Made Alive Part 1 The Essence of the New Birth Text: John 3:112 Introduction The essence of the new birth is that God takes spiritually dead people and makes them alive. The new birth makes a person BRAND NEW. It is not about ‘turning over a new leaf’ or ‘finding religion’. The new birth is not moral rehabilitation, but it’s spiritual regeneration. Before the new birth we are dead IN sin, but after the new birth we are dead TO sin and alive to God Romans 6:1011 In the new birth people are transformed and not just conformed. The new birth begins inwardly and works outwardly, not the other way around. The new birth is about relationship with God, not rules of a church. The new birth is about a spiritual work of God, not the works and selfeffort of ourselves. THREE FACTS ABOUT THE NEW BIRTH 1. The New Birth Is Not A Guarantee For Anybody A. Being Religious Doesn’t Make You Born Again Nicodemus was: A Pharisee, A Member of the Jewish Ruling Council, and Israel’s Teacher. Nicodemus was a very religious man. He learned the scriptures from a child and did all of the religious works that he could, yet Jesus said he needed to be born again. Luke 18:914 This means we can be good people, moral, do religious works, hold positions in church.. yet NOT be born again!