From Above

What does it truly mean to be "born again"? In this exploration of Jesus's midnight conversation with Nicodemus, we unpack one of the foundations of the Word of God.

When Nicodemus, a respected Pharisee and Jewish leader, approached Jesus acknowledging Him as a teacher from God, Jesus responded with a statement that completely reframed their interaction: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." This declaration left Nicodemus confused, trapped in a literal interpretation of rebirth that seemed biologically impossible.

Jesus wasn't speaking of physical impossibilities but spiritual necessities. The Greek term for "born again" carries dual meaning – both "a second time" and "from above" – revealing that this spiritual transformation cannot originate from human effort but must come from God Himself. As Jesus explained, "That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit."

This message strikes at the heart of our human condition. We cannot manufacture spiritual rebirth through religious devotion, education, behavioral modification, or any human achievement. It requires divine intervention – a miracle that transforms us at our core. Yet this isn't cause for despair but hope, for the God who requires this rebirth is the same God who delights in making it possible. Through Christ's sacrificial work on the cross, what is impossible for humanity becomes possible through God.

Have you known this in your own life? Not just knowledge about God, but the life-changing miracle of being born from above? Join us as we explore what it means to trust the God who loves to save and who stands ready to perform this miracle in every heart that turns to Him in faith.

Chapters

• 0:15 Introduction to Redeeming Love Bible Broadcast
• 0:32 Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3:3
• 4:22 Born of Water and Spirit
• 9:48 The Miracle Only God Can Do
• 17:40 Call to Trust God's Saving Grace
• 23:21 Closing and Ministry Contact Information

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Greetings and welcome to the Redeeming Love Bible broadcast. My name is Phil Duddy, evangelist with Grace Baptist Tabernacle of King, north Carolina. Very, very happy to have you with me on today's program. Reach out to us at redeemingthelost at icloudcom. We always do love to hear from you.

Speaker 1: 0:32

John, chapter 3. Today we are going to be looking at part of the interaction between Jesus and a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night. And we have this precious, precious, precious interaction recorded in John, chapter 3. We're going to pick it up in John, chapter 3, verse 3. So let's read the Word of God today. John, chapter 3, verse 3. Jesus answered. And so Jesus is answering, and he prefaces his answer with Verily. Verily I say unto thee, truly, truly I say the word of God made flesh.

Speaker 1: 1:29

The book of Hebrews tells us that in these last days God has spoken to us by his son, and it's the most direct personal revelation that the Lord ever did give the earth. He came in the flesh. The Word of God became flesh, took on flesh, dwelt among us. Jesus came, jesus lived, jesus bore witness of the truth, and that's what he is doing right here today. He's assuring Nicodemus, because Nicodemus is a man of the Pharisees, he's a ruler of the Jews, and he approaches Jesus as though Jesus is a teacher, a rabbi. He calls him rabbi and he says we know that your teacher come from God. No man can do these miracles that you do except God be with him. And Jesus is answering a man, a man who is yet in his flesh and you're going to see what I mean by that and he says verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus isn't going to talk about the miracles that he's done, but he's going to talk about something else here being born again and the language here is precious, I'm always preaching out of King James but born again.

Speaker 1: 3:02

If you look at what that means, there is a sense of being born a second time, a sense of being born over again, a sense of being born anew. Yet the word can also mean from above. So the word can mean a second time, over again, anew and from above, and I believe Jesus is talking about all of them Born a second time. And at the same time, that second birth doesn't come from anything that men and women can do, doesn't come from anything, that's anything of the flesh, anything of the human Does not come from that, but comes from above, comes from the Lord himself.

Speaker 1: 3:57

And Nicodemus says back to him you know, again, from the human perspective, what Jesus is saying is impossible. And Nicodemus, he comes back and he says how can a man be born when he's old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? And, my friend, this is the human perspective, because being born again, just strictly from the human perspective, it's not possible. It's not possible at all, physically, biologically possible, for someone to be born twice, especially once that person is all grown up, especially when that person is older, especially when that person has lived a number of years and grown up, grown from a baby to a toddler, to a child, to a teenager, to a young adult, to an adult. It's not physically possible to be born again. Physically speaking, we're born one time. And so what Jesus is saying here, my friend, you know, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Speaker 1: 5:23

So this is important and Jesus is saying, truly, truly, I say unto you, because I know that you're in this flesh, I know that this flesh is fallen, I know that you're alienated from me. You're separate from me, from me. You're separate from me. You're living in a world that is fallen. You're living in a world where all the noise of the demonic is just going on 24-7, all the time. You're living in a world where your flesh has lusts, your flesh has appetites, your flesh has needs, your flesh has appetites, your flesh has needs, your flesh has all of these things. And you're living in a world and the point is you're separate from me.

Speaker 1: 6:12

And so I am coming in and saying I am the Word made flesh, and I'm going to preface everything I say, because I know that this is going to sound impossible to you, but truly, truly, I say unto thee, the Lord, god Almighty, hallelujah says unto thee, the Lord who is love. Says unto thee, the Lord who is holy. Says unto thee, the Lord who cannot lie, who cannot be anything other than faithful. Says unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God and bless God. I know that humanly that's not possible. And so Nicodemus comes back with a very human answer how can a man be born when he's old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born. And Jesus answers him Hallelujah and amen. Jesus answers him once again verily, verily, truly, truly, I say unto thee Hallelujah. We've got mercy in action here. We've got love in action here We've got every evidence that this is a God who loves to redeem, that this is a God who loves restoration and regeneration, that this is a God who sees all of the fallenness of the sin, sees all the wickedness in the world, sees all of the fallenness of the sin, sees all the wickedness in the world, sees all the distance between humanity and himself.

Speaker 1: 7:53

And he wants to bridge the gap, he wants to cross the distance. He wants to restore, he wants to redeem. He wants that because he answers this man. He does not just write him off. He doesn't just write him off and say he's hopeless. He doesn't just write him off and say that he's a lost cause. He doesn't just write him off and say that he's flippant. He doesn't write him off and just say that he doesn't know anything.

Speaker 1: 8:21

But no, this God, he answers humanly. He answers a man who is a man and has never been anything other than a man, albeit a very religious one, but he's never been anything other than a man and he's seen Jesus do some things and he's maybe heard about Jesus doing some other things. And he's coming and he's talking to Jesus and Jesus has said something to him and he just doesn't get it. It just doesn't compute, it doesn't comprehend, it doesn't make sense. But Jesus is answering him still, hallelujah and amen. He still does that with folks today.

Speaker 1: 9:06

He says verily, verily, nicodemus, I'm assuring you, this is true, this is from God, this is of God, I say. The Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of God, the Lord himself. I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Now, you've got some folks who say that this water is referring to the natural birth. You've got some other folks saying that this water is referring to baptism. But, my friend, you know, either way, either way, you want to read that, regardless, baptism in itself, of itself, all alone, by itself, doesn't do anything to save a soul, and natural birth requires salvation. So, either way, you want to read that.

Speaker 1: 10:03

But, my friends of the spirit, of the spirit, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. And Jesus goes on that which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel, not that I said unto, unto thee, you must be born again. Hallelujah and amen. Um, because, my friend, that which comes of the flesh, that which comes of the, the natural human birth, my friend, flesh will only produce flesh, flesh will only produce flesh, flesh will only produce flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Hallelujah and amen.

Speaker 1: 10:58

What this requires, my friend, is an act of God. What this requires is, beyond the human ability, this being born again, this being born from above, this being born the second time. This is beyond human ability. We can't control it humanly speaking. We can't replicate it humanly speaking. We cannot earn it, we cannot produce it by any effort, religious or otherwise. We can't learn our way into it, we can't educate our way into it, we can't get into it by way of scientific advancement. We can't replicate this, we can't duplicate this, this. We can't duplicate this. We cannot do it with behavioral change, we cannot do it with psychology, we cannot do it with medication, we cannot do it with effort, we cannot do it with anything like that. We cannot do it In ourselves. We cannot make ourselves born again In ourselves. We cannot make ourselves born above. We cannot, we can't affect real change in our hearts.

Speaker 1: 12:17

You might be able to change some behaviors, you might be able to change and to maybe get some emotional healing, maybe get some mental healing. You might be able to do that, but you can't do this. Nobody can, nobody's ever been able to, nobody ever will be able to. Even with all the scientific advancements that are going on today as we speak. Today as we speak, we will never be able to make ourselves be born again, because this is an act of God, this is what we call a miracle. This is a real, living, active God who really does things. He really speaks, he really moves, he really reaches people, he really draws people, he really saves people. He's not just an idea, he's not just a story, because a story cannot inspire you enough to make you be born again. An idea cannot inspire you or motivate you or make your life better or make your life easier. It cannot make you be born again.

Speaker 1: 13:35

My friend, that's my point. No human ability, no human effort to control this or replicate it or duplicate it. We can't do it, but this is an act of God. Do it, but this is an act of God, this is a miracle, my friend. And he says that which is born of the flesh is flesh. All you're going to get from flesh is flesh, but, my friend, all you're going to get of spirit, and that spirit is a capital S hallelujah and amen. That Spirit is a capital S Hallelujah and amen. That Spirit is none other than the Holy Spirit. This is an act of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord, god himself, produces Spirit. He produces this, he does this.

Speaker 1: 14:24

And Jesus said you know, in light of that, because the flesh is fallen, the flesh is sinful, the flesh is temporary, the flesh is being taken away. Hallelujah and amen. If you're born again today, listen to this the Lord has a new body for you. So this, whatever body you're in now, you know amen. You know the flesh is just a vessel and the flesh is just temporary. And the flesh is going to be replaced. And it's going to be replaced by a flesh that is not fallen, a body that is not fallen, a vessel that is free from sin, free from sin, free from all the limitations, free from all of the lusts. This is going to be free and this is going to be good and this is going to be perfect. My friend, this is going to be a resurrection. Hallelujah and amen.

Speaker 1: 15:22

But, my friend, in the here and now, if you get a fallen man and a fallen woman together and they have a child, that child is going to be fallen, that child is going to inherit sin. That child is going to inherit an unbeatable and unstoppable tendency to sin. Now the good news is hallelujah and amen. That's why Jesus says marvel, not that I said unto thee he must be born again. This is God's solution. God's solution is not to make that child better, it's not to improve that child. That child needs to be born again. That is God's solution to this. Born again. You got born once, naturally. You're going to get born again from above. You're going to get born again spiritually. Hallelujah and amen and bless God.

Speaker 1: 16:23

He uses a natural example. He says the wind bloweth where it listeth. It blows where it goes and you hear the sound thereof, but you can't tell where it comes from and whither it goes. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. Because, my friend, the natural will only get you so far. The natural can never get you into the spiritual. The natural can never get you into the spiritual. It even says elsewhere in the New Testament you know the things of the spirit. They're foolishness to the natural man. They don't make any sense.

Speaker 1: 16:59

Because you need a revelation, you need an act of the Holy Ghost, you need an act of the Holy Spirit in your life. You need this. You need to be born again from above by the Spirit. And, my friends, nothing in the human can do. It Requires a miracle.

Speaker 1: 17:20

But I've got good news for you. God's alive, god's living, god's active. God is drawing people. As you're listening to this message. God is showing you that you need this. God is showing he really does things, he really moves, he really speaks, he really knows every single one of us on a personal basis, better than we know ourselves, better than any other person man, woman or child knows us. God knows us perfectly and I've got good news for you.

Speaker 1: 18:00

Today you may despair when you hear that being born again requires a miracle. But, my friend, that's a lie and that's a deception. That's a demonic thing, because you and I have a God. And, my friend, even if you're lost, even if you're dying, even if you're hell-bound, even if you're under the wrath of God, while you're listening to this. You have a God who loves you, who loves this, who loves salvation, who loves doing this miracle. He's not only ready to do it, he's not only able to do it, but he loves to do this. So do not throw your hands up and accuse God of holding back and holding out on you and saying, oh, woe is me. I'm born, you know I need to do this. I can't do this. You know God has said something impossible that I cannot do, and that's exactly true. No, you can't do it, but you need to trust the God who not only can, the God who not only can but loves to do this. Trust the God that loves to save people. Trust the God who loves to make people born again. Trust the God Jesus. He is a savior. He is the savior, my friend.

Speaker 1: 19:34

And he didn't show up. He didn't step down from glory, he didn't take on flesh, he didn't, you know, go through the virgin birth. He didn't live, grow and live and walk and talk and laugh and rejoice and sing and cry and speak and teach and preach and do all these miracles and lay down his life and shed his blood and rise up again from the dead on the third day. He didn't do all of that for nothing. He did that because God loves to save people. He did that because God loves to save you. He did that because God loves people. He did that because there's a distance, there's a separation, but God loves to close that separation. God loves you. Know, jesus.

Speaker 1: 20:31

He became sin on that cross, my friend, and none of this was a drudgery to him. None of that. He wasn't rolling his eyes through this. He wasn't going through all the self-pity. He wasn't going through the woe is me. He wasn't going through the why are you doing this to me, god? He wasn't going through this. He wasn't accusing his father of being bad or mean or cruel. He wasn't doing any of that, my friend. He laid down his life willingly. Nobody took it from him. He laid it down of himself because he loves to do it.

Speaker 1: 21:06

You know it makes perfect sense. You know God loves to do what God loves to do, and God loves to do that for you. So we don't have a God who's holding out on you. We don't have a bad God who's hiding things from you. We don't have a bad God who's keeping things from you. We have a God who loves to do what God loves to do. We have a God who does what only God can do. And he says you know, salvation is by grace and through faith in Jesus Christ. It's by grace and through faith and not of our own works, not of ourselves, lest any man should boast. And so, my friend, you need to trust him. Boast. And so, my friend, you need to trust him, you need to put your faith in him. And so, my friend, if there's a God-given faith rising up in you today that says I believe you God, I trust you God. I know that you're speaking to me and I'm hearing what you're saying, and you're saying that I have never been born again.

Speaker 1: 22:13

You might have been in church your whole life, every time the doors are open. You might have perfect attendance. You might have a great tithe record, you might know this Bible backwards and front ways. You might know the Greek, you might know the Hebrew, you might know all the history, you might know all the historical context and all that stuff you might know.

Speaker 1: 22:38

You know all these things about God, but I'm asking you today has this ever happened in your life? Because if you have not the spirit of Jesus, you're not his. If you've not been born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God and you cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3.3 says he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3.5 says he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And so I'm asking you today has this happened in your life? Not asking what you've done, not asking what you haven't done.

Speaker 1: 23:20

I'm asking what has the Lord, god Almighty, done? What has the Holy God done, the living God, what has he done in your life? Has he done this? And my friend, hallelujah and amen, if he hasn't and God's showing you that, then don't despair but rejoice. Rejoice, because the Lord is stopping you from going into a devil's hell. The Lord is showing you that you're yet in your flesh, you're yet in your sins. But the Lord is also showing you today I love you, I know you and even though you're in your sin and maybe that's all you can see today, but I became that sin on that cross for you, I became your sin, I died your death. In doing so, I took your sin off the table. Believe on me and I'll apply my blood to you. Believe on me and I will make you to be born again. Hallelujah and amen.

Speaker 1: 24:47

He does this miracle and he loves to do this miracle. My friend, he rejoices, all of heaven rejoices when this happens, my friend and my friend. He rejoices, all of heaven rejoices, rejoices when this happens. My friend and my friend, come to him today. Call upon the name of the lord today. Let that faith that's in you come up into some words out of your mouth to the lord today.

Speaker 1: 25:10

Um, just like he's standing right in front of you or standing right next to you, my friend, talk to him, ask him to be born again and ask him in faith, ask him believing that he's a real, living, active God who is holy, just and good. And he's drawing you and he's speaking to you. Ask him to be saved, ask him to be born again. And, my friend, he won't despise genuine faith. He won't turn away genuine faith. He won't turn away anyone who's heard him today and who believes him today and who wants to come to him today. He will not turn you away to come to him today. He will not turn you away. He's coming to you now. Will you run from him or will you embrace him? Will you believe him or will you explain him away? And, my friend, if you believe him today, well, come on in, come on home. Hallelujah and amen, and blessed be the name of the Lord and church.

Speaker 1: 26:13

I pray that you've been encouraged by this. I thank you for listening, thank you for being a part of this broadcast, thank you for helping us reach. We are right around 60 different nations around the world and that's in a great way. You know it's glory to God and he is using you in that, and so please do continue to share these, continue to spread these. It's encouraging for us to see growth in different areas of the world. It's encouraging us for us to see different countries coming in and different cities and different towns and different areas of countries that we're already in. We're encouraged to see this pop up in all these different places around the world and please do continue to play these for your churches, for your friends, for your families and for yourselves.

Speaker 1: 27:03

Amen, hallelujah and pray. It's been a blessing to you. Pray, it's a real encouragement to you. And again, reach out to us. We're a ministry of Grace Baptist Tabernacle in King, north Carolina. Gbtministriescom and redeemingthelost at icloudcom. Reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you, and may the Lord continue to richly bless us. Amen. I love you.