Brand-New

TEXT: John 3:1-19; Romans 8:1

Because of the original sin of Adam and Eve, we are unable (without Christ) to live without sinning against God and against our fellowman. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). However, the Bible has outlined certain steps that a person may take in order to have his sins forgiven. If we follow these steps carefully, acknowledging Christ as the Son of God with power to forgive and keep us from sin, honestly inviting Him to be Lord of our lives, a miracle happens. We become a brand-new person in Christ Jesus, as expressed in our key verse.

QUESTIONS

1. What kind of person was Nicodemus? Why did he come to Jesus by night?
2. Why would the working of miracles attract a person to Christ?
3. Explain in your own words what Jesus told Nicodemus.
4. Why is there no exception to the necessity for the new birth? What about “good” people?
5. Once a person is born again, how is it possible for him to live each day without sinning against God? See 1 John 3:9; 5:4-5,18.
6. Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda and gave him a special command. What was this command (John 5:14)? What explicit directions did Jesus give to the woman taken in adultery, whom He forgave (John 8:11)? What significance must be placed upon these instructions?
7. List the works of the flesh, of which a Christian will not be guilty (Galatians 5:19-21). Which part of the key verse applies to these things?
8. When “old” things pass away, what are some of the “new” things that come into our lives?
9. Review John 3:16; Romans 5:1; 8:1 and 12:2, and list some additional results of being born again.