Welcome to Defenders, the teaching class of Dr. William Lane Craig.

Today, the Doctrine of Salvation, Part 11.

For more information and resources from Dr. Craig, go to reasonablefaith.org.

We've been talking about the doctrine of regeneration, or what is popularly called the new birth.

Last time, we saw what was involved in the nature of regeneration.

Today, we want to wrap up this section before we turn to the subject of justification.

Let's turn again to John chapter 3, the classic New Testament passage on the new birth,

Jesus' dialogue with Nicodemus.

I want to say a few words about what the new birth is not based on this passage.

First, it's clear that the new birth is not a matter of religious heritage.

In verse 1, it tells us, now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

This man had a tremendous religious pedigree. He was a member of a religious order within Judaism

that was extremely strict. They were meticulous about observing

the Old Testament law. And yet, it was to this man that Jesus said, you need to be born anew

in order to see the kingdom of God. So it's not enough just to have a particular

denominational background or a religious heritage in order to be a regenerate Christian.

Second, by the same token, it's clear that rebirth is not something that is biologically inheritable

or something that is a matter of one's family.

In verse four, Nicodemus says, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his

mother's womb and be born? This is probably intended to be a pretty sarcastic remark on

Nicodemus' part. Nicodemus isn't serious here. He's really ridiculing, mocking what Jesus has said.

Jesus in turn answered, truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water in the spirit,

...