For Holy Trinity Sunday the 3 proposed readings are Isaiah 6:1-8; Acts 2:14a, 22-36 and John 3:1-17. Chosen to preach on is Isaiah 6:7, “And he touched my mouth with it, and said, ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.’”

The theme for the sermon is what does it mean to be born again. The phrase comes from the Gospel reading in which Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:3, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” It is amazing how so many Christians do not get the fundamental connection of the analogy of being born again. And that connection is that just as you had nothing to do with your being born originally, so also you had nothing to do in having been born again.

Yet so many Christians when asked when they were born again will say something like, “It happened on May 19, 1984 when I asked Jesus into my heart.” That kind of answer does not even fit with the analogy of adoption let alone being born! But why do so many Christians insist on cooperating with their justification? There are two reasons. The first is the reason they give and that is to protect God. How so? Because in their minds, the question of why some are saved and others are not is answered by suggesting that some choose faith and others don’t. It appears that they are unaware that having faith is as difficult as falling in love. You don’t do it; something is done to you.

The second reason for such false teaching is the old Adam (the devil within us) who can’t stand the idea of giving God all the credit for salvation. Therefore, the attempt to define being born again as something I do with the help of the Holy Spirit once more rejects the Gospel that the Holy Trinity gets all the credit for our being created, redeemed and sanctified. Even Christians hearing the sermon who disagree with inviting Christ into the heart still have views that are close to that notion. For example, they actually imagine that they will be more blessed or God will love them more or they will be maintaining their salvation if they attend church regularly, read the Bible often and pray.

The Law is preached to demonstrate that each listener falls far from the glory of God specifically by attempting to assume that we should be considered somewhat glorious because of our contribution to salvation. Of course, works then become a sign that we are saved or at least an attempt on our part to make sure that we stay saved. In either case we add to the cross our works which results in subtracting from the cross of Christ.

Note well, that Isaiah’s being born again came about because of the coal from the altar touching his lips. That connection which points to the cross of Christ is all that is necessary for our iniquity to be taken away and our sin purged. We indeed are saved by grace through faith alone.