0906. The Necessity of the New Birth
The Necessity of the New Birth
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (Joh_3:7).
The new birth is not a matter of privilege or of choice; it is a matter of necessity. Jesus Christ did not say, "Ye may be born again," He said, "Ye must." There is nothing indefinite here. The words simply mean–there is no other way of entering into the Kingdom of God excepting through the new birth.
How many thousands there are to-day, who, like a thief and robber, are seeking to enter by some other way. Some are trusting in their good works; some in their good morals, and some in their large gifts. Some are looking to their baptism, some to their church-membership and some to their religious activities.
Some are trusting in themselves that they are righteous; some are trying to clean up the old man, and to polish up the flesh.
To all such the Lord speaks the inevitable word, "Ye must be born again."
1. Ye must be born again because the old man can not serve God. The natural man receiveth not the things of God neither can he know them. The natural man is enmity against God, it is not subject to the laws of God neither indeed can be (see Rom_8:7).
2. Ye must be born again because the old man is altogether corrupt. From its head to its feet there is no soundness in it. It is full of wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; its heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. It is corrupt according to deceitful lusts.
3. Ye must be born again because the old man, the self-life, is incapable of being renovated and cleansed. The Word of God demands that we shall put off the old man, not patch him up. The old man is to be crucified, not cultivated. They who have been used to doing evil cannot learn to do well. The cleansing of the outside of the cup and of the platter, leaves the inside just as foul as before. Painting sepulchres white, does not take away dead men's bones.
4. Ye must be born again because that which is vile can not enter the Kingdom of God. No unclean thing can go in thereat. Without the city, and not within, are to be found the fearful and unbelieving and abominable and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR