Are You Saved… or Just Religious?

“Most people think of salvation as becoming a better person.” That single line exposes a quiet assumption many of us carry, even if we’ve been around church for years. We open John 3 with Nicodemus, a respected religious leader who comes to Jesus with compliments and credentials, and Jesus replies with a shock: “You must be born again.” Not improve. Not try harder. Not get more religious. Be made new.

We slow down and define the often-neglected doctrine of regeneration: a complete spiritual rebirth brought about by the Holy Spirit. Using John 3:1-8 and Titus 3:4-7, we talk about what salvation is and what it is not. We trace why outward religion can look convincing while leaving a person spiritually dead, and why Jesus’ words leave no room for a “many paths” approach to the kingdom. The heart of the message is simple and confrontational: salvation is not self-improvement, it is new birth by the Holy Spirit who regenerates and renews us.

We also get practical about what new life looks like. Being born again is not a new label; it is a new nature with new desires and a changed direction, like a caterpillar transformed from the inside out. At the same time, we hold together God’s saving work and our response: the Spirit awakens, and we must receive Christ through repentance and faith. We also explain “born of water and the Spirit” through Ezekiel 36, pointing to cleansing and renewal rather than mere ritual.

If you’ve wondered how to know you’re truly saved, or you’re tired of a faith that feels like performance, this is for you. Subscribe for part two, share this with someone who needs clarity, and leave a review with the question you’re still wrestling with.

Transcript

Theme, Texts, And Opening Prayer

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Here now it's Dr. Timothy Mann.

SPEAKER_01 0:33

And we are discussing this theme of saved, understanding God's work in us. A lot of confusion in people's minds about, I mean, it's a it's a Bible word we use. A lot of confusion about what does it mean, even to be saved? What does that look like? And a lot of a lot of different ideas out there in the world about that, even in church life, and confusion about it. Different aspects of this truth, different components, different doctrines. It's multifaceted. It's like a beautiful diamond, multifaceted realities about salvation, about what it means to be saved. And so this morning we're looking at another one of those truths today. And really, I believe it's probably one of the most neglected truths in church life, in evangelical preaching today. It is the technically we would call it the doctrine of regeneration. Regeneration. We'll talk more about that in a few minutes. But we're going to start in the Gospel of John chapter 3, verse 1 through 8, and then we'll go to Titus 3, 4 through 7. The Gospel of John, chapter 3. I'm going to be reading the first eight verses, and I'm reading from the New King James Version of the Bible. The Bible says there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. And Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? And Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. Now, go with me to the little letter Titus in the New Testament. Titus chapter 3, verses 4 through 7. Titus 3, 4 through 7, the Bible says, But when the kindness and the love of God, our Savior, toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. And we'll stop here. This is God's word that we've just read. Would you pray with me one more time? Father, we come in the name of Jesus once again. And as we have sung praises to you, as we've greeted and fellowshipped and encouraged one another, we come to this time where we study your word, and it's a holy moment, it's a sacred time. And Lord, we don't we don't need anything except to hear from you. You have a word for us today, from your inspired, authoritative word. And I pray, Holy Spirit, you will be our teacher, that you will guide us, and you will open our eyes, our hearts, our minds to the truth today, and you will apply it as we need it today. And God, you will work in us the work you desire, and we will respond to you, God, in a way that honors you and that you desire. God, help us to do that by your power. And I pray, Lord, for myself today, that you'll help me to preach with clarity, conviction. May there be no hindrances. Help me not to be a stumbling block. Lord, help me to only point people to Jesus and the truth of your word today. And God, I pray that you'll work among us by your might and your power. And it's all in Jesus' name that we pray. And all the church said.

Why Born Again Is Required

SPEAKER_01 5:20

I tell you what, I've noticed over the last many years that I've been a pastor. Most people, and I didn't do a survey, but at least anecdotally, I think this is true. It is most people. People who attend church and people who don't attend church. Most people think of salvation as becoming a better person, turning over a new leaf, cleaning up your act, right? Getting religious. But Jesus didn't say, unless you improve yourself, you cannot see the kingdom of God. He didn't say, if you behave better, attend church, and fix your life, you'll be okay. He didn't say that. He actually said something far more radical. He said, most assuredly, the old King James says, Verily, verily. In our lingo, we would say, this is the fact of the matter, and it is true. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So that's not self-help. That's not moral reform. That's not religion. That's regeneration. A complete spiritual rebirth brought about by the Holy Spirit. Brought about by the Holy Spirit. And without it, Jesus said, no one can enter the kingdom. Now this was shocking to Nicodemus. Because he was a Pharisee. He was a religious leader. He was a moral man. He was a teacher of the law of God in the Old Testament. So if anyone ever looked saved, I mean, if anybody ever looked saved on the outside, it was him. But Jesus looked straight at him and said, You must be born again. You must be born again. In other words, salvation isn't something we can achieve, it's something we must receive. It's not a decision to improve our behavior. It's a miraculous act of God that changes our nature. That same truth is echoed in Titus 3 that we just read. Where the Apostle Paul writes that God saved us, and I quote him, God saved us not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. So here's the heart of today's message. I mean, if you if you check out later, just tune out later on, pay attention right now. Alright? Here's the heart of today's message. Salvation is not self-improvement, it is new birth by the Holy Spirit who regenerates and renews us. We'll say it again. Salvation is not self-improvement, it is new birth by the Holy Spirit who regenerates and renews us. So let's begin with a conversation that changed everything for one man and reveals what is essential for salvation. First of all, verses 1 through 3. Chapter 3, verse 1 through 3. I'm not going to reread everything just for the sake of time, but what we do see here is in these verses, we see the necessity of new birth. You must be born again. You must be born again. So here we have Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, and he flatters Jesus, basically. We know you're a teacher from God. No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. And what's interesting here is Jesus didn't ease into the conversation. He didn't offer small talk. He didn't compliment Nicodemus for his dedication or his years of study, even. He got right to the point. And he said, You must be born again. You must be born again. Now here's the thing about Nicodemus. Nicodemus was religious, but he was lost. Nicodemus, now, now look, Nicodemus wasn't an outsider. He wasn't immoral by any stretch of the imagination. He was a Pharisee. He was a top-tier religious leader. He knew the scriptures, knew the Old Testament scriptures. He lived a disciplined life. He carried himself with respect in the community. And so from the outside, Nicodemus looked like the kind of man you'd want as a church leader. He looked like the kind of man that we might nominate to be a deacon or to be a Bible fellowship group teacher. We'd want him to be a Bible teacher. But Jesus wasn't impressed with outward appearances. He didn't say, Nick, you're doing great. Just keep it up. He said, that's not enough. That's not enough. And here's the sobering truth. You can be religious. You can be deeply religious and still be spiritually dead. Still be spiritually dead. You can be religious, deeply religious, and still be spiritually dead. You can be in church every Sunday and still be outside the kingdom. You can believe in God, you can know the Bible. You can serve on ministry teams. You can serve on church committees. You can even teach a class and still not be born again. As a pastor now for over three plus decades. It's hard to believe. Yeah, right. I've seen it more than once. I've seen it several times. I'm talking about men and women who have who knew all the right answers, but they'd never truly been made new. Their religion seemed sincere, as far as you could tell, but it was still flesh. No new birth. No spirit of God. No transformation. No change. No change.

Listener Supported Ministry Appeal

SPEAKER_00 12:16

If this ministry is strengthening your faith and helping you grow in Christ, would you consider supporting this broadcast financially? We are completely listener-supported. Your gift help keep biblical teaching on the air, on the radio, online, and podcasts, reaching people around the country and the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you'd like to give a gift now, you can give securely online at firmfoundations.org. And thank you for helping proclaim the truth of God's word.

Regeneration As God’s Miracle

SPEAKER_01 12:47

New birth is not optional. Jesus didn't say being born again is a good idea. Or it's helpful for spiritual growth. No, he said, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Unless, that word unless, leaves no room for debate. This isn't one path among many. It's the only way. In fact, Jesus himself says again later, John chapter 14, verse 6, a pretty famous verse. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And no one comes to the Father except through me. And so that means there is one name, one cross, one door, and one Savior, and one way to enter God's kingdom. You must be born again. You must be born again. It's not enough to try harder. It's not enough to clean up your act. You must be made new from the inside out. And I'll tell you, I've noticed this a lot. This is where a lot of folks stumble. Because we like the idea of working our way to God. We like that idea. Working our way to God. You know, pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, as they say, kind of kind of feels virtuous. But Jesus says that won't cut it. There's no, listen, there's no patch job that can fix a dead soul. You don't need a spiritual tuna. You need a resurrection. You need a resurrection. In these first three verses, we also see that new birth is a spiritual miracle. The phrase, born again. It also in the Greek language can be translated born from above. Maybe you have an English translation that puts it that way. Born again can be translated born from above. Listen, this isn't something you do. I want you to know that. You're born from above. This isn't something you do. It's something God does. Something God does. Look, who in the room caused your spiritual birth? Raise your hand. You had nothing to do with it. You didn't cause your spiritual birth. You didn't earn your way into existence. It was given to you. A miracle. And spiritual birth is the same way. You don't cause it. You can't manufacture it. You don't trigger it with religious activity or clean living. It's the sovereign work of God. And that's why salvation is not about moral reform, it's about resurrection. God brings the spiritually dead to life. He opens blind eyes. He gives new hearts. And when it happens, you know it. You know why? Because nothing stays the same. Things begin to change in you and in your life.

New Life That Changes Everything

SPEAKER_01 16:46

We also see the scripture teaching us here that new birth brings new life. See, being born again doesn't just give you a new label, it gives you a new life. It gives you a new nature. It gives you a new heart. You're not just forgiven, you're transformed. You're changed. You don't just believe differently in your brain. You don't just believe differently intellectually. You don't just believe a new set of facts or a doctrinal statement. You start to live differently. That's what changes. As the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5.17, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. The Spirit of God now dwells in you, and He convicts you, and He teaches you and He leads you. You don't need to turn over a new leaf, you need to receive new life. Think of it this way. Think of a caterpillar. It can crawl, it can stretch, it can strive, but no matter what it does, it can't fly. It can't fly. Something has to happen inside it. It has to be changed. It has to be transformed. And through metamorphosis, it becomes something entirely new. A butterfly. That's what new birth is like. That's what being born again is like. God doesn't just teach you how to crawl better. He transforms you. He changes you. He gives you new desires, new loves. He transforms your very nature. He enables what was once impossible. And that's a new heart, a new identity, and a new direction.

Receiving Christ By Repentant Faith

SPEAKER_01 19:10

Now, new birth is initiated by God, but it's also responded to by faith. Now we'll we'll explore more of the spirit's role in the next section, but don't miss this. You must respond. God awakens the heart, the spirit convicts, but you must repent and believe. If you're in John, go back to just a page. John 1. We didn't read any out of John 1, but John 1. I didn't have this on the screen. I didn't have it in the plan for it to be shown. But John 1, verse 12 and 13. This really articulates this. John 1, verse 12 and 13. You guys are good back there, I'll tell you what. The Bible says, but as many as received him, that word received in the Greek language gives the idea of welcoming. As many as received him, to them, he gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. God does the saving. But you must receive Christ. You must turn from sin and trust in him. So these truths that we've just talked about in verses 1 through 3 apply to all of us. They apply to all of us. So if you're here this morning and you've been a true believer for a long time, maybe that's you. You've been a true believer for a long time. I want to say to you this morning, don't ever forget you are not a polished version of your old self. You're a new creation. So don't drift back into the old ways. Keep walking in newness of life. Maybe you are a relatively new believer in Jesus. Well, you may not feel brand new every day, but the Spirit of God lives in you. He begun a good work, and he will finish it. Maybe this morning you're in this room and you would be very honest with yourself. And you would say, I'm not saved. I'm really still an unbeliever, and I know that. Let me tell you. Don't settle for religion. Don't settle for religion. For tradition or ritual. Have you been born again? Have you been born again? If not, Jesus says you cannot see the kingdom of God. So today call on him. Ask him to make you do.

Water And Spirit Explained

SPEAKER_01 22:28

Verses four through eight. What we see in these verses is the nature of the new birth. It's a work of the Spirit. After hearing Jesus say, You must be born again, Nicodemus was confused. He tried to understand it in physical terms. Verse 4. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Now that's an honest question. And I'll tell you what it does, too, is I think it reveals just how much we naturally think in earthly categories. Right? It's kind of just where a mind goes. Nicodemus had a sharp mind. He had a deep knowledge of the Old Testament, but he still missed it. He was trying to make sense of a spiritual reality with human logic. Jesus wasn't talking about a second physical birth, he was talking about a spiritual, a supernatural transformation that only God can perform. And look what he says. Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Verse 5. Now, there's been much debate over the years over what water and the spirit means. But you need to remember the Old Testament was their Bible. And so, in the context, I believe Jesus is drawing imagery on Ezekiel chapter 36 in the Old Testament, which was their Bible, where God promises to wash his people clean and give them new hearts. Ezekiel chapter 36, verse 25 through 27. God is speaking and says, Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes. This isn't about baptism. This isn't about water baptism. This is about regeneration, the washing away of sin and the giving of new life by the Spirit of God. So when Jesus says we must be born of water and the Spirit, he's describing a total spiritual renewal, a cleansing from sin and a heart made alive to

Part Two Preview And Book Offer

SPEAKER_01 25:02

God.

SPEAKER_00 25:02

Join us again tomorrow on Foundations of Truth as Dr. Timothy Mann continues this message from Titus and John and discover what it means to be watched, renewed, and made alive by the Holy Spirit. Be sure to join us for part two of Born Again and Made New. Until then, may your life be built on the unshakable truth of God's Word.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Before we close today, I want to tell you about a resource that I believe will be a genuine help to you. I've recently published my first book, Saved. Understanding God's Work in Us. In over 30 years of pastoral ministry, one of the questions I've encountered more than almost any other is this How can I know that I am truly saved? You can find it on Amazon, Arnst Noble, and Books a Million, and pretty much anywhere you buy books. Saved. Understanding God's Work in Us by Dr. Timothy Mann. I pray it strengthens your faith. Thanks for being with us today. God bless you.