Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?”

New Evangelical Salvation Whether One Knows Christ Or Not

I chose to open with the above text in order to show a clear example of why this man-centered idea that people who don’t know Jesus can still be saved by living “good” lives sincerely following the “light” they happen to know cannot possibly be true. Leaving aside what are really false platitudes by Nicodemus in verses one and two, as Jesus Himself does, let’s zero in on verse 3 – Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Yes, the Greek here can also be translated “born from above,” but either way we are talking about a second birth that God the Holy Spirit needs to do.

The fact that the Master is referring to a “new birth” is patently obvious by Nicodemus’ response in verse 4 – “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” As you can see the man to whom Jesus is speaking recognizes that the Master is talking about something that has to happen to someone before one can see the Kingdom of God. Because as Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ ” So again we can see that there must be a new birth because God the Holy Spirit further informs us in 1 Corinthians 15:50 – “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Now if men like Rick Warren and Billy Graham are correct that God is going to save people through the light they already possess and the sincerity with which they live according to the knowledge of God they have, then we have a couple of very serious problems. Not the least of which is the Christian would now be forced to conclude that the LORD God Almighty of the Bible will save people who are actually worshipping other “gods.” But this is something that is specifically condemned in the Scriptures – No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons (1 Corinthians 10:20). Plus there is just no getting around the absolute fact that with the Kingdom of God we are not talking about a natural kingdom but rather a spiritual one which requires that anyone who enters it must be born of the Spirit. This is what the Lord confirms for us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Contemplative Spirituality And The Divine Spark Within

And another serious issue is that unregenerate man does not have light within him but is rather in “darkness” as evidenced by John 1:5 – The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. Here we are being told that the “Light,” which is God, was “not understood” by “the darkness,” which is mankind. This is because God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5); however, prior to being born again mankind is the polar opposite, as in: “Man is darkness; in him there is no light.” Now can you see why this Quaker teaching of the “Inner Light,” which is the actually the very same teaching as that of classic Gnosticism concerning an alleged “divine spark within” mankind, is so appealing to these purpose driven emerging new evangelicals? If they allow themselves to believe this then they no longer have to be concerned with the doctrine of being “born again.” This is why they are so enamored with the so-called “Christian” mysticism of contemplative spirituality which inevitably leads one to this corrupt view of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This perverted understanding of the historic orthodox Christian faith of the new evangelical Ecumenical Church of Deceit also corresponds with the apostate Church of Rome. For you see her man-centered mother also teaches that “sincere” people will be saved from other religions whether they have heard of Christ or not, or even whether they know it or not. But this brings us right around to the opening question: Can you really be born again and not know it? Jesus says no:

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ ”

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:32-39)

Men and women, you should be able to see that these things simply cannot possibly come about without making a conscious commitment to follow Jesus and being born of the Spirit by God’s grace alone; through faith alone; in Christ alone.