The Story of Jesus and Nicodemus Discussing the New Birth

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus and he was a ruler of the Jews; in (John 3:1). Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher that come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. (John 3:2). In verse three 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”. Nicodemus saith unto him, how can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? (John 3:4) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be “born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the “Kingdom of God”. (John 3:5) Jesus said, that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. (John 3:6) In verse seven Jesus said; Marvel not that I said unto thee, “Ye must be “Born Again”. Then Jesus said, the wind bloweth where it willeth, and thou hearest the sound of it, but canst not tell from where it cometh, and where it goeth; so is every one that is “Born of the Spirit”. Nicodemus answered and said unto him. How can these things be? (John 3:9) In verse ten Jesus answered, and said unto him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these things? Then Jesus said, verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that which we do know, and testify to that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. (John 3:11) If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you Heavenly things? (John 3:12) In verse thirteen Jesus said to Nicodemus;  And no man hath ascended up to Heaven, but he that came down from Heaven, even the “Son of man who is in Heaven”. And, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. (John 3:14) Jesus said, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:15) This next verse is the most quoted verse in the bible. “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.” (John 3:16) Jesus said, For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17)  Jesus said, He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18). And this is the condemnation, that light is come unto the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19) Jesus said, For everyone that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:20) But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:21);

Nicodemus was a highly moral man who obeyed God’s law. And he was a respected leader of the Jewish community. There was no doubt that he was a fine man. But yet, something was lacking in his life. Now many people today, like Nicodemus were confuse with religion with the “New Birth” in Jesus Christ. The phrases like “I pray regularly” or “I believe there is a God” often are confused with a real “New Birth” experience. Have you ever wondered what the phrase “New Birth” or the phrase “Born Again” really means? The bible records that Jesus used this phrase in a conversation with a man named Nicodemus. When Nicodemus approached Jesus at night . He brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. (John 19:39) Nicodemus approached Jesus at night time, he was curious about Jesus and the “Kingdom of God”. Jesus told Nicodemus in  (John 3:3) that “Except a man be “Born Again”, he cannot see the “Kingdom of God”. Then Nicodemus ask Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old? (John 3:4) The “New Birth” begins with the Holy Spirit convicting a person that the person is a sinner. Now because of sin, we are spiritually dead. For this reason, spiritual birth, as Jesus described it, is necessary. God loves us and gives us spiritual birth when we ask Him for it.

The Bible says that all people have sinned and come short of the glory of God and being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus in  (Romans 3:23-24).  The word “Redemption” means to deliver by paying a price and Jesus certainly, did paid our sin debt on the Cross. Jesus died on the Cross and was raised from the dead to save sinners. When you are “Born Again,” it means that a person admits to God that he or she is a sinner. When you repent of your sin that means that you believe in or trust Jesus Christ, and you confess your faith in Him as your Savior and Lord of your life. We must remember that, when Jesus told Nicodemus that everyone who believes in Jesus Christ would not perish (John 3:16).  Always remember that Jesus is the only One who can save us from our sins (John 14:6).

All you have to do is place your Faith in Jesus and believe in Jesus as your Savior is to be  “Born Again”.  And you must confess your sins and ask Him right now to save you. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord Jesus shall be saved (Acts 2:21). Now after you have received Jesus Christ into your life. Then you should share your decision with another person, and then follow Jesus Christ’s example, by asking for baptism by immersion in water in your local church as a public expression of your faith, (Romans 6:4).

We come to the end of this bible lesson about God’s Salvation Plan, I would like to ask you a question about the condition of “your Soul”. If you were to die before this day comes to an end; “where would your Soul spend eternity at? Now this is probably the most important question in your life. Would you like to ask Jesus to save you now? If so just keep on reading and the next few verses will tell you how to be saved. All you have to do is just sincerely pray a simple prayer like this one here. “Please God, I confess to you my sins and I need Jesus in my life right now. I will turn away from my sins and place my Faith in your Son Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Amen.”

You should share your Faith in Jesus Christ with other Christian friends or a pastor. Becoming a Christian, this is your first step on that long life’s road of a Spiritual growth and your service to sharing God. The second step is to follow Jesus Christ in a believer’s baptism by immersion in water and joining a local church that teaches the true Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  • Jesus said to Thomas in (John 14:6) I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
  • Neither is there Salvation in any other; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12) and His name is Jesus.

We as Christians should remember that Salvation is simple, but it’s not cheap. It cost Jesus Christ everything so that salvation could be offered to us freely. God has provided simple steps to salvation, which permits anyone who can make their own decision to have it. If salvation could be received on the basic of education, multitudes would be excluded. If eternal life could be had on the basis of wealth, a great number would still be left out. If being saved were dependent upon one’s moral perfection, everyone would fall short. God has made His salvation available on the basis of a personal faith which even a child can exercise. This way everyone is reduced to the same level in the eyes of God and all must come to him on the same terms (Romans 3:9-10) and (Galatians 3:22).

Paul said, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not, of yourselves; it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast”. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Below you will find some scriptures in the book of Romans that can lead you through the Romans road to Heaven. Please take the time to read the questions below and study God’s Word and may God bless you always.

  • Who is good? (Romans 3:10) As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.
  • Who has sinned? (Romans 3:23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
  • Where did sin come from? (Romans 5:12) Wherefore, as by one-man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
  • God paid the price for sin. (Romans 6:23) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • We all have a way out. (Romans 5:8) But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
  • What must I do to be saved? (Romans 10:9-11) That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

It is my prayer and hope that everyone can understand a little more about their new home in Heaven and of what God’s future plan that He has in store for them for all eternity. Some people just shake their heads and are scared to what the future holds for them. They say that they cannot read the bible and understand anything that the Scriptures are saying to them. So I have tried to outline each of the verses with the help of the Holy Spirit so that anyone; whether you are a believer in Jesus Christ (Saved) or an unbeliever (lost) and don’t know who our Savior Jesus Christ is. It is my prayer and hopes that when you try to read and study the Bible that everyone will always keep an open-mind. Remember that God loves you and this book which is called the Bible is about your future and where everyone will spend the rest of their life at. As a Christian I am concerned about your soul and where you will spend all eternity at. We all have two choices in this life and the first one is that you should realize that you are a sinner and on your way to a place called Hell because of your unbelief in Jesus and His finish Works on the Cross. The second choice is that when you call upon the name of Jesus Christ and ask Him to come into your life and save you. Then you are on your way to a place called Heaven because of what Jesus done for all mankind on the Cross. He paid the price by shedding His precious blood and dying there so that all mankind could go free.

This concludes our Bible Study about God’s Salvation Plan. Also I believe that Jesus answered Nicodemus question about being Born Again. Please be much in prayer for me as I try to teach God’s Word the Bible.

Your, Brother in Christ

Frank Rose

What is the Value of a Human Life

Introduction: It was about three months ago that I meet a new brother in Christ at our church, which is called East-view Baptist Church. His name is Red Butler and his wife is Jewel Butler. Now both of them jointed our little church and they are faithful and our Sunday School Class just loves them both dearly and they take a big part in our class too. After a few months had gone by, the pastor had to go out of town and he ask Brother Red to preach a sermon while he was gone. Well Brother Red had been a pastor for many years before and he stepped up to God’s call and I believe that everyone liked his style of preaching and so did I. After the worship service I ask Brother Red if he had any old sermons that I could post on my web-site for the world to see and read and maybe someone might be under conviction and they might get saved by hearing the word of God. Below is one of his first sermons and I pray that there will be many more to come. P.S. Please be much in prayer for Brother Red and his wife Jewel for the are up in years now and his wife Jewel is very sick.

What is the Value of a Human Life

Written by, Red Butler

Read Text:  (Matthew 16:26);  for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.

I would like for you to think with me for a little while about, what is a soul worth. I have heard men say that he is not worth a penny. He is not worth the power to blow his brains out. Also I would not give a plug nickel for his life. He is not worth living. Today man doesn’t place any value on a human life. Now if you don’t believe me, just listen to the news, people are killing each other for no reason at all.

What value did our Lord Jesus place on a human life? Listen to the value that Jesus said he is worth. Think about all of these things that God has made for us in the beginning. First God created the Heaven and the earth. God made all the stares, the solar system, the plants, and all the worlds, and the entire world system. Jesus said that he is worth more than all of these put-together, Jesus put it like this.

Jesus said in (Matthew 16:26) for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.  Why did Jesus put such a value upon a human life? There are some outstanding reasons, and we need to consider them prayerfully.

A Soul is so valuable because of what Man is and because of God’s Purpose for Man.

When God had prepared this earth with all of its living creatures and with all of its swimming life in the seas, and the birds that fly in the air and animals and creeping things that lives upon the earth. God looked upon it and said “it is very good”. But God was not satisfied. Remember God is love, and love an object like unto itself, upon which it can bestow its affection. God was hungering for a family of children. So God said “let us make man in our image and in our likeness”, and so the Scripture says, “In the image of God created he him, male and female”. God said, let us make man in our image and in our likeness; and let them have dominion authority or control over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air. And over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all creeping things that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Now the crowning work of God creation is a being from His own hands into whom, God has breathed the breath of His own life into Adam, and he became a living soul. Below are 8 sayings of love that God ask man to do.

  • He wanted man to have a capacity to love like God.
  • He wanted man to return the love of God.
  • He wanted man to respond to and receive that matchless love of God.
  • He wanted man to have the capacity to think the thought of God.
  • He wanted man to live the life of God.
  • He wanted man to hold fellowship with God.
  • He wanted man to walk in communion with God.
  • He wanted man to live with God.

We see God coming down in the cool of the day to have fellowship with Adam. Here we see a wonderful fellowship between the two. Now would you like to know what was said between the two of them, as they fellowshipped together? Here God’s purpose was that this man should be the lord of creation, and he should reign with Him and share His glory throughout eternity.

And then the unthinkable happen:

Here the Devil stepped in and upset the apple cart, he rob God and cause Adam to turn his back on his loving God. This is why Jesus said, “What does a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Here Adam forfeits the opportunity to share with God, His glory through eternity. Now in a state of Holiness = perfect. He then forfeit his love that he had with God.

Again the reason Jesus placed that value upon a soul was because that soul is to live forever.

It is because of the fact of eternity and the immortality of the soul. The question ask here is, have you ever tried to grasp the thought of eternity and just what eternity means to you? Remember these words that may have been spoken to you or maybe someone in your family in the next paragraph.

Oh, the thought that I shall live somewhere forever and forever and forever. Someone, has said that if a tiny sparrow were to take in its beak a grain of sand from this planet to the moon, and came back to this earth, and it took him one thousand years for a round trip, and he did this until all of the earth was removed. It would just be one day in eternity. Now when we think of a lost soul, it would be lost forever.

Now listen to the cry from Hell. “ And he cried and said Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). For two thousand years this man has been pleading for just a drop of water, not a glass full. Now what does it mean? He received no mercy. That is just the beginning, the terrible torture and the awfulness of the fact of Hell. But when you add eternity to the doom of the soul. Then you can understand when Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.

If you would get a concept of what it means to be lost, the awfulness of Hell, you must look to Calvary. There is no other place in eternity where you can get a proper conception of what it means for a soul to be lost. For the Son of God to be willing to die in order that you and I can have eternal life. What a terrible price to pay. Yes the Son of God was willing to let His life be an offering for sin.

Now we can see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. In His agony of soul His sweat as great drops of blood. Hear Him say “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” For three hours the Son of God prayed that one prayer. He isn’t shrinking from the Cross. His soul is being made an offering for our sins. He is saying, “If there is any other way, Father, if there is any other way, to save a soul let me take that way, but there was no other way. Jesus looked into the face of the Father, and said not my will but thane will be done”. Oh the price God paid to redeem you and me. To keep us from going to Hell.

What would the rich man give to have the chance to kneel one more time, to make it right with God, do you believe that he would do it? Yes, a thousand times yes. Now what would he give to hear these sweet words below?

  • Just to hear one more song of grace.
  • Just to say one more prayer in his behalf.
  • Just to hear one more message, from God’s wonderful book.
  • Just to hear one more invitation.
  • Just to hear one more time to make it right with God.

When you miss that last call from God and you have harden your heart to His Word, then you have made your stand with the Devil and his angels, you are on your way to a place called Hell.

Now we as believers in Jesus Christ, should never forget that Jesus paid the price by shedding His precious blood and that He died willing so that mankind could go free.

Remember, all you have to do is just sincerely pray a simple prayer like this one here. Our Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner. Now I believe that Jesus died for me because of my sins. Jesus I’m sorry for all the wrongs that I have done. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins. I accept your gift of eternal life. Thank you Father for my new life. Now from this day forward I choose to follow you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Note: Now this concludes this bible study in (Matthew 16:26); of the scriptures. Remember everything on this web-site is free. Please pass them on to other people if they have heaped you.