The Rejection of the New Birth part 2

Well take your Bible this morning turn with me to the Gospel of John. John chapter 3 and we will be in verses 11 through 21 but primarily in verses 18 through 21. John chapter 3 we are continuing in our study our series through the Gospel of John and the title of the series is Christ the Son of God and live believe and live.

Now we have transitioned from John chapter 3 verses 1 through 10 remember that was that one-on-one dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus and now we are seeing that Jesus is revealing the true condition of Nicodemus in verses 11 through 12 and not only is he revealing who and what Nicodemus is he's really backed away from a one-on-one dialogue and he's revealing also the condition of the Jews as well. We've learned last or excuse me the Sunday before last and also Wednesday night that Jesus is exposing he is exposing their unbelief. Now it is important to see the rejection of this teaching that Jesus gave in verses 1 through 10.

Jesus has taught on the new birth yet Nicodemus has not only failed to understand it but he has purposely and willfully rejected it. Now I said this previously that we see really a great invitation in this teaching we see a great invitation by the Living Lord Jesus and let me explain that to you or show that to you. Seven times in these verses verses 11 through 21 Jesus uses believe or a form of the word believe. Two times in verse 12, one time in verse 15, one time in verse 16, and three times in verse 18. Also notice some of the wording in these verses Jesus says you do not receive our witness in verse 11.

In verse 12 he says you do not believe. In verse 15 he says that whoever believes and in verse 16 whoever believes and in verse 17 but that the world should be saved through him and in verse 18 he who believes in him. Why am I explaining and showing this to you? All of this reveals to us that Jesus is really going he's really doing two things. First he is issuing an invitation and second he is revealing their rejection of this invitation to the new birth because as it is right here there is no indication of true belief.

Now we do know that Nicodemus is identified with the people of God and the work of God later on in the Gospel of John and we do believe that he did believe later. But as we move into verses 18 through 21 this morning we will complete this message the rejection of the new birth. The last time we were together in John we looked at the rejection of the new birth part 1 and we looked at two main truths from verse 11 to verse 13.

You will see on the screen the title of the message the rejection of the new birth and we looked at the exposure of the unbelief in verses 11 through 12 and then we looked at the answer to the unbelief in verse 13 through 17. Isn't that wonderful that invitation? Because Jesus exposes their unbelief in verses 11 through 12 but then he gives an invitation what does he do in verse 16? For God so love the world. That is that invitation to the new birth to Nicodemus. But this morning we will look at the third main truth out of these verses and we will see the ramification of unbelief in verses 18 through 21.

The ramification of unbelief of the consequences in verses 18 through 21. Let's look at the text together. I'm going to go back and start in verse 11 because it has been some time since we've been in these verses together because verses 11 through 21 are all tied together but because of time and the amount of information we had we needed to divide it into two different messages. So look at your scripture with me starting in verse 11. "Truly, truly I say to you we speak that which we know and we bear witness of that which we have seen and you do not receive our witness.

If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things? And no one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven even the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up and whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son and whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world but that through the world should be but but that the world should be saved through him." And this is where we will pick up this morning. He who believes in him is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already because he is not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment that the light has come into the world and men loved the darkness rather than the light. For their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come into the light. Least his deeds should be exposed.

But he who practices the truth comes into the light that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. Like I said earlier we will finish up this text and we will be looking at the ramifications of unbelief. So if you're taking notes in your notes you should have truth number one the exposure of unbelief, truth number two the answer to unbelief from verses 11 through 17 and then we will look at truth number three the ramifications of unbelief from these verses 18 through 21. Now this is important for us to see these ramifications, consequences.

There was one Bible commentator that I ran across he called it the results of their unbelief. So really it doesn't matter what word you use. Results, consequences, ramifications. We see the consequences of this unbelief of Nicodemus and the unbelief of the Jews that it would have been in the audience. So we're going to break these verses down and I want you to see what we're going to look at this morning. First notice judgment has come. Judgment has come. Look back with me at verse 18. He who believes in him is not judged.

He who does not believe has been judged already because he is not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God and then then right there in the beginning of verse 19 and this is the judgment. Notice this word judgment or condemnation but this is judgment that has come. This word judgment is used two times in verse 18 and it is used in the beginning of verse 19. The English standard which some of you use uses the word condemned. The King James uses the word condemned. This is not to be confused with the judgment that is to come spoken of in Revelation chapter 20 verse 11 through 15. We know about that judgment.

That is what's called the great white throne judgment when all of lost humanity will be judged. That is not what John is talking about here. This is not a future judgment. It is a current judgment. This is actually people living under the judgment of God. A little later on in chapter 3 in chapter 3 verse 36 John alludes to this judgment and explains about this judgment that these people live under a little more. Listen to the verse. He who believes in the Son has eternal life but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him. See that verse does not talk about a future judgment.

It talks about lost humanity living under the wrath of God living under a current judgment or condemnation of God. But I want you to notice a contrast in this verse. Notice there are those who are not condemned. Go back to the verse. He who believes in him is not judged. There are those who are not condemned. According to John those who have believed they have true life. They are not in condemnation or judgment. A little later on in the gospel of John. John chapter 5 verse 24. John speaks about this.

He says truly truly I say to you he who hears my word and believes him who has sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but is passed out of death into life. What is John saying? Those who have believed are not under judgment. They are not abiding under wrath. They are living in life. But notice there are those who are condemned. According to John those who have not believed live under judgment. Verse 36 we read earlier from chapter 3 says that they abide under the wrath of God. I like what MacArthur says about this verse.

He says while the final final sentencing of those who reject Christ is still in the future their judgment will merely consummate what is already begun. They are living under that judgment and that one day that judgment will be consummated at the great white throne judgment. Another commentator that I read says that there is the necessity of escaping an already existing condemnation. See there's the invitation. Jesus is saying you're under condemnation and judgment. Therefore the invitation. And what we need to see is that the lost are not just lost. Men without Christ are not just lost and without Christ. They are under condemnation.

They are judged and they are living in a state of judgment and condemnation and they are waiting on that sentencing to be carried out. I've used the illustration of one living on death row before. We know that there are still states who hold up the death penalty and when someone has committed a crime that warrants the death penalty and the judicial system says that they are to go to to the electric chair or lethal injection whatever the means. When they are on death row the judge has pronounced them guilty has pronounced the sentence and they are waiting on the execution of that sentence to be paid for that crime.

They are living now listen under the wrath of the law. They are living under judgment. They are a condemned man or a condemned woman already. And see for you for me for us it's not enough for us to see that our children and our parents our friends and loved ones that are without Christ. It's not enough for us to see that they just need Christ. We must see that they truly are living under the wrath of God. They are under the judgment of God the condemnation of God.

It sheds light on the whole thing if we really start thinking about it and praying over it and letting these verses sink in because we must see that our friends and loved ones without Christ are under judgment and it is a horrible and terrible thing to think about but we must think about this reality. But before we move into verses 19 through 21 I want us to ask ourselves a question. Why? Why are these people under judgment? Why are the lost living under condemnation and judgment? And that question must be asked. And a lot of people will ask those questions. Why would a good God say such as this?

And the remaining verses verses 19 through 21 answer this question. Why are the lost condemned and why are the believers not condemned? These three verses answer this question but also these verses broaden our understanding of their behavior that is the lost. And Jesus exposes the reasoning and their motives and their rejection of the new birth. So let's answer that question. Why? Why do these people live in this judgment that is to come? So the second thing I want us to see is that light has come. Light has come. Go back to the verse.

He who believes in him is not judged but he who does not believe has been judged already because he is not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And here's the why. And this is the judgment that the light has come into the world and men loved the darkness rather than the light for their deeds were evil. Now if you were really studious in what we've been looking at and studying through the Gospel of John you will see that John is using familiar wording and familiar teaching that we should remember.

These readers have already heard the truth of verse 19 and he in John gave them this truth all the way back in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. And what do we see in this verse? Verse 19. Notice this is the incarnation. This is the incarnation. Verse 19. And this is the judgment that the light is come into the world. Remember that that language about light that we learned in John chapter 1, verses 4 through 5, and verse 14. What does John tell us? That Jesus is the light of the world. This speaks of the incarnation of Christ. The fact that Jesus being deity, being the very Son of God, put on flesh and came to this earth.

That is what theologians call the incarnation. And this light of the incarnation, I want you to see, has surpassed any light that God has ever given humanity. The light of the incarnation of Christ is greater than the light of the creation. The light of the incarnation of Christ is greater than the law and the prophets. The light of the incarnation is greater than the work that God had done through Israel. What do we see? This light was deity. This light was Jesus, God in the flesh. And remember the audience of Nicodemus.

He would have been very schooled in the Old Testament and the law of the prophets and the work of God in the Old Testament times. And what do we see? This is the incarnation, the light that has come into the world. Notice there is the rejection of the incarnation. Go back to the verse. And this is the judgment that the light has come into the world. "And men loved darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil." There is the rejection of the incarnation. The text says that men loved darkness rather than the light.

The amplified, which is a paraphrase, I like to look at it sometimes because it can shed a little light on the original meaning. The amplified says, "People have loved darkness rather than and more than the light." And that's so accurate. D.A. Carson is a Bible commentator I've used for years. He says, "They preferred to live without such knowledge of God, without such brilliant purity." They are rejecting the purity of God, the knowledge of God. They are rejecting God. They love darkness more than the light and they love their sin more than the incarnation. They are rejecting Jesus.

And this is a purposeful and willful rejection of the light which is Jesus, God in the flesh. But notice there are those who love dark deeds rather than the light. Go back to the text and this is the judgment that the light has come into the world and men love the darkness rather than the light. And notice, "For their deeds were evil." These are those who love dark deeds rather than the light. This is simply a willful rejection of the truth and the light. This is a willful rejection of the love of God. This is a willful rejection of the incarnation of Christ for what? For sin and for rebellion and for darkness. So what do we see?

This light has come and this answers this question why. Why are they living under judgment? They are living under judgment because they have rejected the light of the world. And this was a fundamental issue of morality because the text says that their deeds were evil. They were morally and fully corrupt from the inside out and that's why they did what they did. And I want you to see for us today, for you and I, and even for this church here, light has come to people today through Jesus, through the Word of God, and through the work of the church. I want you to see that light has gone out from some of your lives.

Light has gone out from this church. Light has come from this pulpit. And there are some who have rejected that light. They have rejected that light to hold on to sin and rebellion and their way of life and listen to stay in darkness. I've known individuals who came to this church. They were under conviction because of their lost condition and their lost estate. They listened to the truth taught, the gospel preached. They saw the light coming out of people's lives here in this fellowship, but they rejected that gospel message. They rejected that light and they slowly took steps back what? To go back into darkness, to shun that light.

And they made conscious decisions. They took serious steps to do what? To go further into darkness. That is exactly what happened in verse 19. I've seen it illustrated in the lives of people even that have come into this church. I've also known people who have rejected the light. Now listen, of true and sound doctrine. As truth was taught from the Word and it ran contrary to false doctrine and false teaching in their own lives, they would reject that and they would go back into their error and they would go back into that darkness because they did not want to be corrected by what? The light of the truth of the Word of God.

And what I want you to see is that the light has come, but there are those who have rejected that light and it is a purposeful, willful rejection. The second thing I want you to see is those who hate the light. Those who hate the light. Notice verse 20. It's really a continuation of verse 19. "For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, least his deeds should be exposed." And what do we see? There are those who not only reject the light, but they hate the light. And John is exposing more of the reaction to the light of Jesus. This incarnation. He is exposing the true nature of their heart. Their true morality.

Notice they hate the light. Notice they hate the light. Go back to verse 20. "For everyone who does evil hates the light." All of the translations that we look at. The King James, the new American Standard that I preached from. The English Standard Version used the same word, this word hate. And this is a strong rejection of the light. This is a strong rejection of Christ. And this again points to their moral condition and a willful rebellion against God and his truth. And there are so many other places in Scripture that talk about the fact that unbelievers truly hate the light and they recoil from the light.

Proverbs chapter 1 verse 29 teaches that lost humanity will push away and reject the light because they hate the light. But notice not only do they hate the light, but notice they run from the light. Look at verse 20. "For everyone who does evil hates the light." But it continues. "And does not come to the light, least his deeds should be exposed." We might not see the word run there, but that's what they're doing. They are running from the light. They're pushing away from the light. And this again indicates a strong rejection of the light of Jesus. And it indicates a strong rejection of the truth of this word.

But this portion of verse 20 reveals the reason why they run. It is because of a fear of exposure. The language here in verse 20 here, it suggests an exposure, a conviction, even a shame associated with their deeds being revealed. And see these individuals, they hate the light and they run from the light. They hate the incarnation and they run from the incarnation. They hate the truth of the word and they run from the truth of the word. And this exhibits a true rebellion against God. Rather than coming into the light, they run from the light and they run in the darkness and they stay in darkness. Why? Because they hate the light.

And we must see that there are those around us who hate the light of the gospel. And I have seen people in the life of the church be exposed to light. I've seen people be exposed to the truth of the gospel, the truth from God's Word. And I've seen individuals evaluate the light. I've seen individuals have their condition revealed by the preaching and the teaching of the Word of God. And I've watched them step into the light, but yet I have watched individuals withdraw from that light, withdraw from that truth, withdraw from the gospel and the teaching of the Word of God and withdraw where? Back into darkness. Why?

Because they hated being exposed, they hated being revealed, and they did not want to be made known to themselves and to others. If I were to be honest with you, I could sit down and make you a list. Now I don't propose to tell you that I know men's hearts and women's hearts, but I do know this as truth has been preached and the Spirit of God's worked in churches as the gospel's been preached and souls have been saved and people were walking with the Lord. I have seen individuals come in contact.

Now notice with the light of the gospel, the light of the Word preached, the light of the work of the church, and the light of truly redeemed individuals. And I've seen individuals come in contact with that light. They evaluate that light. They evaluate themselves and they make a conscious effort to step where? Back into darkness. Because they did not want the light to reveal their condition. They were more comfortable in the darkness than the light and they made a conscious effort just like the audience that is before Jesus. So what do we see? Those who hate the light. Let's move on and I want us to see third, those who receive the light.

Those who receive the light. Look at verse 21, "But he who practices the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be manifested as having been brought in God." Notice in the beginning of verse 21 there's this word "but." That is a transition. That is there purposely. This is a good transition. For this time what we see in this transition is John is moving away from bad news to good news. He's saying, "Listen, there are some who hate the light and reject the light, but there are some who receive the light." Now notice some truth about these individuals out of verse 21. Notice they practice truth.

"But he who practices the truth." What John is saying is they practice truth. This is the true believer who practices the truth of the Word of God. They are obedient to the Word by practice. Not just in word, but indeed. I think back to what John the Baptist said when he's preaching at the beginning of this ministry. In Matthew chapter 3 verse 8, what does he say to those religious leaders and those Pharisees as they came before him there at the shore of the Jordan River? He said, "Bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance." What is he saying? Practice truth. Don't have words. Practice truth. And there are individuals who practice truth.

Notice that they come to the light. They come to the light. But he who practices the truth, notice, comes to the light. This comes to the light indicates the condition of the person. This is the one who does not experience conviction and shame when coming to the light. Why? Because they've been redeemed and they want the light. The Amplified reads, "Who comes out into the light." Why? "Because they are redeemed." And so they come to the light. They practice truth. But also notice that their deeds are in God.

Verse 21, "But he who practices the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be manifested." Now notice this word, these words, "as having been wrought in God." Not only are their deeds exposed, but the nature of their deeds are revealed and exposed. Their deeds, their practice, their deeds are brought about in God. The King James, the English Standard, both communicate the same, that their deeds were performed. Now notice, in God. I want to refer you to some of Paul's writing that will help us understand the importance of this truth. In Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10, what does Paul say?

"For we, those of us who are born again, those of us who love God and walk with God, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk," what? "in them." Notice these are not man's deeds. These are not man's efforts. These are man's deeds and man's efforts in Christ. Works prepared for man ahead of time by God. These are not unauthorized works. Remember Matthew chapter 7 verse 21. It says that on that day, many will stand before him, that great white throne judgment, and they will say, "Lord, Lord, we did all of these things in your name." These were not deeds done in him.

These were deeds done for him, and there is a difference. These deeds are done in God because they are in Christ and Christ is in them. These are those who have received the light. And here in verse 21, John gives us the fact that there are some who are believers, while in verse 20 he teaches that there are those who are non-believers. And it seems that he is contrasting not only their behavior but also their condition. Some who believed and some who received and some who rejected. See, for us, for you, for me, in our memory, we should go all the way back to our study in James.

In James chapter 2 starting in verse 14 all the way down to verse 26 because what do we remember from our study in James? James teaches that faith, or a professed faith that is accompanied by good works, is a true faith. James teaches that there are those who profess a faith but yet they don't have good works and that is a dead faith. And what we see right here in verse 21 is that there are those who are redeemed and they practice truth, they dwell in the light, and their deeds are made known as being in God. But we must see that there are those around us. They profess Christ but they don't walk in the light.

They might have external actions but they don't walk in truth. And sometimes it can be very hard to differentiate between the two. So what do we do? We preach the Word, we preach the truth, and let the Spirit of God differentiate between the two. Because just like in Jesus' day, we have people who will do externals but yet they are not in God in Christ. Now as we begin to conclude, as we move away from the text, we must see that these verses, they are very important. And these these verses, it is important to see that there is no teaching as to how an individual might move from darkness to light or conversion.

There's no, let me use this phrase, plan of salvation. And it is important for us to see this. Also notice that we do not see any response from Nicodemus and it is important for us to see. There is no indication that he did receive this message on that day. But we must notice the teaching. So how do we conclude these verses? We started in verse 1 of chapter 3 and really all these verses tie together because they are part of Jesus teaching the new birth. How should we conclude these verses? We must see the offer of the new birth and the rejection of the new birth. There are those who reject this teaching, this light.

And we must see that they prefer to live in darkness rather than have their deeds exposed, that rather than have conviction brought, even shame brought. This is nothing more than a rebellion against God. But some of you might say, "Well, pastor, if there's no plan of salvation, what should we do?" Let me tell you what we should do. We have loved ones, we have friends, we have family members, and they are living in darkness. And right now, this very moment, they are rejecting light and they are living under the condemnation and judgment of God. And what should we do? We should do exactly what Jesus did.

We should expose them with the truth of the Word of God and listen, shine more light of the truth on their life. We should not permit them to stay in darkness. We should take the truth, take the gospel, take the truth of the gospel and expose them. And can you continue in a loving, kind way to tell them their condition, tell them the truth. I will illustrate this by sharing with you an example of a conversation I had with an individual this week. I was talking to a particular individual and I asked them when they were converted. They told me when they were converted.

I said, "Are you confident in that conversion?" And they said, "Yes." But in that testimony, they told me how a loved one shared the gospel. They told me how a loved one shared the truth. They told me how a loved one told them, "Listen, you are lost and you are without Christ and you are headed to a devil's hell." What are they doing? They are doing exactly what Jesus did. They were saying, "That loved one said, 'I'm under condemnation. I abide under the wrath of God.' That loved one was shining more light into that darkness. That loved one would not let them retreat further in the darkness without pursuing them with what?

Light." And in that conversation, it reminded me of how I was converted. Because I had a loved one who pursued me in darkness. And what did they do? They shine the light of the gospel in my life. They exposed the condition of my heart. They exposed the practices of my life. I'll never forget when this particular loved one was married. I was in their wedding. They gave me a blue New Testament, a little pocket New Testament. And they had prayerfully and purposefully taken that New Testament and underlined passages out of John chapter 3 about being born again.

And they took that New Testament and they put that in my hand and they gave me a gospel witness. That was light shining into my life. I'll never forget a few months later, outside of my parents house, there was a little deck out by the driveway and they cornered me on that deck. And they cornered me about how I lived and how I lived in darkness and the practices that went on in my life. And they shared the new birth, shared the gospel. They were shining light into my darkness.

And as I talked with that individual this week and heard his testimony of a loved one shining light into their darkness, I remembered how there was a man who was willing to take the gospel and shine it into my darkness. And that is exactly what Jesus did. He gave him the new birth in John chapter 1, chapter 3, verses 1 through 10. And then he just kept shining the light, shining the light, revealing his condition, revealing his heart, revealing his condemnation. He didn't give him a plan. He didn't placate him in any way. He didn't say pray and repeat this prayer after me. No, gave him the truth.

And so for you, for me, for us as a church, as we move on from these passages, we must see, now listen, the reality, the mystery, the wonder of the new birth, but we also must see the rejection of this new birth. And we must walk away with a greater burden and a greater responsibility to take that gospel witness, to take that light, to take this negative and positive message into the lives of even our mother, our father, our brother, our sister, our children, our neighbors, our co-workers, to take this message into their lives because this is the only way they will ever be converted.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for this wonderful example of how you dealt with Nicodemus. Lord, it seems we have so many plans as to how to witness. It seems that we have so many teachings and examples as to how to witness, but really and truly all we need is what we see in the scripture. Jesus' example...