Have you been born again?

Lesson 5 “Born Again” New Testament (Feb 6, 2011) Sherwood Hills Ward

Purpose: To help class members understand that to receive everlasting life, we must be “born again” and continue to follow the Savior.

I. Jesus teaches Nicodemus that all must be born of water and the Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God.

Reading 1

John 3:

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named ^aNicodemus, a ^bruler of the Jews:

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 ^amiracles that thou doest, except ^bGod be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be ^aborn ^bagain, he cannot ^csee the kingdom of God.

What does it mean to be born again?

Reading 2

“The final point I wish to make about the process of repentance is that we must be careful, as we seek to become more and more godlike, that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christ-like is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible. The scriptures record remarkable accounts of men whose lives changed dramatically, in an instant, as it were: Alma the Younger, Paul on the road to Damascus, Enos praying far into the night, King Lamoni. Such astonishing examples of the power to change even those steeped in sin give confidence that the Atonement can reach even those deepest in despair.

But we must be cautious as we discuss these remarkable examples. Though they are real and powerful, they are the exception more than the rule. For every Paul, for every Enos, and for every King Lamoni, there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance much more subtle, much more imperceptible. Day by day they move closer to the Lord, little realizing they are building a godlike life. They live quiet lives of goodness, service, and commitment. They are like the Lamanites, who the Lord said “were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.” (Elder McConkie, Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, BYU Devotional 1976)

Elder McConkie also taught that Church members are not born again by the mere fact of baptism alone.

Besides being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, what else is necessary in becoming born again?

Reading 3

John 3:

15 T hat whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For ^aGod so ^bloved the ^cworld, that he ^dgave his ^eonly begotten ^fSon, that whosoever ^gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have ^heverlasting ⁱlife.

Reading 4

Mosiah 5

2 And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty ^achange in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do ^bevil, but to do good continually.

Reading 5

Mosiah 27

25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be ^aborn again; yea, ^bborn of God, ^cchanged from their carnal and ^dfallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his ^esons and daughters;

Reading 6

Mosiah 5

7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the ^achildren of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are ^bchanged through faith on his name; therefore, ye are ^cborn of him and have become his ^dsons and his daughters.

Reading 7

Mosiah 27

26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in ^anowise inherit the kingdom of God.

Reading 8

Alma 5

19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the ^aimage of God engraven upon your countenances?

Reading 9

Alma 5

21 I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be ^asaved; for there can no man be saved except his ^bgarments are washed white; yea, his garments must be ^cpurified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins.

What can we do to continue this process throughout our lives because of the fact this does not happen in an instant?

How can we overcome discouragement or setbacks in our spiritual progress?

What changes have you observed in yourself or someone else during the process of becoming born again?

The Savior used concepts of light and darkness to teach Nicodemus.

Reading 10

John 3

16 For ^aGod so ^bloved the ^cworld, that he ^dgave his ^eonly begotten ^fSon, that whosoever ^gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have ^heverlasting ⁱlife.

17 For God ^asent not his Son into the world to ^bcondemn the world; but that the world through him might be ^csaved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that ^abelieveth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the ^bname of the only begotten Son of God.^c

19 And this is the condemnation, that ^alight is come into the world, and men loved ^bdarkness rather than light, because their ^cdeeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth ^aevil ^bhateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that ^adoeth ^btruth cometh to the ^clight, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Believers do outward things such as the Zoramites did in Alma 31. They attend meetings, say public prayers, bathe, and wear nice clothes. But this is not enough. They must also do the inward things – look for ways to share the gospel, forgive readily, repent quickly, serve gladly, do home and visiting teaching because they want to bless the lives of those they visit, accept and magnify callings, rejoice in temple service and in genealogical work, etc.

Why are unbelievers condemned already?

Why do some choose darkness over light? How can we maintain the ability to love the light and shun darkness?

II. Jesus teaches a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.

1. "After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized them." (John 3:22)
• According to this verse, Jesus went out and ministered to the people of Judea following his sojourn in Jerusalem.
• According to Elder McConkie (The Mortal Messiah, volume 1):
• This ministry in Judea lasted until December (9 months).
• He ministered to towns and cities throughout Judea:
• The mission: To preach the gospel and baptize souls.

2. "He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour." (John 4:3-6)

• The village Sychar appears to be about half way between Jerusalem and Galilee.
• Why did Jesus go through Samaria? The route through Samaria was more dangerous and robber-infested. It was the Jewish custom to take the long way around through Perea. The Samaritans were hated for their customs and traditions.
• Some suggest that Jesus avoided Perea, where Antipas governed, due to the recent imprisonment of John the Baptist.
• More likely is the fact the Jesus chose to preach the gospel and testify of his divinity to these people, who were part Israelite.

3. Review John 4:6-26.
• HOW DID THE SAMARITAN WOMAN'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE SAVIOR CHANGE WHILE SHE SPOKE WITH HIM?
• WHAT CAUSED THIS CHANGE? (He taught at her level of understanding.)

Reading

Robert J. Matthews: "Sitting at a well where people came to draw water and utilizing this setting to make a comparison between earthly water and the 'living water,' Jesus taught the woman that he was the Messiah. He said that if someone drank the water drawn from the well, that person would thirst again; but a person who drank the water He had to give would never thirst again. The woman doubted he could provide such water, because he had neither rope nor bucket and the well was deep. She also asked him if he thought he was greater than Jacob himself, who gave them the well. The whole episode compares secular things to spiritual. The woman was engrossed in the worldly things-the flesh, the natural water, the rope, the bucket. She could hardly grasp the idea of the 'living water,' and even when she began to believe, her response was that she would like some of that special kind of water so that she would never have to come again to the well to draw. She was still thinking in physical terms. It took some time before she could appreciate that the 'living water' Jesus could give would be like a flowing well 'springing up unto everlasting life'." (A Bible! A Bible!, p 225)

• He showed compassion.
• She stood in the Light and the Spirit bore witness.

WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE LIVING WATER?

Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "Living water is the words of eternal life, the message of salvation, the truths about God and his kingdom; it is the doctrines of the gospel. Those who thirst are invited to come unto Christ and drink. Where there are prophets of God, there will be found rivers of living water, wells filled with eternal truths, springs bubbling forth their life-giving draughts that save from spiritual death." (Mortal Messiah, 1:497)

The Master used a wonderful comparison when he spoke of living water.

• How important is water to life?
• What did parts of Utah look like before water was used to irrigate the valleys?
• The gospel is "living water" to a thirsty soul.
• There are a lot of thirsty souls out there.
• What does this say about our responsibility towards sharing the gospel?

HOW CAN WE ASSURE OURSELVES CONSTANT ACCESS TO THIS "LIVING WATER"?

§ Go to the "WELL" frequently.

§ Attend church meetings and conferences.

§ Study the scriptures.

§ Get on your knees and speak to the source of living water.

4. "The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him....
   "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (John 4:28-30, 39-42)

Jesus' introduction to the Samaritans of Sychar came through a woman who had five different husbands during the course of her life and was living with a man to whom she was not married.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS ABOUT THE LORD?

WHAT DOES THIS INCIDENT TEACH US ABOUT SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH OTHER PEOPLE?

5. READ JOHN 4:31-36. Those that do the work of the Lord will receive wages.

WHAT DID THE LORD TEACH ABOUT MISSIONARY WORK?

• It is the will of the Father.
• The fields of the Lord were ripe for the harvest.
• He that works in the fields and reaps is gathering fruit unto eternal life.

"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" (D&C 18:15-16)

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN BLESSED WHEN YOU HAVE SHARED THE GOSPEL WITH OTHERS?

CONCLUSION

Consider prayerfully the commandment to be born again – to put on spiritual robes that accompany believing and obeying. Ponder the steps of spiritual rebirth and do a self-check about whether you are within the process we have discussed this day.

Compare this to your thirst for living water, your longing for a mighty change of heart. We must pay the price to drink from the Eternal Well and invite others to come drink with us.