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“We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.”

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Biblical Foundations, and we are looking at seven foundational teachings of Scripture as found in our church statement of faith. So far, we have looked at the Bible, God and Jesus. Today we come to the topic of salvation. (Read John 3:5-7 and pray.)

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One of the most important teachings of the Bible has to do with salvation. In fact, a case could be made that apart from the first two chapters of Genesis, the rest of the Bible has to do with salvation: our great need for salvation, why we need salvation, what God did to save us and what we must do to be saved.

Unfortunately, this whole area of salvation is also one of the most misunderstood teachings in the entire Bible. Tragically, people die every day without ever really understanding what the Bible teaches about salvation. It is one of the clearest, simplest, and most beautiful teachings in all of Scripture, and yet it seems that a great majority of people do not understand what the Bible teaches about how a person may be saved. And so that is what we will look at this morning.

This particular section of our statement of faith reads: “We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.” This statement addresses two questions that we need to address this morning: 1) Why do we need salvation? 2) Why do we need to be born again? So, let’s see what the Bible tells us about the answers to these two questions.

I. Why do we need salvation?

First, why do we need salvation?

   A. We are separated from God by sin
      – Genesis 1:31, 2:16-17; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23

The Bible says we need salvation first of all because we are separated from God by sin. Now, man was not sinful when God first created him. We read in Genesis 1:31: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” This was God’s stamp of approval over all of his creation, including the man and woman whom he created in his own image. We read in those early chapters of Genesis how God communicated with man, how God provided for all his needs, how God would come to meet with the man and the woman in the garden in the cool of the day. There was no sin; there was no sickness; there was no suffering or pain. The man and woman were fulfilling their created purpose: to live in harmony with each other and the created world, and to live in perfect relationship with God.

All that changed when Adam and Eve chose sin over God. When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, God told him: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). Despite God’s gracious provision for all their needs, and despite God’s clear forewarning, Adam and Eve both disobeyed God’s command and ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. We call this the fall of man—when mankind fell into sin and death by disobeying God in the garden.

The Bible tells us that death is a direct result of sin. God told Adam: “The day you eat from the tree you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17). The book of Romans tells us: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

Death always involves some kind of separation. When the Bible speaks of death as the result of sin, it speaks of three kinds of separation or death: physical death, spiritual death and eternal death. Physical death is the separation of the body from the spirit or soul. Spiritual death is the separation of the person from God. Eternal death is similar to spiritual death except that it involves eternal separation from God, as well as eternal punishment for sin. We will talk more about eternal death in a later part of this series when we look at what the Bible says about heaven and hell. But for right now let’s take a closer look at physical death and spiritual death.

Adam and Eve did not die physically the day they ate from the tree. By God’s good grace, they did not die on the spot, although they could have. They did not die physically, but their physical relationship to the world around them changed in an instant. They had sinned, and according to God’s own word they would surely die. Their bodies, which up to this point had suffered no sickness or decay, now began the inevitable process of aging and dying which would eventually lead to physical death. They didn’t die physically that day, but they began to die physically.

However, they did die spiritually that day. The wages of sin is death, and that includes spiritual death as well as physical death. Spiritual death means separation from God, and it comes as a direct result of sin. We read in Isaiah 59:2: “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isa. 59:2) Sin separates us from God, because God is holy and will not tolerate sin. When mankind sinned, mankind died spiritually and became separated from God.

Now this does not mean that mankind was no longer created in God’s image. We are still created in God’s image, for we are still persons who think, act, and feel; we have relationships; and we have the ability to make moral choices. But now our thoughts, actions and feelings have been stained by sin; our relationship with God has been severed by sin; our relationships with each other have been damaged by sin; our ability to make right moral choices has been displaced by sin.

So, we are still created in the image of God. The image has not been destroyed by sin, but it has been distorted, defiled and defaced. We no longer reflect God’s holiness as God designed. We no longer enjoy relationship with God as God intended. Man was created in the image of God, but we sinned, and thereby incurred, not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God.

   B. We are all sinners by nature and by deed
      – 1 Kings 8:46; Romans 3:23, 5:12; 1 John 1:8

The Bible tells us that we are all sinners by nature and by deed. In other words, sin is more than just a general condition of mankind. Sin is intensely personal. It’s not just that mankind in general is separated from God by sin. Each individual human being is a sinner and is separated from God by his or her own personal sin.

Romans 3:23 says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). All means all. We have all sinned. There are no exceptions. 1 John 1:8 says: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). 1 Kings 8:46 says: “There is no one who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46).

One of the ways we know that we have all sinned is because everyone dies. We already looked at Romans 6:23 which says the wages of sin is death. That is the general statement. Romans 5:12 takes that same truth and applies it individually to all human beings: “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). Why does everyone die? Because everyone sins. We are all sinners.

In what way are we all sinners? The Bible teaches us that we are all sinners by nature and by deed. The Bible makes a distinction between our sinful nature and our sinful actions.

      1) Our sinful nature
         – Genesis 5:3, 8:21; Job 14:4; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:6

Let’s take a look at our sinful nature first. Our sinful nature is a problem at the very root of our being. It is not a surface problem. It is not something that can simply be corrected with proper training or education or discipline. It is a problem of the heart. In Genesis 8 God says this about human beings: “Every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood” (Gen. 8:21). In Jeremiah 17:9 God says: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).

It’s a heart problem. You came here this morning and didn’t know you had a heart problem—now you know. Having a sinful nature simply means that you “naturally” sin. It doesn’t take any practice or training. You don’t need an instructional video. You don’t have to take a class in it. As human beings with a sinful nature, sinning comes as natural to us as breathing.

Not only that, but the Bible tells us that we are born with this sinful nature. You do not pick it up later in life by observing others and then following suit—you know, monkey see, monkey do. You are born with it.

Let’s trace this out through Scripture. We saw earlier that when God first created Adam and Eve in his own image, he created them perfect and without sin. Then we saw that when Adam and Eve sinned, the image of God in them was not removed, but it was twisted and distorted by sin. So now, what happened when Adam and Eve had children? Did they pass on the perfect image of God which they had originally received at creation, or did they pass on the distorted image of God which was defiled by sin?

Turn to Genesis 5:3. Here we read that Adam had a son, not in God’s own image, but “Adam had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth” (Gen. 5:3). When Adam and Eve had children, they did not pass along the perfect, holy image of God that they had received at creation, but they passed on the image of God they now possessed as fallen human beings, the image that was twisted and distorted by sin.

Fallen, sinful human parents produce fallen, sinful human children. In the book of Job, Job asked the question: “Who can bring what is pure from the impure?” He then answered emphatically, “No one!” (Job 14:4). It can’t be done. Or as Jesus said in John 3: “Flesh gives birth to flesh” (John 3:6). The sinful nature of man is passed on from father and mother to child, from one generation to the next. That’s why King David wrote in Psalm 51: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Ps. 51:5). The Bible is clear concerning our fallen condition: we are all born with a sinful nature.

      2) Our sinful actions or deeds

However, we are sinners not only by nature, but also by action or deed. We are born sinners by nature, and it is just a matter of time after we are born until each one of us starts to sin. And once we get started—well, we are off and running.

It is important to understand the relationship between your sinful nature and your sinful actions. Think about it for a minute. Which comes first, your sinful nature, or your sinful actions? Well, your sinful nature is part of who you are. Your sinful actions are what you do as a result of who you are. Your sinful actions are just an outward expression of who you already are on the inside. So, your sinful nature comes first; then your sinful actions follow. Or, if you really want to get confused, try this one on for size: “You are not a sinner because you sin. You sin because you are a sinner.” Let me say that one again: “You are not a sinner because you sin. You sin because you are a sinner.”

As sinners, how do we sin? The Bible tells us that we sin in any number of ways. We sin anytime we break God’s laws or commands. But sin is not just something that we do. We can also sin with our words, with our thoughts, even with our attitudes. Anything that falls short of God’s perfection and glory is sin, and we all fall far short of the mark. So, we are not only sinners by nature. We also commit sin. We act out who we are.

So, that’s the answer to our first question: “Why do we need salvation?” Because we are lost and sinful people. We are separated from God by sin, and we are all sinners by nature and by deed.

II. Why do we need to be born again?

Now we need to look at our second question. Why do we need to be born again? Once again, our statement of faith reads: “We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.” Regeneration is just a big fancy word for rebirth or being born again. The Bible says you must be born again to be saved. It is essential for salvation. So why is that? Why do we need to be born again?

   A. We cannot save ourselves
      – Matthew 5:48; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 1:6

The first reason is because we cannot save ourselves. The Bible tells us that salvation is by God’s grace and not by human works. In other words, salvation is something that God does rather than what man does. The Bible is crystal clear about this, and yet so many people do not understand this aspect of salvation.

One of the best questions I have ever heard to help a person focus in on what they believe about their salvation is this: “If you were to die today and stand before God and he were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you say?” Stop and think about it for a moment. What would you say in answer to that question? Don’t answer out loud but take a moment and formulate a definite answer in your mind. What you would say to God if he asked you: “Why should I let you into heaven?”

Your answer to that question is your own personal theology of salvation. I have asked that question to hundreds of people over the years, and the most common answer I get is usually something like this: “I would say that I am a good person, that I go to church, that I was baptized, that I love my family, that I try to follow the Ten Commandments, that I never killed anyone.” Did you notice what each of those statements begins with? “I …, I …, I ….” When you answer that way it shows that you are trusting yourself, you are trusting your own works for salvation rather than God’s grace.

Did any of you answer similar to that? It’s okay if you did, because if so, I have good news for you this morning. The Bible says that salvation is not something that you work for, but it is a gift that God gives you through Jesus Christ. We read in Ephesians 2: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). A gift is not something that you work for or earn. If you work for it, it is no longer a gift.

The Bible says: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” (Rom. 6:23). Wages are something that you do earn or deserve. “The wages of sin is death” means that you have earned it; you deserve death because of your sin. But you can’t earn God’s salvation. And you don’t deserve it. That’s why we call it grace. You can only receive it as a gift from God.

Now this is totally opposite from the way most people think about salvation. Most people think that you do work for your salvation, that you somehow have to be good enough to get into heaven. The most common misconception about salvation is this: that if you are good, then you go to heaven, and if you are bad, then you go to hell. Is that the way you think it works? Most people do.

But that’s not what the Bible teaches. The Bible does not say that you go to heaven because you are good. In fact, do you know how good you would have to be in order to go to heaven on your own merit? Do you know the measure, the standard? Jesus said in Matthew 5:48: “You must be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).

That’s a pretty high standard, but it makes sense. Heaven is a place of perfection, and only that which is perfect or perfected will ever enter its gates. Any perfect people here today? Of course not. We are all sinners. So, it’s not your goodness that gets you into heaven. Rather, it’s your sin that keeps you out. No one goes to heaven because they’re good, because none of us are good enough.

This is one of the main differences, by the way, between Christianity and all the other religions in the world. All the world’s religions except for Christianity teach that salvation is something that you work for, something that you earn, some type of reward for living a good life. Only Christianity teaches that salvation is by God’s grace alone.

So, if you are saved this morning, it is not because of some work that you have done or some goodness that God saw in you. You are saved wholly by God’s grace. It is God “who began a good work in you” (Phil. 1:6). You did not add or contribute to your salvation in any way. As someone once said, “We contribute nothing to our salvation except the sin from which we need to be redeemed.” So, that’s the first reason you need to be born again, because we cannot save ourselves. Salvation is the free gift of God’s grace alone.

   B. Salvation is received by repentance and faith in Christ

Salvation is the free gift of God, but not everyone is saved. You must still receive that gift before it is yours. So how do you receive the free gift of salvation? The Bible says salvation is received by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Repentance has to do with your attitude towards sin. Repentance means that you do a complete 180˚ concerning sin in your life. You turn away from your sin, and you turn your heart towards God instead. True repentance always involves true sorrow for your sin, true humility in confessing your sin to God, and a true determination to leave your sin behind. Repentance has to do with your attitude towards sin.

Faith has to do with your attitude towards Christ. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is who he said he was, that he is the Son of God who came into the world to save you from sin? Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sin, in your place? Do you commit your life to him and trust him to give you the gift of eternal life?

You see, saving faith is not just some vague or undefined belief in God or belief in an afterlife, or belief in whatever you happen to feel like believing. There is real and actual content to saving faith. Saving faith recognizes that if Christ had not come to die on the cross for our sins, there would be no salvation. When Christ died on the cross, he paid a price sufficient to cover all sins for all people for all times. And so, saving faith is faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross.

Let’s talk for just a moment about the relationship between repentance and faith. Repentance and faith are really two sides of the same coin. There is no true repentance from sin without faith in Christ, and there is no true faith in Christ without repentance from sin. True repentance is “believing repentance.” True faith is “repentant faith.” The two always go together. Salvation is a free gift of God. But you must receive the gift in order for it to be yours. That’s the second reason you need to be born again, because the gift of salvation is received by repentance and faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross.

   C. You need to become a new person
      – John 3:5-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17

And then the third reason you need to be born again is because you need to become a new person. Jesus said in John 3: “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:5-7).

In order to enter heaven, you must become a new person, and only the Holy Spirit can make you new in Christ. We will talk more about the Holy Spirit and how he makes you new next week, but right now I just want to focus on regeneration. As we said earlier the word regeneration means new birth. “Generation” means “birth” and “re” means “again,” so “regeneration” means “to be re-born” or “to be born again.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” When you put your faith in Christ, you are a new creation. Your slate is wiped clean, and you are given new birth through the Holy Spirit. You were once dead in your sins, but God makes you alive with Christ. You become a new person in Christ. You are born again.

Why do you need to be born again? 1) We cannot save ourselves. 2) Salvation is received by repentance and faith. And 3) you need to become a new person. The Bible is clear. In order to be saved, you must be born again.

CONCLUSION: What is the biggest misconception about salvation? “If you’re good you go to heaven, if you’re bad you go to hell.” No, the truth is that we are all sinners, and none of us are good enough to go to heaven on our own. There is a heaven, and there is a hell, but none of us will go to heaven on our own merit or by our own works. Let’s face it, if salvation was by works, we would all be lost. We are all lost and sinful people, and we all need a Savior.

The good news is that salvation is not by works, but by God’s grace. God loved us so much that he sent his Son to be our Savior. Christ died on the cross for your sins, and you may receive the free gift of salvation by repentance and faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. And once you put your faith in Christ, praise God all things become new. You are born again, and you become a new person in Christ. Who wouldn’t want that? It’s so simple. All you need to do is turn from your sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ. Will you put your faith in Christ today?

© Ray Fowler

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Click here for more messages from the Biblical Foundations series.
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