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Review:

1. Jesus was leaving to prepare a way.
   
   
2. Jesus is the way to peace with God by being the truth and providing life!

During Jesus’ ministry he had a late-night encounter with one of the most respected religious leaders of Israel, named Nicodemus.  He was inquiring as to who Jesus really is and how Jesus could bring peace with God.  Jesus shocked him by saying “you must be born again.”  How does this happen?  Jesus answered, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to spirit.”  John 3:6

Ephesians 1:13-14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

The Holy Spirit gives us new birth.

• Born again: The need for being “Born Again” was first stated by Jesus in John 3. Just like Him this requires a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.  This passage speaks of this rebirth as a work of the Holy Spirit. 
  
  
• We are marked by the Spirit as his. He is our birth certificate that says to all of Heaven and Heaven’s adversaries that we are His.  We receive him at the point of surrendering our lives to Jesus. 
  
  
• The Spirit was already at work to draw us into faith. Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 2:13
  
  
• The Spirit continues the work of changing you into his image.

Being born again begins the Spirit led process of living a new life.  Ezekial 36:25-28

• The Spirit washes and cleanses us from the sin taints our being.
  
  
• He gives you a new heart that is now tender and no longer resistant to His work in us.
  
  
• With a new heart we have a new will to want to live for Jesus.

The indwelling Holy Spirit does the daily work of changing our hearts to want to pursue Jesus.   John 15:26-16:11

• He is our counselor, advocate, and helper. (26a)
  
  
• Keeps pointing us to Jesus so that we can point others to Jesus because He is THE model of true life. (26b-27)
  
  
• The transformative work happens by three primary pointers of conviction.
  1. Convict you of sin in your life because our regular denials of sin. (8-9)
  2. Convict and point you towards that which is righteous. (8, 10)
  3. Convict and point you towards that there will be an account of our actions because the verdict is already established. (8, 11)

[To the Believer]
Responding to the Holy Spirit’s work in your life.

• Ask for the Spirit’s help. Luke 11:13
  • To reveal sin so that you may confess that sin. [Illustration: Reveal what you may not know or to reveal why you may not feel quite right.  (i.e. Kristen’s cancer)]
  • To point you to areas where you need to reflect Jesus more.
  • To grow in fear of God which is the beginning of wisdom—recognizing there is an account of our choices.

• Learn His voice.
  • Utilize the Word of Truth to discern the voice of the Spirit of Truth.
  • Seek people of the Spirit to discern the voice of the Spirit.

• Yield to what the Holy Spirit is counseling you to do.

[To the Seeker]
Do you want peace with God?  You must be born again.  John 3:3

• Are you being drawn to faith in Jesus?
  
  
• Confess your sin.
  
  
• Acknowledge that Jesus is the only way to peace with God.
  
  
• Ask Him to make you new.