and reign in you and cause you to do His will? Whoso believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born
of God. Now, I may ask you, do you believe
and know for sure that you're saved? Give me a few seconds, and I'll
start wondering. Probably when you say, sure I
am, I'll, you know. But then after that, I'll think,
what if I'm not? What if I'm not? As a matter
of fact, there's not a day that goes by at some point where I think,
how could I even be saved? If I asked you that you knew
for sure that Jesus Christ died for your sins? I hope He did. If I ask you that you know positively
that your name is written in the land of the book of life, I hope it is. If I ask you if you believe that
Jesus is God's Christ, yes, I do. Yes, I do. I believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the son of the living God. I believe that Jesus is the Christ. Now, let's take this verse for
what it says. Whosoever believe it, that Jesus is the Christ,
that person born of God, Every one of them without exception.
They're born of God. First John chapter five, verse
four. For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world. Now here is the fourth. Well, whichever one,
fifth, well, when I get to the end, I'll know. I'm getting close
to that. But the point is, everyone that overcomes the world is born
of God. Whosoever is born of God overcomes
the world. Now, what does that mean? Does
that mean you have victory in your life? I'm no defeated Christian. I'm a victorious Christian. I'm
living the victorious Christian life. I'm defeating the world
and the lust of the world and the lust of the flesh and the
pride of life. I'm becoming more holy and less sinful. I'm overcoming the world. Is
that what that means? Well, you don't have to read
very far to find out. Verse four, for whosoever is
born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory. that
overcometh the world? Our faith. Our faith. Now let me give you
an example of exactly what that means. Peter, the Lord said, Simon,
Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you
as wheat. I pray for you, that your faith fail not. Well, you know what happened.
Peter denied he knew the Lord. I know not the man. He was overcome and overpowered
by the fear of man. And he said, I don't know him. I had no doubt that he remembered
the words of the Lord. Anybody that denies me before
me, I'm going to deny him before my heavenly father. And I have no doubt that Peter
thought he was a reprobate. He had been given over and he
wept bitterly. He was so scared. He thought,
it's over for me. I heard what the Lord said, it's
over for me. But remember how the Lord said,
I've prayed that your faith fail not. I guarantee you at that
time, Peter did not believe he was saved. but he never quit
believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God. He denied his
own name, but he didn't deny who he is. He knew that Jesus
Christ is the... Peter, you saved? I don't know.
Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ? With all my heart.
This is the victory that overcomes the world. Even our Faith, verse
five, who is he that over the cometh the world, but he that
believeth that Jesus is the son of God. Do you believe that Jesus
is the son of God? You believe that? I do. I do.
You know what that means? I'm born of God. First John five, verse 18. This
is the last one. But we know that whatsoever is
born of God sinneth not. We've already covered that part,
haven't we? As a matter of fact, look what he says. We know that
whatsoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten
of God keepeth himself, and the wicked one toucheth him not.
You know what that means? You remember when the Lord said
with regard to Satan, the prince of this world hath come and hath
found nothing in me. There was nothing he could get
hold of. There was nothing he could get hold of. Well, that
is true with regard to the new man in Christ, Jesus. There's
nothing Satan can get hold of. Now, he's got plenty in your
own nature that he can get hold of, doesn't he? Plenty, without
any problem, as far as that goes. I think of Revelation chapter
12, verse 11, where the accuser of the brethren accused them
before God night and day. If he started making accusations
against you, how many of them would be false? How'd they overcome him? Through
the blood of the Lamb. Now, the new man, though, the
new man, he didn't have anything to work with. But the point is, here, we know
that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that's begotten
of God keepeth himself. Keeps himself. Does that mean
I keep myself from falling? Well, you know better than that.
You know better than that. Here's the truth. If you're born
of God, you are highly suspicious of yourself and you watch over
yourself because you know what will happen to you apart from
his grace. And you're suspicious. Am I looking
to Christ only? You're always caught. Here's
what this looks like. Here's what this looks like.
This thing of keeping yourself. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be
thy name. Holy, reverend is your name. Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done. on earth, here, just like it
is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Give me what I need for today.
Deliver me from trying to look to yesterday or tomorrow. You
know, the biggest false refuges there are is yesterday and tomorrow. Yesterday, you're looking to
something you did. Tomorrow, you're looking to something you
intend on doing. Give us this day. our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, our
sins, our transgressions, as we forgive those who are indebted
to us. And that's the only part of this
prayer the Lord commented on. If you forgive men their trespasses,
your Heavenly Father will forgive you your trespasses. And if you
forgive not men your trespasses, their trespasses, neither will
your Heavenly Father forgive your trespasses. Now, he teaches
us to pray. Forgive us our debts, our sins,
as we forgive those who sinned against us. And listen to this.
Lead us not into temptation. I know this much. I hate admitting
to it, but I know it. So if I'm tempted, I fall. Put
a hedge around me so I'm not even tempted. Now that's a suspicious
attitude about yourself, isn't it? That's keeping yourself.
Put a hedgerow. Lead us not into temptation. Don't let us be tempted. Deliver us from evil. Deliver
me from my own evil. Deliver me from the evil one.
Deliver me from evil. That's keeping yourself. That's
what it is. For thy is the kingdom. Thine
is the power. Boy, there's an acknowledgement
of that, isn't there? Thine is the glory. Oh, you believe
that. Forever. Amen. There is such a thing as being
born of God. He that doeth thee righteousness
is born of God. He that is born of God does not
commit sin. All that love are born of God,
he that believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. He
that overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith, is born of God, and he that's born
of God keepeth himself. May this describe every one of
us by the grace of God. And somebody says, I'm not born
of God. Ask God to birth you into his
kingdom. Ask him to give you faith in
Christ. Anyone who asks, receives. Todd, I'm so glad the Lord laid
that message on your heart. Didn't those two messages feel
like a hand in a glove? Now, what are you going to say to
that? Amen. Amen. You know, you weren't here
accidentally today. And these messages weren't preached
today just on happenstance, that you happened to hear those things.
This was God's message to us. And it's an important, important
teaching in our day, because this message of the new birth,
the truth of it, has come under attack in our day. It's very,
very important. How important is it? Paul said,
if you have not the spirit of Christ, you're none of his. Oh, I pray God, give us the faith
to believe. Don't you rest in Christ. Let's bow together. Our Father, how we thank you
for this day that you've given us, this time to hear one more
time the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Father, I pray you take
your word as it's been preached and apply it to our hearts. Oh,
give us faith to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, to find in
him all that you require of us. Father, show us your glory. Show
us your glory, your redemptive glory in saving your people from
their sins. Father, we ask that you'd bless
the food that we're about to eat. We thank you for these ladies
that have prepared it for us, and we ask you to give us a time
of fellowship together. Father, for those that have to
travel back home today, we pray you give them traveling mercies.
Watch over them and be with them. Pray you bless our time of fellowship
this evening, and Father, especially, that you'd return us again tomorrow
to one more time be enabled by thy grace to hear the gospel
of Christ our Savior. It's in his name and for his
sake we pray. Amen. Our ladies have prepared us food,
which I know y'all smell. And they'll get the food ready. The men will put some tables
up here and we'll go through this door, go through the line
and come back around. And remember, we'll have a get
together this evening at Simpson Valley at 5 o'clock. Janice told
me I can't keep calling it that because everybody from here knows
what I'm talking about. Our visitors don't know what
that is. You can't find it on your GPS. Jackie, I'm going to
lobby the state of Ohio to officially change the name there so you
can find it in your GPS. But if you don't know where it's
at, get with one of us. We'll get you there. You can
follow us there or something. We'll have a good time there
together too. Shawn, you can lead us in a closing
song. Okay, if you would, turn to song
number 466. 466, Christ liveth in me.