SPIRIT GIVES NEW LIFE

Spirit Gives New Life
(John 3:3-8; Romans 8:1-6, 9-11)

JOHN 3

VERSES 3-8:
Jesus was talking with a man
who was considered to be righteous and religious.
Question:
    What makes it difficult for a person like this to be saved?
        – They always want to be right.
        – They don’t see the need for salvation.
        – They have too many facts
           (a head knowledge, but no heart knowledge).
        – They are too educated.
        – They follow the Jewish Law.
        – They were raised up to believe the Law.
        – They are too analytical.
    Question:
        Where would you find people like this?
    Question:
         Do you think he or she would be cynical, argumentative,
        authoritative, curious, or something else?

Question:
    “see the kingdom of God”
         – Do you think he was talking about salvation?

Question:
    Do you think sinners are happy with their life,
     or would they welcome a change?

Question:
    Do you think there are any happy old sinners?

The response from Nicodemus
could be interpreted in at least 3 ways:
    1. He could have thought Jesus was
         talking about a second physical birth.
         Note:
             If so, he could have been trying
             to get Jesus to admit this was absurd.

    2. He could have known Jesus didn’t mean a physical
         birth, but wanted to know what He did mean.
         Note:
             If so, then it shows Nicodemus was confused.

    3. He could have understood what Jesus was saying,
         but didn’t see how this kind of change
         was possible in the life of an adult.
         Question:
             What are some reasons adults don’t easily make changes?
                 – A fear of the unknown.
                 – They don’t want to leave their comfort zone.
                 – There could be physical constraints
                    (Example: short-term memory loss).
                 – They are focused on surviving “where they are”.
                 – They like things the way they are.
         Question:
                What are some possible finishes to,
                 “If I could live my life over, I would…..”?

         Question:
              Even if we could live our life over, what are
              some things that would remain the same?
                  – We would still have a limited number of years.
                  – God is still the same (and is in control).
                  – We would still be tempted to sin.
                  – We would still need salvation.

“born of water”
     – Water and Spirit refer to renewal and rebirth.
        (Ezekiel 36:25-27)
       Note:
            Imagine having a ‘heart of stone’
            that is suddenly replaced with a ‘heart of flesh’.

            ‘heart of stone’ reflects ‘selfishness’;
            ‘heart of flesh’ reflects ‘selflessness’.

            ‘heart of stone’ cares about self;
            ‘heart of flesh’ cares about others.

            ‘heart of stone’
                 is unwilling to go out of their way for others;
            ‘heart of flesh’
                 is willing to make sacrifices for others, and for God.

            ‘heart of stone’ serves self;
            ‘heart of flesh’ serves God and serves others.

            ‘heart of stone’ is proud of their gifts and talents;
            ‘heart of flesh’ is thankful for their gifts and talents.

            ‘heart of stone’ wants recognition from others;
            ‘heart of flesh’ wants recognition from God.

            ‘heart of stone’ wants all the credit;
            ‘heart of flesh’ gives God the credit (always).

            ‘heart of stone’ loves self;
            ‘heart of flesh’ loves others, and loves God.

“must”
     – God doesn’t “force” us to make a decision to change;
        but He does make it a “requirement” for salvation
        (making the choice is our responsibility;
        we are born with a sin nature and making
        a choice is required if we expect to be saved
        and spend eternity with the Lord;
        not making a choice is a choice).

“the wind”
     – Jesus uses the wind to demonstrate
       what the new life is all about.
       When a person is born again,
       he or she receives the Spirit
       (which the world cannot see);
       however if the person has really changed,
       the effects of his or her change will be easily seen.
       Note:
            We need to ask ourselves if we have really changed,
            and if others are aware that we have been changed.

Summary:
     – We must experience the new birth
        in order to enter God’s kingdom.
     – The new birth is the work of God’s Spirit.
     – The new birth is not just a chance to change our lives,
        but the start of a totally new and different kind of life.

ROMANS 8

VERSES 1-6:
“Therefore”
     – Points back to earlier parts of the letter to Rome:
         (Romans 1:18 – 3:20)
     – Shows that all have sinned.
        (Romans 3:21 – 5:21)
     – Focuses on justification by faith.
        (Romans 6:1-7 – 7:25)
     – Deals with a new life “in the Spirit”.
   In summary, apart from Christ, all people
   are condemned to eternal punishment (suffering).

“no condemnation”
     – Means believers have been pardoned from their guilt,
        and delivered from their imprisonment (bondage) to sin.

“in Christ Jesus”
     – One of Paul’s most used descriptions of believers.
        Question:
             What do you think he means by this phrase?
                   – In tune with the desires of Jesus?
                   – Pleasing Jesus is their first priority?

VERSE 2:
Two contrasting ways of life are described.
     1. Life of sin and death (summed up in Romans 6:23).
              – Those in sin are already spiritually dead
                 and headed for the second death.
             Note:
                 Romans 7 shows how living in our own strength
                 leads to captivity (we cannot free ourselves).
             Note:
                 Paul makes everything personal;
                 he uses “I” frequently throughout Chapter 7.

     2. The question in Romans 7:24 is answered
          in Chapter 8 (the key word is “Spirit”).
          The Spirit creates a life of freedom
           (freedom from the law and the bondage of sin and death).

“law”
     – Refers to the Jewish law.

     – At one time, Paul thought he had obeyed the law perfectly.

     – After he met the Lord, he realized
        no one could perfectly keep the commandments.
        Question:
            Was it the Law’s fault?
                  – No, it was the power of sin
                     that prevented people from obeying the Law;
                     the Law was/is not strong enough
                     to provide freedom from the bondage of sin.

     – With the loss of the Law as our hope, God
        showed His love for mankind by providing
        another hope…He sent His own Son.
        Note:
             Jesus served as a revelation of God
             to a sinful humanity.
             He gives us a glimpse of what God looks like.

“likeness of sinful man”
     – Paul may have phrased it like this for two reasons:
            1. So it would not imply that Jesus shared the sins
                of the people who live according to the flesh.
            2. So that others wouldn’t claim
                 that Jesus never became truly human.
                 Jesus was fully God (without sin)
                 and fully man (He faced temptations to sin).

“condemned sin in sinful man”
     – This could be interpreted in two ways:
             1. He condemned the sin of people in the flesh.
             2. Or, while in the flesh, He condemned sin.
          Note:
               The second is probably more likely,
               because He gave Himself for sin.
                    – He condemned the ways of a sinful world.
                    – He made it possible for the condemned
                       to be delivered from the power of sin,
                       and to be “set right” with God.

Through the work of the Spirit:
     – Our “sinful lives” are transformed into “righteous lives”.
     – We can live a life that is pleasing to God
        (something we can’t do in our own strength).
        Note:
             Living a good life doesn’t save us,
             but it does show our relationship to God
             (by living according to His will).

“do not live according to the sinful
  nature, but according to the Spirit”
       – Christians continue to live as people in bodies
          of flesh and blood, but they no longer live
          in the ways of the old life of sin.
       – They now live according to the Spirit.
       – It doesn’t mean they live perfect lives.
       – It means they strive (have a desire) to bear
          the “fruit of the Spirit” (with the help of the Spirit),
          while others practice the works of the flesh.
    Note:
         The Spirit creates a new nature in believers
         (new goals, new values, new habits, and new priorities).
    Note:
         An inner struggle between the flesh
         and the Spirit continues to exist in believers
         (it doesn’t magically go away).
         However, we are given a new power to deal
          with sin in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.

Look at the contrasts:
     – Those who live according to the sinful nature:
            – Have their minds set on what the sinful nature desires.
            – Have a destiny with death
               (dead spiritually now even while they live).
            – Are hostile to God.
            – Do not submit to God’s Law
               (doesn’t make an effort to be obedient).
            – Cannot submit to God’s Law
               (because they are devoid of the Spirit
               who provides the strength needed for obedience).

     – Those who live according to the Spirit:
            – Have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
            – Have a destiny with eternal life,
               and experience an unusual peace now.

Summary:
     – People in sin are condemned (by their guilt)
        and imprisoned (by their sins).
     – God sent His Son to:
             – Become human.
             – Live a perfect life.
             – Give His life for the sins of the world.
     – The Holy Spirit is sent by God:
             – To pardon and liberate sinners.
             – To give believers a new mind-set
                as part of their new nature.

VERSES 9-11:
The Holy Spirit is the decisive factor in salvation.
     – If we do not have the Spirit,
        then we do not have Christ,
        which means we are not His.

     – Paul teaches that no one can
        receive Christ’s atonement (salvation),
        unless the Spirit dwells within them.

     – When we are saved, we either have “all” of the Spirit,
        or we have “none” of the Spirit
        (none means we are unsaved).

     – There may be times after we are saved that the Spirit
        gets more of “us”, but we never get more of the “Spirit”.

     – Paul isn’t saying that we have already died physically;
        he is saying that the body is still mortal, but the Spirit
        has given us a new life (a life of righteousness).

The resurrection of believers
is dependent upon the resurrection of Christ
(2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:14)

Summary:
     – The Holy Spirit enters the human heart at conversion.
     – Death is the consequence of human sinfulness.
        (not a finality of existence, but the absence of eternal life
        with God; death refers to eternal suffering for rejecting
        the Lord – it will be an existence of pain and agony 24/7).
     – Our bodies will always be mortal (either suffering
        punishment, or enjoying the bliss of being with the Lord).
     – The Spirit gives us new life
        (immediate, abundant, and eternal).
     – Believers will be resurrected, just as Jesus was,
        and because Jesus was resurrected.

We will miss out on a wonderful, exciting, and peaceful
life if we fail to allow the Spirit to flourish in our lives.
We should invite and embrace Him as an
integral (part of the whole) part of our daily lives.
Rejecting His influence on our lives is not an option.
(1 Thessalonians 5:19)