When Jesus talked with Nicodemus about the new birth. Jesus gave the reason why a person must be born again and how to be born again. Although Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a scholar and teacher in the scriptures and a ruler, a master of Israel, Nicodemus was still the old man, which means Nicodemus was carnal. He had a deep understanding of the scriptures, but Nicodemus didn’t understand what Jesus meant by becoming born again and how a person be born again?
Иисус ответил и сказал ему, Воистину, воистину, Я говорю тебе, Если человек не родится свыше, он не может увидеть Царствия Божия. Nicodemus saith unto him, Как может человек родиться в старости?? Может ли он войти во второй раз в утробу матери своей?, и родиться? Иисус ответил, Воистину, воистину, Я говорю тебе, Если кто не родится от воды и Духа, он не может войти в Царство Божие. Рожденное от плоти есть плоть; и рожденное от Духа есть дух (Джон 3:3-6)
What does regeneration mean?
Regeneration means: (духовный) возрождение (государство или действие), то есть, (в переносном смысле) духовное обновление; конкретно мессианское восстановление: – регенерация (G 3824 палиггенезис)
You will not enter the Kingdom of God by your own works, but you can only enter by the work of Jesus Christ and through the process of regeneration.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour (Тит 3:5-6)
Regeneration or being born again does not mean a reformation of lifestyle, nor does it stop with sorrow for sin, nor by becoming religious or by attending church, church membership, humanitarian works etc.
Someone can be a good person according to the world; a humanist and a faithful member of the church, doing good (благотворительность) работает, knowing all the scriptures in the Bible and still be unregenerate.
Nicodemus is the perfect example of this.
Nicodemus was a religious man. He was serious about the things of God, но Никодим не родился свыше. Никто не может войти в Царство Божие добрыми делами, личные навыки, effort or goodness.
How can a person be born again and enter the Kingdom of God?
There is only Одностороннее движение to enter the Kingdom of God and that is through the process of regeneration or in others words: by becoming born again. This process is the spiritual counterpart of the natural birth. Нет другого пути для грешники to enter the Kingdom of God and be reconciled with God, then through regeneration.
When Nicodemus asked Jesus how a person can be born again, Jesus gave an illustration of the wind.
No man can really understand where the winds come from and the ways of the wind. But while we may not understand the wind, we feel the force of the wind.
Это the same with the new birth. No one is able to understand with the carnal mind how a person be born again, but we all experience the power of regeneration, when you become born again.
When Jesus spoke about the new birth and gave the illustration of the wind, Jesus expected Nicodemus to connect His words with the words of the prophet Ezekiel:
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Так говорит Господь Бог; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army (Иезекииль 37:9,10)
The five components for the new birth?
- Вера
- Cleansing
- Resurrection
- Новое творение
- Quickening
