John tells us in his Gospel about a man named Nicodemus, who came to Christ looking for answers to some of his spiritual questions. We are told that he was a ruler of the Jews. That doesn’t mean he was a member of the city council, because the secular government was then in the hands of the Romans. He was an ecclesiastical ruler, a religious ruler, a member of the Jewish sanhedrim. That leadership group consisted of the doctors of the law, priests, Levites and the elders of Israel. The sanhedrim was at that time under the control of the liberal, Bible-denying Sadducees. The high priest and his associates were Sadducees. Among them were conservative Pharisees, some of whom were more godly than others. But at the same time, Christ’s most virulent enemies usually came from among the Pharisees. However, Nicodemus, by the grace of God, was different from most of his peers. Yes, the way he spoke to the Lord suggests some native pride and perhaps even arrogance. But at the very least, he was open to investigating this Jesus of Nazareth, whereas most of the other Sadducees and Pharisee, were rejecting Him outright.
We are also told that “the same came to Jesus by night,” with his questions. There is no Biblical explanation about why this visit took place after dark. It is commonly taught that this was a secret visit, because Nicodemus was fearful of losing his position in the sanherdrim. And that is probably the case. But I have to point out, it could be simply that he was a busy man and this was the most convenient time.
The Lord Jesus threw aside the man’s preliminary and complimentary comments, getting right to the point: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Not surprisingly, Nicodemus didn’t understand. Who would understand without some instruction? Jesus went on: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
Why did Nicodemus NEED to be born again? There are a couple of answers to that question. Christ Jesus told him that a new birth was necessary in order for him to see the kingdom of God. If Paul was invited to answer, he might have said, because you are spiritually dead, Nicodemus. Adam sinned and spiritually died. “The wages of sin is death.” And all of Adam’s descendants were born spiritually dead. Paul told the believers in Ephesus: “You hath (God) quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” To be “quickened” is to be made alive, resurrected, born again. Nicodemus needed to be born again because despite all his religiousity, he was still spiritually dead. And as such he was unfit to enjoy the kingdom of God.
I have scripture for this, and I’ll return to those verses in a minute… but at this point I’ll just say, there a sense in which the kingdom of God is citizened only by people who are in family of God. And here is another reason Nicodemus needed to be born again: He was not a child of God. Like everyone else, he was a citizen of Satan’s kingdom: the world. Despite being a ruler of the Jews, he was a child of the devil.
That idea, “a child of the devil,” is not something I made up. It is not a theological conclusion I’ve made. John says in I John 5:10: “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil…” There is a difference between being a child of God and a child of the devil. Paul, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, told a man named Elymas, “thou child of the devil.” The Lord Jesus in His parable of the Tares, called those weed seeds: “the children of the wicked one.” As I tried to show this morning, we are all children of the devil, until we become children of God. And that is why Nicodemus needed to be born again.
But, HOW does a child of hell BECOME a child of God?
The new birth is one of the great mysteries of the grace of God. Solomon, one of the smartest guys ever to have lived, confessed in Ecclesiastes 11:5: “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.” Jesus said to Nicodemus: “The wind bloweth where it listeth (chooses), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
I am not smart enough to explain in detail how God gives life to a dead heart and spirit. But I know that if God wanted the stones in the road to Jerusalem to praise Christ, they would have come to life and shouted “Hallelujah.” I am not smart enough to explain how God regenerates a dead sinner. I don’t know enough to describe the steps God takes to take a child of the devil and make him a child of God. But I am smart enough to know that God in His grace and love does just that, time and time again. Revelation 5 describes a scene in heaven where there are “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands (singing)…” Thou “hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” All those millions will be people who have been born into the family of God.
On a human level, aren’t there two ways to become members of a human family? There is the usual way which involves a nine-month pregnancy and the help of a midwife or nurse. But then there is the legal way: adopting the child of another mother and bringing that child into the family.
I won’t get into the ancient Roman customs and laws of adoption, but let it be said that God’s children are BOTH born into His family AND fully adopted, whereby they receive all the rights and blessings of sonship. Doesn’t John 1:12 refer more to adoption than to birth? “But as many as received (Christ), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” The word “power” in that verse speaks of authority. “To them gave He authority to become sons of God.” In Paul’s great eighth chapter of Romans, he says: “Ye (obedient believers) have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of ADOPTION, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the CHILDREN OF GOD.” You and I can address the Almighty God as our “Father” – as “Abba” – because we have been adopted into His family.
Picking up that same theme in his epistle to the Galatians 4, Paul said, “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To REDEEM them that were under the law, that we might receive the ADOPTION of SONS. and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” In Ephesians he even says that God predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ.
But again, how is it that the children of the Devil became children of God? It is by the grace of Almighty God. I have never met a person who told me he chose to be born, chose his parents, chose is birth date and chose whether to come by way of a natural birth or a Caesarian. And I have never met anyone who said they chose to be adopted. Birth has alway been, and always will be the decision, or the actions, of the parents. And particularly true is that of adoptions. And when it comes to becoming a child of God, again it is entirely of the Lord, not the recipient. “By grace are ye saved,” but our new birth and adoption is realized and enjoyed by faith.
“Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed up us, that we should be called the sons of God.” To be a son of God is a gift which God bestows, and that gift is motivated by His eternal love. If you would like to be a child of God, then bow before the Lord in total submission and surrender. Acknowledge that you are a sinner, completely overcome and dead in sin. It wouldn’t hurt to acknowledge that you know yourself to be child of the Devil. Then ask the Lord to give you the grace to trust the Lord Jesus to implement the adoption process. To that John says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” Praise His name!
Now, here is where much of modern evangelism departs from the Bible. Children bear the characteristics of their parents. With being children of God come responsibilities.
What should our SONSHIP DO? What should it PRODUCE in us?
There are a number of scriptures which speak about this sonship, describing either the character of the child, or responsibilities with come with that sonship. For example, John brings up this relationship in order to mention living like a Christian and not like the world. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” The hope of the saint is the return of Christ and our union with Him. That hope is rooted in God’s promise which is given only to those who are “called the sons of God.”
We’ve already touched on many of the scriptures which speak of our sonship. Let’s add just a few more which either describe us or which should provoke us. Romans 8:14-15: “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Those who are the children of God are led by the Spirit of God; they have the witness of the Spirit in them. And the Spirit of God does not tolerate sin; He leads away from sin and from living in the flesh. If this was John and not Paul, we would hear something about the world. “Love not the world, neither the things are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Whose love is not in the person whose first love is the world? The love of the Father. Something else Paul says here is that children will often cry out to the Father in prayer. True children of God, know from where their daily manna comes: “from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning.” True sons and daughters constantly cry out: “Abba, Father, I love You, I need You.”
II Corinthians 6:14-18: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” God’s sons and daughters don’t want to be unequally yoked together with worldly unbelievers. They choose to walk like citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, because that is home for the children of God.
Ephesians 5:1-5 ties together the children of the Lord and the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children…” Good children, true children want the guidance and leadership of their Father. “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour…” The very reason we are children of God, is because Christ gave His life to provide us with life. So walk in love, as both the Father and our Elder brother chose to love us. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” It is the children of God who inherit the blessings of the kingdom of God and of Christ.
Philippians 2:12-16: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” The children of God are expected to live like their Heavenly Father: blamelessly and without harm. And it doesn’t matter what the world is doing around them.
Revelation 21:5-8: “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son…” Those who have tasted of the fountain of life, have life; they have become members of God’s family. And they have lived their earthly lives with victory, overcoming the evil in their lives. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” With verse 8 we are reminded that there are two kinds of people in the world: the children of God and the children of the Devil.
Conclusion:
There is no greater privilege than to be adopted into God’s eternal family. I pray that you have been born again, and you have been adopted into that family. If not, I would be happy to speak with you about your eternal soul.
But at the same time it must be kept in mind that with that great privileges come great responsibilities. And John concluded chapter 2 saying: “If you know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” “And every man that hath God’s sonship in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” Are you living in the way that a child of God should live?