STUDY 1 (A):

UNDERSTANDING THE NEW BIRTH
INTRODUCTION:
One can become a member of a family by birth or adoption or marriage. The new birth is the way you are born, adopted and married into the family of God. John 1:12-13, Gal.4:5, Eph.5:30-32

1. Some Unscriptural Meaning of The New Birth
    (a) Being religious or churchy – Acts 10:1-9, Jn. 3:1-3
    (b) Keeping the Law – Rom.3:20, Gal.2:16-21, Jos.2:10
    (c) Being self righteous – Isa. 64:6, Phil.3:8-9
    (d) Educated and cultured – 1 Cor.1:18-25, Matt.15:2-3, 8-9
    (e) Being water Baptized – Acts 8:36-39
    These things are good and important but they will not Substitute for the new birth     Matt.23:23).

2. Understanding The Fall of Man Through Adam (Gen. 2:15-20, 3:1-8).
Adam was the first federal head of the human race, just as the head of a country can cause his country to fail or succeed through his leadership, Adam changed the course of the human race by falling into sin Rom.5:12. Satan made Adam to believe the following about God:
    (a) That God was a liar- Gen.2:17 and Gen.3:4.
    (b) That God was deceitful and does not have the love of His creatures at heart-Gen.          3:5.That He does not want them to live beyond their current state for which they          have the potential.
    (c) That God was unfair by not giving them that which was their ultimate good Gen.3:5
    (d) Denied the very essence of God’s character truth and righteousness
    (e) Blasphemed God. Spoke irreverently about God; painted God in bad light.

3. UNDERSTANDING CONSEQUENCES OF THE FALL
    a. Loss of communion and fellowship with God Isa.59:2, Eph.2:11-12
    b. Death-Spiritual (Rom.6:23A); physical (Heb.9:27); Eternal (Rev.20:15)
    c. Received the nature of sin and debt to sin Gen.1:27 and Gen.5:3
    d. Transferred our fatherhood to the devil (Jn.8:44)
    e. Slavery to Satan (Col.1:13, II Tim.2:26).
    f. Loss of God-given authority to the devil – Jn.14:30, Lk.4:5-6; Ehp 6:10-18
    g. Loss of Dominion over all the works of God’s hand Gen.1:28.
    h. Loss of freedom from diseases, sorrow, hardship and sufferings Gen. 3:16-19

4. UNDENIABLE MERCY AND PARDON FOR SIN
a. Some attributes of God Righteousness (Ps.119:137; Jer.3:6), Just (Deut.32:4, Isa.45:21;     Love (Jn.3:16, Rom.5:8); Truth (II Sam.7:28); Eternal life (Ex. 15:18, Rev. 1:8).
b. God’s mercy explained. To meet God’s holy character of justice (for sin) and love (for the     sinful man), the last Adam was sent to break down the barrier between God and man     Rom.5:17-19, I Cor.15:21-22; 45:47
c. What then is the New Birth? It is a spiritual experience that transforms you from the     kingdom of darkness into God’s kingdom. It is the receiving of God’s life and God’s     righteousness. It is both a spiritual and moral change. Christ lives in you by the Holy     Spirit. It is not an intellectual birth a rebirth of man’s soul. It is also not a physical     birth, our spirit not flesh is born again. It is no vital an experience that no on can     enter into God’s kingdom without it Jn. 3:1-7, Jn.1:12-13, I Pet. 1:23, Col.1:12-13,     Eph.2:8-10

5. HOW CAN ONE BE BORN AGAIN?
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner – Rom.3:23, Lk.18:13, ps.51:5
b. Sincerely repent of your sins- Acts 3:19, Lk.13:3.
c. Confess your sins to God – I Jn.1:19
d. Forsake or turn away from your old sinful way. Isa.55:7, Prov. 28:13.
e. Believe Him and the Substitutionary sacrifice Jn. 3:16, II Cor.5:21.
f. Receive Him into your heart by faith and thereafter thank God for saving you – Jn. 1:11-
   12, Eph. 2:8.

Conclusion:
Just as you can associate a dog with bones, so you can associate every man born of a woman with sins. But one thing is certain any life committed to Jesus cannot be wasted.
What are you doing with JESUS CHRIST?

MEMORY VERSE: II COR.5:17:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.