The Answer Is Blowing In the Wind

Edward L Palmer

Spiritual Birth • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

John 3:1–15

Conversion

Regeneration

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Literally one must often empty his mind to receive new truth to have a radical change of life.

Notes

Transcript

Scriptural Text:

Stevie Wonder sung a song with by Bob Dylan: (Song: Blowin' In The Wind)

(Song: Blowin' In The Wind)

(First sign of being a social activist)

How many roads must a man walk down, Before they call him a man?

Before they call him a man?

And how many seas must a white dove sail, Before she sleeps in he sand?

,Before she sleeps in he sand?

And how many times must those canon balls be fire, Before they're forever banned?

Before they're forever banned?

Let me tell you that, The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, The answer is blowing in the wind

The answer, my friend is blowing in the wind

The answer is blowing in the wind

And how many years must a mountain exist, Before it's washed to the sea?

Before it's washed to the sea?

And how many years can a man exist, Before he's allowed to be free?

Before he's allowed to be free?

And how many times can a man turn his head, And pretend that he just doesn't see?

And pretend that he just doesn't see?

You know, The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind

The answer is blowing in the wind(2X)

The answer is blowing in the wind

The beginning or origin of life, in which a living creature comes into the world. Scripture draws a distinction between physical and spiritual birth, insisting that a person must be not only physically but also spiritually born in order to have life to the full.

In explaining the new birth to Nicodemus, Jesus compared the birth by the Holy Spirit to the wind ().

Our Lord used the wandering wind as an illustration of the working of the Spirit.

NICODEMUS APPROACHED JESUS (3:1-2)

Jesus went to heart of the matter: Nicodemus needed to be changed: changed spiritually, changed within, and changed completely To undergo such a spiritual change Nicodemus must be born again.

“Except a man be born again.” The new birth is a necessity, an imperative (v.7). [ , , Deuteronomy 30:19]

(ESV) — 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

(NKJV) 19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

(NKJV) 19I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

19I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

THE MYSTERIOUSNESS OF REGENERATION (); Nicodemus was puzzled

19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

(NKJV)

THE MYSTERIOUSNESS OF REGENERATION (); Nicodemus was puzzled

19I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

Jesus likens the Spirit’s work in regeneration to the action of the wind:

(1) The wind is sovereign- The Holy Spirit is Lord ()

The Holy Spirit has supreme power and acts in accordance with divine purposes, exercising authority and control in the world and over God’s people.

(ESV) — 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

(2) the wind is mysterious in its operations(i.e,; Cor. 12:11)

(NKJV) 5As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

5As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

(NKJV) 11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

All birth is a mystery. “Thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child” ().

(3) the wind is known by the results it leaves behind.()

(3) the wind is known by the results it leaves behind.(, , Gal 6:15)

(NKJV) 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

He mentions six things about it:

1. The vitality of the wind.

“The wind bloweth.”

There is no such thing as static wind. Wind is always dynamic. By definition it is “air in motion.”

2. The liberty of the wind.

“Where it wills.”

“At times there may come to any man the consciousness that there blows through all the articulations of his body the wind of a Spirit not wholly his” (Robert Louis Stevenson).

“The Spirit where it pleaseth doth breathe, and the sound thereof thou hearest; but knowest not whence it cometh and whither it goeth: thus is every one born of the Spirit” (, Rotherham).

3. The melody of the wind.

“Thou hearest the sound thereof.”

“When the wind is blowing, it makes its presence felt. You do not need a lecture on atmospherics to tell you that something is going on” (James S. Stewart).

4. The mystery of the wind.

“Thou canst not tell.”

All birth is a mystery. “Thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child” ().

So with the second birth. “It is as impossible to explore the ways of the Spirit,” writes G. H. C. Macgregor, “as to trace the footsteps of the wind.”

“Whence it cometh.”

6. The destiny of the wind.

“Whither it goeth.”

“The gale that blows across the earth in days of storm drives on into the unknown. And no man can tell where the Spirit of God in Christian discipleship may lead him before his life on earth is done” (James S. Stewart).

Ian MacPherson, Usable Outlines and Illustrations, Dollar Sermon Library Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1976), 47–48.

The Spirit does “as He wills;” no one dictates to Him just as no one dictates to the wind (cf. ).”

THE MYSTERIOUSNESS OF REGENERATION (); Nicodemus was puzzled

Jesus went to heart of the matter: Nicodemus needed to be changed: changed spiritually, changed within, and changed completely To undergo such a spiritual change Nicodemus must be born again.

THE MYSTERIOUSNESS OF REGENERATION (); Nicodemus was puzzled

(NKJV)

19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

(NKJV)

19I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

(NKJV) 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

(NKJV) 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

(NKJV) 15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

THE MYSTERIOUSNESS OF REGENERATION (); Nicodemus was puzzled

15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

() How? [2 Peter 1:4]

Jesus likens the Spirit’s work in regeneration to the action of the wind: (1) The wind is sovereign; (2) the wind is mysterious in its operations; and (3) the wind is known by the results it leaves behind.() How? (Πως; [Pōs?]) Nicodemus is not helped either by the use of ὑδωρ [hudōr] or πνευμα [pneuma] to understand δει γεννηθηναι ἀνωθεν [dei gennēthēnai anōthen] (the necessity of the birth from above or regeneration). He falls back into his “stupid misunderstanding.” There are none so dull as those who will not see. Preoccupation prevents insight. Literally one must often empty his mind to receive new truth. a spiritual birth, a rebirth of one’s spirit, a new life, a renewed soul, a regenerated spirit. the endowment of a new life, of a godly nature (). A radical change.

How? (Πως; [Pōs?]) Nicodemus is not helped either by the use of ὑδωρ [hudōr] or πνευμα [pneuma] to understand δει γεννηθηναι ἀνωθεν [dei gennēthēnai anōthen] (the necessity of the birth from above or regeneration). He falls back into his “stupid misunderstanding.” There are none so dull as those who will not see. Preoccupation prevents insight. Literally one must often empty his mind to receive new truth. a spiritual birth, a rebirth of one’s spirit, a new life, a renewed soul, a regenerated spirit. the endowment of a new life, of a godly nature (). A radical change.

Literally one must often empty his mind to receive new truth. a spiritual birth, a rebirth of one’s spirit, a new life, a renewed soul, a regenerated spirit. the endowment of a new life, of a godly nature (). A radical change.

(NKJV)by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

he regenerated person is “a new creature,” “a new creation” (a “kaine ktisis,” ; )

4by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

THE PROOFS OF REGENERATION The regenerated person does not practice sin ()The regenerated person does practice righteousness (, ) Because he has a new master (righteousness), –23Because he has a new husband (Christ), –6Because he has a new law (“the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”), :11Because he has a new Father (the heavenly Father),

The results of regeneration (, , , , , , )

Entry into God’s kingdom ()

(ESV) — 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

A new holiness of life (, ; )

(ESV) — 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.