Foundations of Truth

Guest (Male): Welcome to Foundations of Truth, the biblical teaching ministry of Dr. Timothy Mann. Our mission is to help you build your life on the unshakable foundation of God’s Word, rooted in Scripture, anchored in the grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today on Foundations of Truth, Dr. Timothy Mann begins a powerful two-part message about regeneration: the supernatural work of God that brings dead sinners to life through Jesus Christ. If you’ve ever wondered what it truly means to be saved, this message is for you. Here now is Dr. Timothy Mann.

Dr. Timothy Mann: We are discussing this theme of "saved," understanding God’s work in us. There is a lot of confusion in people’s minds about it. It’s a Bible word we use, but there's a lot of confusion about what it even means to be saved, or what that looks like. There are a lot of different ideas out there in the world about that, even in church life.

There are different aspects of this truth, different components, and different doctrines. It’s multifaceted, like a beautiful diamond. There are multifaceted realities about salvation and about what it means to be saved. This morning, we’re looking at another one of those truths today and, really, I believe it’s probably one of the most neglected truths in church life and in evangelical preaching today.

It is technically called the doctrine of regeneration. We’ll talk more about that in a few minutes, but we’re going to start in the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verses 1 through 8, and then we’ll go to Titus 3, verses 4 through 7. I’m going to be reading the first eight verses of John 3 from the New King James Version of the Bible.

The Bible says, “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’

Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’”

Now, go with me to the little letter Titus in the New Testament. Titus, chapter 3, verses 4 through 7. The Bible says, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” And we’ll stop here. This is God's Word that we’ve just read.

Would you pray with me one more time? Father, we come in the name of Jesus once again. As we have sung praises to you, as we’ve greeted and fellowshipped and encouraged one another, we come to this time where we study your Word. It’s a holy moment. It’s a sacred time. Lord, we don't need anything except to hear from you. You have a word for us today from your inspired, authoritative Word.

I pray, Holy Spirit, that you will be our teacher, that you will guide us and you will open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds to the truth today. Apply it as we need it today. God, you will work in us the work you desire, and we will respond to you in a way that honors you. God, help us to do that by your power.

I pray for myself today that you’ll help me to preach with clarity and conviction. May there be no hindrances. Help me not to be a stumbling block. Lord, help me to only point people to Jesus and the truth of your Word today. God, I pray that you’ll work among us by your might and your power. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray. And all the church said, amen.

I’ll tell you what I’ve noticed over the last many years that I’ve been a pastor. Most people—and I didn't do a survey, but at least anecdotally, I think this is true—most people, people who attend church and people who don’t attend church, think of salvation as becoming a better person, turning over a new leaf, or cleaning up your act. Getting religious. But Jesus didn't say, “Unless you improve yourself, you cannot see the kingdom of God.”

He didn't say, “If you behave better, attend church, and fix your life, you'll be okay.” He actually said something far more radical. He said, “Most assuredly”—the old King James says, “Verily, verily”—and in our lingo, we would say, “This is the fact of the matter, and it is true.” Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

So that's not self-help, that's not moral reform, and that’s not religion. That’s regeneration: a complete spiritual rebirth brought about by the Holy Spirit. Without it, Jesus said, no one can enter the kingdom. Now, this was shocking to Nicodemus because he was a Pharisee. He was a religious leader. He was a moral man. He was a teacher of the law of God.

If anyone ever looked saved on the outside, it was him. But Jesus looked straight at him and said, “You must be born again.” In other words, salvation isn’t something we can achieve; it's something we must receive. It's not a decision to improve our behavior; it's a miraculous act of God that changes our nature.

That same truth is echoed in Titus 3 that we just read, where the Apostle Paul writes that God saved us, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”

Here's the heart of today’s message: salvation is not self-improvement. It is new birth by the Holy Spirit who regenerates and renews us. Salvation is not self-improvement. It is new birth by the Holy Spirit who regenerates and renews us. So let’s begin with a conversation that changed everything for one man and reveals what is essential for salvation.

First of all, in John chapter 3, verses 1 through 3, we see the necessity of new birth. You must be born again. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night and he flatters Jesus, basically. “We know you're a teacher from God; no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

What's interesting here is Jesus didn’t ease into the conversation. He didn't offer small talk. He didn't compliment Nicodemus for his dedication or his years of study. He got right to the point and said, “You must be born again.” Now here's the thing about Nicodemus: he was religious, but he was lost.

Nicodemus wasn't an outsider. He wasn't immoral by any stretch of the imagination. He was a Pharisee, a top-tier religious leader. He knew the Old Testament Scriptures. He lived a disciplined life and carried himself with respect in the community. From the outside, Nicodemus looked like the kind of man you’d want as a church leader.

He looked like the kind of man that we might nominate to be a deacon or to be a Bible fellowship group teacher. But Jesus wasn’t impressed with outward appearances. He didn't say, “Nick, you're doing great. Just keep it up.” He said, “That’s not enough.”

Here’s a sobering truth: you can be religious, deeply religious, and still be spiritually dead. You can be in church every Sunday and still be outside the kingdom. You can believe in God, you can know the Bible, you can serve on ministry teams, you can serve on church committees, you can even teach a class and still not be born again.

As a pastor now for over three decades, I’ve seen it more than once. I’m talking about men and women who knew all the right answers, but they'd never truly been made new. Their religion seemed sincere as far as you could tell, but it was still flesh. There was no new birth, no Spirit of God, no transformation, and no change.

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Dr. Timothy Mann: New birth is not optional. Jesus didn't say being born again is a good idea or that it’s helpful for spiritual growth. No, he said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” That word “unless” leaves no room for debate. This isn't one path among many. It’s the only way.

In fact, Jesus himself says later in John chapter 14, verse 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me.” That means there is one name, one cross, one door, one Savior, and one way to enter God's kingdom. You must be born again.

It's not enough to try harder. It’s not enough to clean up your act. You must be made new from the inside out. I've noticed this a lot: this is where a lot of folks stumble because we like the idea of working our way to God. Pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, as they say, feels virtuous.

But Jesus says that won't cut it. Listen, there is no patch job that can fix a dead soul. You don't need a spiritual tune-up. You need a resurrection. You need a resurrection.

In these first three verses, we also see that new birth is a spiritual miracle. The phrase “born again” in the Greek language can be translated as “born from above.” Maybe you have an English translation that puts it that way. Listen, this isn't something you do. I want you to know that.

It is something God does. Look, who in the room caused your spiritual birth? Raise your hand. You had nothing to do with it. You didn’t cause your physical birth. You didn't earn your way into existence. It was given to you as a miracle.

Spiritual birth is the same way. You don’t cause it. You can't manufacture it. You don’t trigger it with religious activity or clean living. It’s the sovereign work of God. That's why salvation is not about moral reform. It’s about resurrection. God brings the spiritually dead to life. He opens blind eyes. He gives new hearts. And when it happens, you know it because nothing stays the same. Things begin to change in you and in your life.

The Scripture also teaches us here that new birth brings new life. Being born again doesn't just give you a new label; it gives you a new life. It gives you a new nature and a new heart. You're not just forgiven; you're transformed. You're changed. You don’t just believe differently in your brain or believe differently intellectually.

You don’t just believe a new set of facts or a doctrinal statement. You start to live differently. That’s what changes. As the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” The Spirit of God now dwells in you, and he convicts you, he teaches you, and he leads you. You don't need to turn over a new leaf; you need to receive new life.

Think of it this way. Think of a caterpillar. It can crawl, it can stretch, and it can strive, but no matter what it does, it can't fly. Something has to happen inside it. It has to be transformed. Through metamorphosis, it becomes something entirely new: a butterfly. That's what new birth is like.

God doesn't just teach you how to crawl better. He transforms you. He changes you. He gives you new desires and new loves. He transforms your very nature. He enables what was once impossible: a new heart, a new identity, and a new direction.

Now, new birth is initiated by God, but it’s also responded to by faith. We’ll explore more of the Spirit’s role in the next section, but don't miss this: you must respond. God awakens the heart and the Spirit convicts, but you must repent and believe. John 1, verses 12 and 13, really articulates this.

The Bible says, “But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” God does the saving, but you must receive Christ. You must turn from sin and trust in him.

These truths apply to all of us. If you’re here this morning and you've been a true believer for a long time, don't ever forget that you are not a polished version of your old self. You're a new creation! Don't drift back into the old ways. Keep walking in newness of life. Maybe you are a relatively new believer in Jesus. You may not feel brand new every day, but the Spirit of God lives in you. He began a good work, and he will finish it.

Maybe this morning you’re in this room and you would be very honest with yourself and say, “I'm not saved. I’m really still an unbeliever, and I know that.” Let me tell you, don't settle for religion. Don't settle for tradition or ritual. Have you been born again? If not, Jesus says you cannot see the kingdom of God. Today, call on him. Ask him to make you new.

In verses 4 through 8, we see the nature of the new birth. It’s a work of the Spirit. After hearing Jesus say, “You must be born again,” Nicodemus was confused. He tried to understand it in physical terms. In verse 4, Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

That's an honest question. I think it reveals just how much we naturally think in earthly categories. Nicodemus had a sharp mind and a deep knowledge of the Old Testament, but he still missed it. He was trying to make sense of a spiritual reality with human logic. Jesus wasn't talking about a second physical birth. He was talking about a spiritual, supernatural transformation that only God can perform.

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Now, there's been much debate over the years over what "water and the Spirit" means. But you need to remember the Old Testament was their Bible.

In the context, I believe Jesus is drawing imagery from Ezekiel chapter 36, where God promises to wash his people clean and give them new hearts. Ezekiel chapter 36, verses 25 through 27, says, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes.”

This isn't about water baptism. This is about regeneration: the washing away of sin and the giving of new life by the Spirit of God. So when Jesus says we must be born of water and the Spirit, he's describing a total spiritual renewal: a cleansing from sin and a heart made alive to God.

Guest (Male): Join us again tomorrow on Foundations of Truth as Dr. Timothy Mann continues this message from Titus and John and discovers what it means to be washed, renewed, and made alive by the Holy Spirit. Be sure to join us for part two of Born Again and Made New. Until then, may your life be built on the unshakable truth of God’s Word.

Dr. Timothy Mann: Before we close today, I want to tell you about a resource that I believe will be a genuine help to you. I’ve recently published my first book, *Saved: Understanding God's Work in Us*. In over 30 years of pastoral ministry, one of the questions I’ve encountered more than almost any other is this: “How can I know that I am truly saved?”

You can find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million, and pretty much anywhere you buy books. *Saved: Understanding God's Work in Us* by Dr. Timothy Mann. I pray it strengthens your faith. Thanks for being with us today. God bless you.