THE SUBJECTIVE LIFE--Part 1

Under The Subjective Life, found in Verses 1-8, of John 3, We shall look at;
1. A DEPRAVED RELIGIONIST
2. A PASSIVE SINNER
3. UNSANCTIFIED REASON
4. BORN OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT
5. FLESH AND SPIRIT
6. NECESSITY FOR REGENERATION

I. A DEPRAVED RELIGIONIST
John 3;1-2-''There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 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.''

Although Nicodemus was a high ranking Jewish official;
he was a depraved, religious Pharisee.
His name is a compound noun-[''nike''=Victory''; ''Demos''=People] and means, ''Conqueror of
The People''.
He was a member of The Sanhedrin, The Supreme Religious and Civil Tribunal, which was the
final court of interpretation and enforcement of Jewish Law.

The Pharisees were zealous for their sect, which began, after the Jews returned from Babylonian
Captivity.
The Pharisees were Separatists, Who had their own interpretation of The Scriptures.
Thy has their own code of morals, and emphasized outward evidences of Religious Piety.
They made void The Scriptures, by their traditions.

Nicodemus didn't know he was a lost sheep, when he came to Jesus by night.
His coming was motivated by the miracles of Jesus.

The proud Pharisee called Jesus, ''Rabbi,'' thus placing himself on the same level, with our Lord.
He was saying, ''We Rabbis, know what you're doing, as A Rabbi.''
This manner of address shows Nicodemus did not know, Who Jesus really was.

The Questions, he asked, prove that, he was not Regenerated in John 3.
Nicodemus' Questions revealed;
1. How the natural man is unable to understand spiritual truths--1 COR. 2;14-[TURN].
2. How far, a person can be advanced in worldly wisdom, and be spiritually ignorant.
3. How One can be in Organized Religion, and know nothing, about Saving Grace.

Jesus didn't answer Nicodemus, but spoke to him, as an Unregenerate Man.
JOHN 3;3-''Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.''
The Word for ''Born Again'' is ''Anothen,'' and means, to be born from Above.

''Born from Above'' in John 3;3,7, shows that the new life comes down from God, and effects a complete and radical change, in The Elect, who have been raised out of Spiritual Death, which is
the result of their depravity.

Now, Religionists try to refute The Truth of Depravity by making these ten statements;
1. Adam only sinned in his own Person-There is no reason why God should impute his sin to
infants.
2. We do not have the evil of sin by birth.
3. Sin must be voluntary, to be sin.
4. That One is held guilty of a sin, not his own, is inequitable.
5. God in justice, can't send one to Hell for Original Sin.
6. The old fatalism view is dying.
7. Man is not so corrupt, that he can't believe to save his soul.
8. One can be saved anytime he want to.
9. Since man is commanded to believe, he is not so dead, that he can't.
10. One's name is written in The Book of Life when he believes-hence Faith, Regeneration, and justification, all happen at the same time.
all 10 statements are not true.

Depravity signifies these truths about what man is by nature;
1. He is spiritually dead-Ephesians 2;1
2. He is Darkness-Ephesians 5;8
3.He is mortal-Hebrews 9;27.

The sinner is unable to;
1. Understand The Kingdom of God-v. 3 ''see''
2. Enter it-v. 5
3. Come to Christ-John 6;44
4. Understand Spiritual things-I COR. 2;14