JOH 3:9-10 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

>>These things are the things which accompany a true work of regeneration through the cleansing power of the Word.

TIT 3:3-5 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

>>The Pharisees had a legal religion, but were strangers to the purifying of the heart "...by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

MAT 23:25-26 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

>>What is not understood in a legal religion is the need for a heart religion, i.e., the cleansing effect of the Word.

MAT 23:27-28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

>>These things of which Jesus spoke, i.e., "...the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost," or the baptism of the Holy Spirit, is visible in our labour of love;

HEB 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

>>Nicodemus' question, "How can these things be?" reveals the ignorance of the Pharisaical religious world about the need for the new birth; this is what Jesus spoke of in MAT 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

>>"These things" pertaining to true gospel repentance which Jesus spoke of were the very things Nicodemus did not understand.

MAT 11:16-17 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,

17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

>>These things Jesus was teaching which were hidden from the eyes of the wise and prudent were the need of true gospel repentance, i.e., a change of heart attitude.

MAT 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:

>>The gospel of Jesus Christ makes no acknowledgment of our profession, but goes right to the self-righteous Pharisee in our heart.

MAT 11:21-22 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

>>The first effect of the gospel of Jesus Christ when it is accompanied by the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, is to open the eyes to the individual's needs.

JOH 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

>>Jesus went right to Nicodemus' self righteousness and wrong motives to warn him of his false faith and shallow commitment, the unbelief and self-righteousness in Nicodemus' heart, and dealt with him as an unbeliever.

>>Our text reveals that Jesus confronted his spurious faith, his legal repentance, his Pharisaical righteousness, and his Bibical illiteracy.

JOH 3:9-10 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

>>Nicodemus was one of those spoken of in JOH 2:23-25 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,

25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

>>Nicodemus illustrates the faith of the carnal christian, he had a faith without repentance, without "...the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost," TIT 3:5.

>>With his mind he accepted to some extent the truth of Christ, but his heart was still unregenerate.

JOH 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

>>Jesus rebuked Nicodemus for his ignorance of the Spirit's work of grace in the heart. Jesus pointed to the hyper-legalism spoken of in 2TI 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

>>Nicodemus' ignorance as a ruler in Israel was inexcusable; the same gospel teaching of our need to be washed with the water of the Word was taught in the Old Testament.

EZE 36:25-27 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

>>Jesus admonished Nicodemus by telling him that he should have known these things

JOH 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

>>The Old Testament clearly taught the way of salvation. The apostle Paul told Timothy in,

2TI 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

>>Jesus was not announcing a new way of salvation distinct from Old testament redemption. Nicodemus as a teacher in Israel should have been familiar with

ISA 1:16-18 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

>>The Pharisees only knew legal repentance which does not lead to a change of heart or life;- - - they stained at the letter of the law but were ignorant of their need for a new attitude by the work of regeneration of the Spirit.

>>They scoured the Psalms for laws they could add to their legalistic list, but they ignored the most sublime truth of all--

>>that God forgives sins, covers transgressions, and does not impute sin to those who turn to Him in true gospel repentance.

PSA 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

>>Nicodemus was totally ignorant of the purpose of God's creation that God might be glorified by man's perfect harmony in purpose which was lost in Paradise.

GEN 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

>>God's restrictions were not unreasonable when He told man

GEN 2:15-17 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

>>God's only restriction upon man was that he would submit to the authority of God's Word!

GEN 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

>>This harmony of purpose, i.e., this oneness of spirit, or mind is what must be restored "...by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost," TIT 3:5.

EPH 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

>>When our enmity against God's Word and will is slain, our harmony of purpose with God's will is restored through Christ being formed in you.

EPH 2:18 For through him [i.e., that spirit, or mind of Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

>>What Nicodemus did not understand is that reconciliation must take place from our side by an unconditional surrender to God's will- - - as well as from God's side by Christ's appeasement of God's wrath.

2CO 5:20-21 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

>>There must be harmony in purpose before there can be reconciliation with God.

1JO 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

>>Who can ever be found to sing in the heavenly quire if he is not in harmony.

REV 15:2-3 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

>>Nicodemus did not understand that harmony of the heavenly symphony; nor the doctrine of redemption as set forth in TIT 2:13-14 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

>>This zeal for good works begins with faith, i.e., persuasion by the Word of God as it is applied by the Spirit, but then it grows into maturity which leads to that heavenly harmony.

2PE 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue [i.e., manliness, or strength]; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance [i.e., self control]; and to temperance patience [cheerful endurance in every trial]; and to patience godliness;

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

>>I'm sure that no person will ever be able to sing in the symphony without a little practice first. So we are made meet to take part in the inheritance with the saints in light, and join in the heavenly quire by putting these things into practice.

2PE 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

>>These things which Nicodemus did not understand are decisive of whether or not we have the Spirit's new birth.

2PE 1:9-11 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

10 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.

>>Our text says, JOH 3:9-10 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?