The New Birth

Notes

1. "Nicodemus had come to the Lord thinking to enter into a discussion with Him, but Jesus laid bare the foundation principles of truth. He said to Nicodemus, It is not theoretical knowledge you need, so much as spiritual regeneration. You need not to have your curiosity satisfied, but to have a new heart. You must receive a new life from above before you can appreciate heavenly things. Until this change takes place, making all things new, it will result in no saving good for you to discuss with Me My authority or My mission."—Desire of Ages, page 171.

As the Jews by virtue of their birth, nationality, and education felt sure of a place in the kingdom of God, so many to-day feel sure of salvation because they were brought up Methodists, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, or Seventh-day Adventists. They feel no need of a change. But this is all a delusion. If saved, we must be "born again." We must have the new heart. We must have the life that is from above.

What the unconverted sinner needs is not to have the good that is in him cultivated and developed, but to have his nature changed, and a new life begun within him. He needs to become a new creature in Christ Jesus. It is not evolution that is needed, but creation; it is not generation, but regeneration.

2. "When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into the human nature. . . . Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love and self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits for the time, we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end."—Desire of Ages, pages 323, 324.

3. "The Saviour did not meet argument with argument. Raising His hand with solemn, quiet dignity, He pressed the truth home with greater assurance, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus knew that Christ here referred to water baptism, and the renewing of the heart by the Spirit of God.

"By nature the heart is evil, and 'who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?—Not one.' No human invention can find a remedy for the sinning soul. 'The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.' The fountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit."—Desire of Ages, pages 171, 172.

4. The new birth is controlled by the will as well as the old. While the new life comes from God, and is dependent wholly upon God, there must be an assent of the mind, a yielding of the will, or the change will not be wrought in the soul. "Let this mind ⟦be?⟧ in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Phil. 2:5. See also Rev. 3:20.

5. "By faith you become Christ's, and by faith you are to grow up in Him,—by giving and taking. You are to give all,—your heart, your will, your service,—give yourself to Him to obey His requirements; and you must take all,—Christ, the fulness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting Helper,—to give you power to obey. Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your first work. Let your prayer be, 'Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me to-day in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.' This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ."—Steps to Christ, pages 84, 85.