JOH 3:7-8 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

>>The new birth is a marvelous thing which cannot be comprehended with the natural mind, i.e., it is a miracle of grace.

JOH 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

>>When a little girl in Scotland was asked if she had received the new birth she replied, "I know something has changed, it might be the world—it might be my heart—I'm not quite sure what it is but there has been a great change somewhere."

>>Our text says, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

>>The new birth is referred to in Scripture as a quickening from the dead.

EPH 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

>>The nature of this quickening is revealed by our Saviour in the parable of the prodigal son.

LUK 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

>>This parable teaches the true meaning of repentance which is the first evidence of the new birth.

>>First there is a change of attitude.

LUK 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

>>Second, there is a well planed change in our course of life and a confession of our folly.

LUK 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

>>Third, there is an urgent desire to return into the service of our Lord.

LUK 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

>>Fourth, As the Holy Spirit instills the Word into our hearts, this well planed repentance is put into action.

LUK 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

>>As this well planed repentance is put into action the beginning of miracles takes place.

LUK 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

>>When that beginning of miracles has taken place there is no more desire to serve sin or to live in the pleasures of this world.

1TI 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

>>Our text compares the work of the new birth with the wind, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

>>This word "Spirit comes from the Greek word, "pheuma, (pnyoo' mah)."

>>The first translation of "pheuma" is a currant of air, i.e., breath."

>>The second transalation is, "a spirit, i.e., the human rational soul, vital principle, mental disposition."

>>The third is in a Divine sense; "pheuma" is translated as "the Spirit of Christ, [which still lends itself to our mental disposition], the Holy Spirit, life, spiritually minded."

>>The word "wind," and the word "Spirit" in our text are both from the same word "pheuma" in the Greek.

>>First let's see how the new birth, of the quickening of the Spirit is referred to in Scripture as "breath," or the breath of life.

GEN 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

>>When the Lord led the Prophet Ezekiel into the valley of vision to illustrate the spiritual deadness of Israel He showed him a valley full of dry bones.

EZE 37:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

>>As the prophet prophesied the bones came together, bone to his bone, the sinews of flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

EZE 37:9-10 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

>>The Lord Jesus Christ teaches how futile it is to gather together in a church where the Spirit, or the breath of life is missing.

REV 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

>>Since it is possible to have a name that we are alive while we are in fact spiritually dead, and since this distinction is all-decisive for eternity, it is of utmost importance to rightly divide these truths.

MAT 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

>>What does Jesus mean by, "...ye that work iniquity"? See what He said in the preceding verse!

MAT 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

>>Does this mean that all we have to do is say we are sorry for our sin and say a few prayers, and do what we can to reform our lives? So many teach this based upon

ROM 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

>>One thing is very clear, we may be able to change our sins, but we cannot change our hearts; we may take up a new course of life, but we cannot change our nature.

>>We may make many reforms, and break old habits, but we cannot create a new principle within.

JER 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

>>Another thing is equally clear, there is no pastor, or any man who can effect this change; they can bring forth God's Word with great clarity, but they cannot penetrate below the surface.

1CO 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

>>Who then can make a dead soul alive? No one except the Creator of heaven and earth who did so by the power of His Word.

JOH 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

>>So how do we identify this being "...born of water, and of the Spirit"? As I pointed out the meaning of the word Spirit in our text in the first place means "breath," or breath of life, but in the second and third instance it means,

>>Second,"a spirit, i.e., the human rational soul, vital principle, mental disposition."

And third in a Divine sense "pheuma" is translated as "the Spirit of Christ, [which still lends itself to our mental disposition], the Holy Spirit, life, spiritually minded."

>>As the Spirit "...worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure," PHI 2:13, the blessed effect is what we see illustrated in EPH 4:23-24 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; [which results in action]

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

>>The two preceding verses tell us what that is EPH 4:21-22 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

>>Mary Magdalene was possessed of seven devils, but when she was renewed in the spirit of her mind she received the forgiveness of her sins, as she walked in the law of love.

LUK 7:44-48 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

>>When we are renewed in the Spirit of our mind the strongest, and the worst habits are broken as burnt flax straw.

>>The new birth purifies the most impure minds

1CO 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

>>When the Holy Spirit changes the spirit of our mind He can change the the most obstinate Pharisee into an apostle of that very Jesus he had been persecuting.

>>The same Manasseh who had filled Jerusalem with idols, murdering his own children in honour of these false gods was renewed in the spirit of his mind—he purified the temple, put down idolatry, and lived a Godly life.

2CH 33:9 So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

>>After Manasseh was renewed in the Spirit of his mind we read

2CH 33:15-16 And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

16 And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

>>As with Manasseh, we don't need to question whether we have been renewed in the Spirit of our mind, our actions reveal what is in our hearts.

PRO 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

>>If we have been quickened we will prove it by our spiritual growth. Spiritual life is not like a beast which grows to maturity and stops growing, but it is like a tree which continue to grow as long as it endures.

ISA 65:22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

>>Many people may say we are saved by faith, but see what Peter says about spiritual growth,

2PE 1:5-7 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

>>See how these thing grow into a blessed assurance of our salvation.

2PE 1:10-11 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.