You Must Be Born Again – John 3:1-8 – October 12, 2025

John 3:1-8
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus – You must be born again!

The Problem: Sin and its Consequences

  • All have sinned: Romans 3:23 states, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
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  • In Isaiah, it says, all our righteous acts (mine and yours) are like filthy rags


Romans 3:10-18
10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one.
11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”
18 “They have no fear of God at all.”

The Consequences of Sin: Romans 6:23a: “The wages of sin is death.”

God’s Solution: Grace Through Jesus Christ (You are guilty – Jesus paid the fine.)

  • Paul continues to tell us in Romans 6:23b, “but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
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  • Romans 5:8 further declares, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

How Can You Be Saved.?

  • Romans 10:9, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
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  •  Romans 10:13 says it again, “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

It is having faith in what the Bible says. Do you believe what the Bible says?

The Gift of Salvation

  • Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
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  • Romans 8:1 There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
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  • John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
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  • Romans 8:38-39 “38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
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  • Titus 3:5, He saved us because of his mercy, and not because of any good things we have done.
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  • Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

When You’ve Accepted Jesus as Your Lord, and Your Savior

  • 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
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  • As Paul told the Colossian church, 5 put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 

When you are saved, or, as Jesus told Nicodemus, when you are “born again,” Christ now lives in you.
You receive what the Bible calls the “fruit of the Spirit.”
That would be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

“Today is your DAY. If you’ve never given your life, your heart to Jesus and asked him to save you, you can do this right now. All you have to do is say this simple prayer, because salvation isn’t hard. You can say it to yourself, repeating after me. If you truly want Jesus living in you, HE will. “God, I know that I have sinned against you and am deserving of punishment. But Jesus Christ took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. With your help, I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness – the gift of eternal life! Amen!”