Sun., Jan. 2 Adult Bible Study: You Must Be Born Again, Pt. 2

Birth used to illustrate salvation

Physical Birth	Spiritual Birth
Initiated by parents	Initiated by God
You did not will yourself born	Not of the will of man (John 1:12,13)
9-month gestation	Indeterminate gestation
Life precedes birth	Life precedes birth‡
Does not come into the world against his will	Does not enter the Kingdom of God against his will.
Infant struggles to enter the world (labor)	Infant struggles to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt. 11:12)†

‡ Observable in a sinner under conviction and in his seeking after God. Not to be construed as “viable” life.

† The sinner is not passive in the new birth. His strivings are not the cause of the new birth but means to getting there.

To be continued….

Sun., Dec. 26 — Adult Bible Study: You Must Be Born Again, Pt. 1

PRELIMINARIES:

1. Hand out Bible reading plans. Discuss necessity of regular Bible reading. Resolve to read entire Bible in 2011.

2. Hand out Bible reading/study guides. Discuss how to use.

Lesson Text: John 3:3 “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.’”

“Verily, verily” — lit., amen, amen = strong certainty.

    recorded only in John    25X

“except a man" — this means you, Nicodemus. It means every man, woman, and child regardless of status, birth, nobility, position, parentage, wealth, etc.

“born again” — ἄνωθεν — anōthen
   
    — also, from above ( John 3:31; John 19:11, James 1:17; James 3:15, James 3:17)

    doubtful that Nicodemus understood it this way (see his response in v. 4

    the new birth is from heaven, above. It is a work of the Triune God.

this state of Jesus repeated 2 more times (verses 5, 7)

Birth used to illustrate salvation

 

Physical Birth	Spiritual Birth
Initiated by parents	Initiated by God
You did not will yourself born	Not of the will of man (John 1:12,13)

 

To be continued….