cates it. He gives a new nature. 2. The Nature of the New Birth. To live with God we must have a nature like God 's. How could an unregenerat- ed man be happy in heaven? Death of the body creates no change in the na- ture of man. The new nature is heav- enly, from above, it is a creative act of God, Gen. 1.26, 2 Cor. 5:17. It is the - life of God, 1 John 5:20. It is the gift of God, John 3:16; it is in Jesus Christ, John 11:25; it is by the Word, J Pet. 1:23, Jas. 1:18, John 15:3; through, the Spirit; it is by faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2:20. God the Father pro- vided it; Jesus the Son brought it, and ' the Holy Spirit applies or imparts it. It is eternal. 3. The Simplicity of the New Birth. The terms used in connection with the New Birth are simple. Believe, Acts 16:31; Receive, John 1:12; Look, Isa. 45:2; Eat, John 6:54; Drink, John 6:37. Come, He says and I will give, Matt. 11:28: There is no great thing to do. We appropriate by faith the fruit of His finished work and life eternal springs up, John 4:14. 4. The Mystery of the New Birth. The new birth can not be explained. Lesson VII. THE TESTIMONY OF JOJHN TO JESUS. A Lesson on the Deity of Christ. miM Jno. 3:22-30. T he J e ws a t t e m p t ed to create a division between t he followers of J o hn and t he dis- ciples of Christ; and J o hn with t h a t m a g - n a n i m i ty and humility which becomes a g r e at m a n, immediately took occasion to bear witness to his Lord. H e reminded t h em t h a t he had claimed to be only t he sign-post pointing to "Christ, a witness—a voice in t he wilderness, and he t h en speci- fied eight things concerning t he Deitv of Christ. (1) The Messiah (ver. 29). H e w as t he Bridegroom, wooing H is bride and J o hn w as in t he capacity of a friend t he last of t he prophets of t he dying dis- pensation. Israel: w as t he wife of God (Jer 7z£S£ a r n < L i h e Church is t he Bride of Christ (Ji/ph. 5-^5). J o h n, w a s full of rejoicing be- cause he had heard the voice of t he Bride- groom. (2) The Magnified One. " H e m u st increase." J o hn had t he con- sciousness t h at J e s us w as t he Divine One and began to appreciate, as every t r ue be -" liever does, the^ m a g n i t u de of the position, of t he Son of God. T he prophet said "of t he increase of H is g o v e r nm e nt and peace there should be no e n d ." H e w a s f r om h e a v e n; H e c a me down from J E S S t J Jesus, Himself, had borne witness c a n i e d o w n f r o m heaven (Chap. (3) His Mansion (ver. 31). ! 8-23)*' l H e : sai<3 ' " r a m f r om a b o v e" (Chap,
You can not explain natural laws. You can not see the wind, but you can feel it. You can not tell whence it comes or whither it goes. You read the story of John Bunyan or Jerry Me- Auley and you know that something came into their lives and made them like unto the Son of God, 1 Cor. 2 <11, Acts 2:2, Rom. 8:5-9, Ezek. 37:9. It is like the mystery of the Incarnation, 1 Tim. 3:16, and the mystery of the resurrection, 1 Cor. 15:51: Illustration:, Jesus draws his illus- tration from an incident in the Jewish life in the wilderness, familiar to Nico- demus. The brazen serpent was made and lifted up by command of God, for the saving of those who were bitten by the deadly fiery serpents who looked and lived. So' Jesus, the anti-type, is lifted up for the saving of lost men. Look and live, is the command. To believe is to be born again, 1 John 5:1. . Who receives has power, Heb. 1:12. lives; who lives lovés; who loves labors; Who loolts is saved, Heb. 12:1. who labors has a joy which can not be Who believes receives; who receives taken away. February 12 (4) His Majesty. Above all (ver. 31). Ma k er of heaven and earth- H e w as with God: H e w as God. M l Lord of all (Acts 10-35). Over all, God, blessed foverer (Rom. 9-5); (5) The Messenger of God. W h om God h a th sent (ver. 34) H e claimed to be sent of God (Jno. 7-16; Jno. 3:16-17). H e c a me as God's Messenger to bear to t he world t he joyful tidings of salvation ( L u ke (6) The Mouthpiece of God. S p e a k e th t he words of God (ver 34) H e I S s d ° c t r i n „ e J? n o t m i n e ' b ut His' t h at sent Me (Jno. 7-6). I speak to t he world those things which I h a ve heard of Mv S S EKg (MS).—'"but as My F a t h er h a th 4o"47) speak these t h i n g s" (8:2s, 8; (7)_ Measureless Fullness of the Spirit W M &iveth not t he Spirit by m e a s- F f e l É H is fullness we received (Jno. 1-16). H e could say, if a ny m an thirst, let him come u n to Me (Jno. 7-3). P r om H im proceeds t he Spirit (Jno. 15:26, 16:1). For it pleaseth t he F a t h e r, t h at in H i m should all fullness dwell (Col. 1-9). (8) The Mighty God. H a t h given all t h i n gs i n to H is hand (Jno. P o w er over all flesh (Jno. 17-2). All things delivered to H i m ( L u ke 10-22). All t h i n gs under H is feet (1 Cor. 15-22). Given mm to be H e ad over all things (Eph. 5-22) ? ' v e , . ™ m ? « above every n a me (Phil.. i n S l , Angels, Au t h o r i t i es a nd P o w e rs subject to H i m. (1 Pet. 3-22)
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