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REGENERATION, A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
MAN'S DEAD SPIRIT IS BORN ALIVE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM UPON THE CHOICE OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO TRUST ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE TO ENTER THE EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF GOD
A)
[Excerpts from John chapter 3 relevant to regeneration
]
"In reply, Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth; no man can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
OBSERVATIONS
Jesus does not directly tell Nicodemus Who He is. Instead, He tells him how to enter the eternal kingdom of God: 'You must be born again, ["gennethe anothen" = lit. born from above, from heaven - through God] in order to see the kingdom of God.
'If you are not born again - from above, you will not see the "kingdom of God".'
Evidently our Lord connects an understanding of Who He is with an understanding of what a man [enter] the eternal kingdom of God'. Contrary to objectmust do to 'seeors, the phrase 'to see the kingdom of God' here implies actually entering the eternal Kingdom of God rather than being limited to simply perceiving what the Kingdom of God is like in ones mortal life. Certainly becoming born again (from above) provides more than just a temporal perception of God's eternal kingdom. Verses 5 & 6 which follow will corroborate this. For that is how He addressed Nicodemus' statement/question "We know you are a Teacher Who has come from God". Our Lord's answer does not appear to directly address Nicodemus, but consider this:
If Nicodemus had been one of the many in v. 2:23 who 'saw the miraculous signs He was doing and believed in His name'; that is to say, understood Who He was and believed in His capacity to save him from his sins and 'see the kingdom of God'; then Nicodemus would have understood right then and there Who Jesus was. He would not have needed to come to Jesus later on that night and ask his question. To know Who Jesus is to believe on His name and become born again into the family of God. Author John of this Gospel covered this doctrine earlier in chapter one:
(v. 12) "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--
(v. 13) children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves His child as well."
[Notice that if you believe Who Jesus is, i.e., that He is the Christ, the Messiah Who 'by His knowledge... will justify many and He will bear their iniquities' as the OT Scripture promised, (ref Isa 53:1-12), then you are born of God and will see [enter] the eternal kingdom of God]
Jesus does not immediately tell Nicodemus Who He is. Instead, He tells him how to go to heaven: "You must be born again.'
'If you are not born again, you will never see the "kingdom of God".'
We know this because both OT and NT Scriptures indicate that there will be only two places that an individual will finally and forever occupy: either the kingdom of God, experiencing God's blessing or the place of eternal punishment experiencing God's wrath and condemnation.
(v. 1) "Why do you boast of evil, you might man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
(v. 2) Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.
(v. 3) You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
(v. 4) You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!
(v. 5) Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin He will snatch you up and tear you from you tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living.
(v. 6) The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying,
(v. 7) 'Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!'
(v. 8) But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.
(v. 9) I will praise you forever for what you have done' in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.'
"[Jesus says] 'Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.' "
(v. 5) "All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
(v. 6) God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you
(v. 7) and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels.
(v. 8) He will punish those
who do not know God and do not obey [believe in, (1
Pet 1:17-23 )]
the gospel of our Lord Jesus.'
(v. 9) They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power
(v. 10) on the day He comes to be glorified in His hoy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.' "
Although God rules everywhere, the phrase, "no one can see the kingdom of God" means that one will be forever separated from God, and thereby under His judgment and wrath - (hell) - an awesome statement to begin His answer to Nicodemus' question of Who Jesus is. Nicodemus was a man familiar with Scripture so he should have comprehended what Jesus was saying. Nicodemus was a man who was confident of his qualifications for entering heaven until he heard what Jesus had to say! But now, Nicodmus began to have a problem with what our Lord was saying:
" '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!' "
OBSERVATIONS
A) NICODEMUS DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF BEING 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!' " =
By his response, 'Are you suggesting that a grown man can re-enter his mother's womb?', we can observe that Nicodemus did not accept or understand what Jesus was saying. He was evidently disturbed by our Lord's statement about not seeing, i.e., not entering the kingdom of God unless one is born again. He did not yet understand Who Jesus was, nor the concept of being born again, ("gennEthE anOthen" = literally, 'born from above'). This has a direct implications on his eternal destiny. In reply to Nicodemus, our Lord provides more instruction to Nicodemus so that he might understand:
(v. 5) "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and spirit."
OBSERVATIONS:
Jesus answers again that no one can enter, i.e., see, the kingdom of God unless he is 'born of water and spirit' or 'spiritual', ('pneumatos' can mean either). And He further explains this with the next verse 'Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to spirit' out of or by water. When we compare verse 6, 'flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to spirit' with v. 5's 'born of water' out of the spiritual realm; we are left with water being symbolic of God the Holy Spirit Himself as the only Agent in the spiritual realm or any realm Who can perform a spiritual birth.
Recall that verses 1:12-13 stipulate that one who believes on His [Christ's] name is "born of God" which is also indicated in 3:3 as literally being "born from above". This narrows down the One Who performs regeneration to God Himself = God the Holy Spirit. This operation is outside of the physical realm as stipulated. Hence born of "water" = born of God the Holy Spirit.
So what does He mean?
According to v. 6, it is evidently a spiritual birth our Lord is speaking about which is brought about by God the Holy Spirit = an actual birth in the spiritual realm by the Holy Spirit - excluding anything to do with the flesh, i.e., excluding the physical realm and thus excluding any human doing like water baptism.
Hence 'born of water' in v. 5 cannot mean physical water. It must be something symoblic of the spiritual world.
Let us look at the Greek text in v. 5. We have 'gennEthE ex hudatos kai pneumatos' = 'born out of water and [born out of] spirit or spiritual. One clue as to what the word 'water' means in v. 5 comes from a careful examination of the phrase 'kai pneumatos' = 'and [the] spiritual' which is directed by the verb and preposition 'gennEthE ex' = 'born out of'. The phrase 'kai pneumatos' indicates that one is born out of 'pneumatos' = 'the spiritual', i.e., the spiritual realm out of or by water. Thus when we view verse 6's statement that 'flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to spirit' and the statement in v. 5 that we are born again out of the spiritual realm by 'water'; we are left with water being symbolic of God the Holy Spirit Himself.
A) BORN OF WATER AND SPIRIT = A SPIRITUAL BIRTH VIA THE EXCLUSIVE WORK OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
The original text for the first phrase as the apostle John wrote it and under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, (2 Tim 3:16), looks like this transliterated into English:
" ean-me tis ........gennthe ex ......hudatos"
"unless ...anyone be born out of water"
"born out of water" = "gennthe ex hudatos" =
1) [Compare Titus 3:5 from the New Testament perspective]:
[Titus 3:5]:
"ouk ex .......ergon ton ....en dikaiosuen
"not .out of works which in righteousness
on ......epoiesamen emeis alla
which practiced ....we ....but
kata ...............ton autou eleon ...esosen ....emas
according to .His ...........mercy He saved us
dia .........loutrou paliggenesias
through washing again birth (regeneration)
kai ...anakainoseos pneumatos agiou"
and ...renewing ......of Spirit .....Holy"
So, being born again, i.e., salvation unto eternal life is not achieved by practicing good works. Salvation, on the contrary, is an act of mercy by God upon the individual as it says above. Titus 3:5 parallels Jn 3:5 in that it describes being born again as a washing again birth in the realm of the Holy Spirit. This washing again birth, i.e., regeneration is exclusively the renewing process of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore salvation is portrayed here as concurrent with being born again; even two sides of the same coin. So the exclusive connection between washing & water, the Holy Spirit and regeneration is repeatedly made in God's Word.
i) [Compare Ez 36:24-27 from the Old Testament]
This teaching is also substantiated in the Old Testament, especially in the passage which Jesus was referring to in His conversation with Nicodemus: The scripture which Nicodemus was sure to be familiar with relative to the phrase "born of water" is about how God will sprinkle clean water on the Jewish people...cleansing them from all sin...giving them a new heart...putting a new spirit in them...by putting His Spirit in them. (Ez 36:24-27). This indeed is being born again indicated right there in Old Testament:
i cont.) [Ez 36:24-27 cont.]:
(v. 24) "For I will take you [Israel] out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.
(v. 25) I [God] will sprinkle clean water [the Holy Spirit, (v. 27)] on you and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols."
["water" - water here is the symbol for God the Holy Spirit, cp Jn 7:38-39a]:
(v. 38) "Whoever believes in Me [Jesus Christ] as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.
(v. 39a) By this He meant the Spirit..."
[Compare the O.T. passages our Lord was referring to: Isa 43:20; 44:3; 55:1 & especially 12:2-3]:
(v. 2) "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.
(v. 3) With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."
i cont.) [Ez 36:24-27 cont.]:
(v. 25) "I [God] will sprinkle clean water [the Holy Spirit] on you and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols."
[And only the Holy Spirit can do this; and this is verified in the next two verses in Ezekiel]:
(v. 26) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; [a born again spirit, (Jn 3:5)] I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
(v. 27) And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws."
So Jesus says that a man must be born spiritually - born again out of the renewing of the Holy Spirit and out of the spiritual realm - otherwise he cannot enter the kingdom of God, of heaven.
ii) [Compare other passages in the Old Testament which portray regeneration]:
[Dt 30:6]:
"The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live."
In this text Moses declares that the LORD would circumcise the heart of His people in order that they might love Him. Thus the text presents the need for the LORD's inward act of cleansing a man's heart in order for him to love God.
[Ps 85:6]:
"Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?"
Notice that in order to be revived one must first have to have been made alive, i.e, regenerated.
[Jer 31:33]:
'''This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people." '''
[Isa 51:7]:
"Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have My law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults."
This action of putting the Law in their minds and writing it on their hearts speaks of the results of regeneration as Ezekiel 36:24-27 portrays.
Notice that being born again, i.e., regenerated, in Scripture has been shown to be equated with being saved unto eternal life, i.e., entering the eternal kingdom of God, (Jn 3:4-5). Other passages stipulate that this occurs when one believes, (Ac 16:30-31; Jn 3:16). So regeneration, i.e., becoming born again unto eternal life occurs when one is saved unto eternal life at the moment of faith alone in Christ alone.
(v. 12) "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--
(v. 13) children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves His child as well."
[Notice that if you believe Who Jesus is, i.e., that He is the Christ, the Messiah Who 'by His knowledge... will justify many and He will bear their iniquities' as the OT Scripture promised for a coming Messiah, ('the Christ', in greek, ref. Isa 53:1-12), then you are born of God and will see [enter] the eternal kingdom of God]
Recall that verses 1:12-13 stipulate that one who believes on His [Christ's] name is "born of God" which is also indicated in 3:3 as literally being "born from above".
c) MAN HAS A SIN PROBLEM WITH GOD WHICH IS RESOLVED BY REGENERATION, I.E., BECOMING BORN AGAIN
Because of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, (Adam in particular as the federal head and representative of the human race), we are all born in sin and spiritually dead, (cp 1 Cor 15:21-22; Eph 2:1; Ro 5:12):
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned."
When Adam sinned as the representative of all men, then all men became guilty of sin and are consequently born with a sin nature, (Ro 7:18-24).
So Jesus says that a man must be born spiritually - born again - otherwise he cannot enter the kingdom of God, of heaven.
V) [Jn 3:5 cont.]:
(v. 5) "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and spirit."
Since God is merciful and gracious and just;
and since God is not willing that any should perish,
(1 Pet 3:9);
and since salvation is given freely only to those who trust alone in Christ alone as Savior, (Eph 2:8-9, Ro 3:21-31);
and since the sole condition of eternal condemnation is to refuse to believe in Christ alone for eternal life, (Jn 3:36, 3:18, 1 Jn 5:1);
then those that have neither the capacity to believe nor the capacity to reject Christ as Savior cannot be condemned and must be saved.
Otherwise God could not be declared a just God.
[Robert P. Lightner states, ("SIN, THE SAVIOR, AND SALVATION", Thomas Nelson Pub., Nashville, Tn., 1991)]:
"By those who can't believe we mean not only infants and young children, but also all who experience physical death before they are capable of making a decision either for or against the Savior. Those individuals who are mentally incompetent or incapacited, and have therefore never been able to believe, are also included. Human life begins at conception. Those who can't believe also include babies aborted naturally or by human instigation." (p. 178).
"There is but one human condition the sinner must meet in order to enter into salvation in Christ. Personal faith - individual trust - is presented many, many times in Scripture as the sole condition for salvation." [Eph 2:8-9; Titus 3:5] (p. 180).
"But what about those who can't believe, those who can't consciously receive salvation?....Any attempt to answer the question ...must take into account the fact that these are never called upon by God to believe.
It is always to those capable of believing that the challenge is issued. Would it not be mockery for God to call upon His creatures to do, and to hold them responsible for doing, what they could not do?"
(p. 181).
[A good point to consider. Every salvation verse was always spoken to those who were capable of believing.]
"The Lord is good. (Nah. 1:7)...The Bible does not teach the damnation of those who can't believe.
[In truth it is completely silent on the subject]
It does teach the goodness of God. It is inconsistent with His goodness to believe any who die who can't believe are doomed." (p. 185).
"Not one verse of Scripture which relates in any way to the question at hand can be used to suggest the view that any of those who die without being able to respond to the Savior are doomed to eternity in Hell. What information God has been pleased to give us provides great and gracious promise of eternal salvation for all who can't believe." (p. 191).
Compare David's attitude over his son by Uriah's wife that died (2 Sam. 12-23) and the adult son, Absalom, who died and David was unsure of his salvation
(2 Sam. 18:33).
Then upon getting to the place where they may consciously reject Christ alone as Savior:
Their names are still in the Book of Life but that name is erased upon their death if after consciously having rejected Christ they never accept Him by conscious faith in Him alone. This may fit with the command of Dt. 6:7 to teach the children the faith so that they will never come into a place of having rejected Christ but would go from the position of child-faith to conscious adult faith, having never entered into a lost state. After all, God is not willing for any to perish (2 Peter 3:9) so why would He not make the provision where no one would need to go from being a protected child to a lost adult before becoming a saved adult?
Objectors maintain that "born out of water" is a figure of speech referring to water baptism but this is impossible for a number of reasons:
Since our Lord was speaking to Nicodemus who was a Jew under the Old Testamant Scriptures and the Mosaic Law system then the context must have that in view. Our Lord never mentioned John the Baptist's or His disciples' water baptisms in this conversation. But notice our Lord's rebuke of Nicodemus relative to his understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures, so the answer as to what 'born of water' is in the Old Testament Scriptures not in the current water baptisms by John and the Lord's disciples, (Ref. Ez 36:24-27).
(v. 7) " 'You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' "
(v. 10) " 'You are Israel's teacher,' said Jesus, 'and do you not understand these things?' "
No provision in the Old Testament and under the Law of Moses involving actual water is stipulated as resulting in becoming born again and qualifying one for actually entering the kingdom of God. Ceremonial washings and baptisms with real water under provisions of the Law symbollically represented certain spiritual conditions already attained. So actual water is not in view here in Jn 3:5 which stipulates a requirement of being "born of water and spirit" in order to enter the kingdom of God.
2) NO PROVISION(S) OF THE LAW ENABLED ONE TO BECOME BORN AGAIN
Furthermore, no provision of the Law ever enabled anyone to become "born again". Salvation has always been via a moment of faith alone in Christ alone - before or after Calvary.
(v. 19) "Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
(v. 20) Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the Law; rather, through the Law we become conscious of sin.
(v. 21) But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
(v. 22) This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
(v. 23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(v. 24) and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
John the Baptist's water baptism is another possibility to explain the water in Jn 3:5 until passages when closely observed reveal that it was a symbollic action of a Jew having already accepted Christ as Messiah/Savior bringing in His kingdom and providing him assurance of eternal life. Our Lord was "at hand" to take away the sins of the whole world & usher in His kingdom upon national acceptance of Israel of Him as Messiah/Savior. A Jew who trusted in the coming Messiah in order to receive entrance into the kingdom was then baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist and our Lord's disciples as a symbollic representation of what had already occurred: having already trusted in the coming Messiah and become identified with the nation Israel which will enter into the kingdom
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4) HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM IS THE ONLY ESSENTIAL BAPTISM FOR REGENERATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE
If there is only one baptism for regeneration unto eternal life, (cp Eph 4:4-5 + 1:13-14),
and if Holy Spirit baptism actually identifies the believer with Christ - into His Body the Church, (cp Ro 6:3 + 1 Cor 12:13) and seals him to eternal life, (cp Eph 1:13-14),
then the baptism which regenerates and saves unto eternal life is Holy Spirit baptism and not water baptism.
Water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism cannot both save since only one is referred to as essential in Eph 4:4-5. So 'born of water' cannot refer to water baptism in any case.
5) A SYLLOGISM RULES OUT WATER BAPTISM
If we consider vv. 14-18 which stipulate only one thing a man must do to have eternal life: believe on the Son, then this rules out water baptism:
If faith alone leads to eternal life [Jn 3:14-18]
[alone = the only thing stipulated]
[eternal life = entering the eternal kingdom of God]
And if being born again leads to entering the eternal kingdom of God [Jn 3:3, 5]
Then faith alone leads to being born again!
[Thus the water in Jn 3:5 is not water baptism]
V) Jn 3:5 cont.]:
(v. 5) Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and spirit."
"ean-me tis ........gennthe ex ..hudatos
"unless ...anyone be born out of water"
kai ...[*ex]...................................pneumatos"
"and [*out of the realm of the] spirit" =
refers to this whole process of God sprinkling "clean water" on Nicodemus and cleansing him of all idols and putting a new [born again] spirit in him and giving him a "heart of flesh" replacing his "heart of stone" and putting His Spirit in him and moving him to follow God's decrees. And all of this is done NOT in the physical realm but out of the realm of the spiritual:
"kai [*ex] pneumatos" = "and [out of the realm of the] spiritual"
*Notice that the Greek preposition "ex" applies to "pneumatos" = "spirit" as well as "hudatos" = "water".
And to clarify this our Lord immediately makes this distinction between the spiritual realm of being born again and the physical realm of physical birth:
(v. 5) Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and spirit.
(v. 6) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit' "
OBSERVATIONS
Jesus answers again that no one can enter, i.e., see, the kingdom of God unless he is 'born of water and spirit' or 'spiritual', ('pneumatos' can mean either). And He further explains this with the next verse 'Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to spirit'.
"Flesh" here cannot mean man's fleshly or sinful nature because it is contrasted as opposite to the spiritual realm. Hence "flesh" here means the physical realm as opposed to the spiritual realm.
So what does He mean?
According to v. 6, it is evidently a spiritual birth our Lord is speaking about which is brought about by God the Holy Spirit = an actual birth in the spiritual realm by the Holy Spirit - excluding anything to do with the flesh, i.e., excluding the physical realm.
Hence 'born of water' in v. 5 cannot mean physical birth or water baptism. It must be something symbolic of the spiritual world.
Let us look at the Greek text in v. 5. We have 'gennEthE ex hudatos kai pneumatos' = 'born out of water and [born out of] spirit or spiritual.
The phrase 'kai pneumatos' indicates that one is born out of 'pneumatos' = 'the spiritual', i.e., the spiritual realm by water. When we consider verse 6, 'flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to spirit'; we are left with water being symbolic of God the Holy Spirit Himself as the only Agent in the spiritual realm or any realm Who can perform a spiritual rebirth.
Recall that John 1:12-13 stipulates that one who believes on His [Christ's] name is "born of God" which is also indicated in 3:3 as literally being "born from above". This operation is in the spiritual realm and not of the physical realm as stipulated. This narrows down the One Who performs regeneration to God Himself = God the Holy Spirit, (OT passages corroborate this).
A) ONE IS BORN AGAIN IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM AS OPPOSED TO THE PHYSICAL REALM
So it requires another birth, one which is out of the renewing work of the Holy Spirit and out of the realm of the spiritual, to become born again. This birth is brought about only by the Spirit, God the Holy Spirit for God is the only Agent Who can regenerate an individual in the spiritual realm or anywhere.
In Jn 3:6, Jesus reiterates His answer to Nicodemus' question of "How can a man be born when he is old." so that Nicodemus will not miss it:
"Flesh gives birth to flesh [the physical birth] but the Spirit [God the Holy Spirit] gives birth to [your dead] spirit in the spiritual realm." There are two distinct realms: One is fallen man, the flesh, and the other is of God, the Holy Spirit, in the spiritual realm. A fallen man cannot regenerate himself, (be reborn), he needs a divine operation in a spiritual realm. Only God the Holy Spirit can regenerate a dead human spirit. Man can do nothing, the words are clear. So such actions as water baptism, committing one's life to Christ, going to church regularly, etc., being in the realm of the flesh will do nothing to effect an action in the spiritual realm, i.e., to become born again with an alive spirit.
[Return
to study on Christian water baptism ]
Jesus then begins to explain more to Nicodemus:
(v. 7) "You should not be surprised at My saying, 'You must be born again.'
(v. 8) The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear it's sound, but you cannot tell from where it comes or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
"You should not be surprised at My saying, 'You must be born again.'" =
OBSERVATIONS
Our Lord continues to explain to Nicodemus what it means to be 'born again' & 'born of water and spirit' in order to enter the Kingdom of God.
Jesus said "You [Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish Ruling Council, (v. 1)] should not be surprised at My saying, 'You must be born again.' "
Evidently, the terms 'born again' and 'born of water and spirit' to enter the Kingdom of God should have been familiar concepts to Nicodemus. Jesus made it clear in v. 7 that Nicodemus was supposed to be knowledgeable in the [OT] Scriptures. After all he was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish Ruling Council both positions of which require an expert knowledge of the [OT] Scriptures.
Verse 8 provides further insight into what being 'born again' and 'born of water and spirit' means. It is equated with "gegennEmenos ek tou Pneumatos" = "born of the Spirit". The word "pneuma" means both wind and spirit. Its use in verse 8 indicates that the work of God the Holy Spirit is invisible and unfathomable, like the blowing of the wind. Man controls neither the wind nor the realm of the spirit, nor does man have anything to do with his being born again, nor with his maintaining or keeping his born again status which rules out water baptism or any human doing. It is virtually described as a mystery in the same way that the wind blows wherever it pleases and you cannot tell 'where it comes or where it is going.' Nevertheless the wind is a discernible earthly analogy for being born of the Spirit which Nicodemus should have grasped but did not.
As an expert of experts in Scripture, (v. 10), Nicodemus should have understood the term 'born again'. For Scripture of his time, (Old Testament), refers to this concept as we have already investigated, (cp Ez 36:24-32; 11:19; 18:31; Jer 31:31-34)
(v. 7) "You should not be surprised at My saying, 'You must be born again.'
(v. 8) The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear it's sound, but you cannot tell from where it comes or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear it's sound, but you cannot tell from where it comes or where it is going." =
"wind" = "pneuma"
"Spirit" = "Pneuma(tos)"
The word "pneuma" means both wind and spirit. Its use in verse 8 indicates that the work of God the Holy Spirit is invisible and unfathomable, like the blowing of the wind. Man controls neither the wind nor the realm of the spirit, nor does man have anything to do with his being born again, nor with his maintaining or keeping his born again status.
"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things."
Once a man believes, he is saved, i.e., born again; and he is "marked in Christ with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing his inheritance of eternal life."
(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
(v. 14) Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of His glory."
Notice that first comes believing in the gospel and then the Holy Spirit completes His work of regeneration unto salvation and a myriad of other things.
[Eph 4:30]:
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
(v. 14) "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in` the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up"
OBSERVATIONS
Our Lord provides Nicodemus with an Old Testament reference about Moses lifting up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert so that everyone who was bitten by a deadly poisonous snake could look upon it and be healed of the deadly venom. The picture of believing that a look upon Moses' bronze snake lifted up in the desert to save ones physical life is compared to believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of Man Himself, being lifted up [on the cross] to provide eternal life for all who believe in Him.
Verse 14 portrays all of those who were bitten by poisonous snakes, not just a chosen few. So provision was made for all of them to be saved from physical death through looking at the bronze snake on the pole.
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert" =
Our Lord refers to the Old Testament passage in Numbers 21:6-9 in order to bring home the significance of the sacrifice He will soon make on the cross for the sins of the whole world as the Son of Man Himself, (1 Jn 2:2). The passage He refers to is the account of Moses and the bronze snake with which Nicodemus was familiar:
(v. 6) "Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
(v. 7) The people came to Moses and said, 'We sinned when we spoke against the Lord, and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.'
(v. 8) So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, 'Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.'
(v. 9) So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake, and looked at the bronze snake, he lived."
Due to the people's speaking bitterly against God and Moses, the Lord sent poisonous snakes. The Israelites thereupon urged Moses to intercede before God for them, which he did. Moses then relayed instruction from the Lord that all those bitten could look on a bronze snake which he, Moses, constructed and placed high on a pole. Those who looked at the snake were healed; those who believed that this act would effect nothing of value to them did not look and therefore died. An act of faith was the key here to living on physically. This is the point that our Lord was making to Nicodemus: an act of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Son of Man Himself, Who would be lifted up on the cross to die for our sins, is the key to eternal life in heaven:
So in the next verse, (v. 15), Jesus tells Nicodemus the details of how to be born again, i.e., have eternal life:
(v. 14) "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
(v. 15) that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life."
OBSERVATIONS
Our Lord provides Nicodemus with an Old Testament reference about Moses lifting up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert so that everyone who was bitten by a deadly poisonous snake could look upon it and be healed of the deadly venom. The picture of believing that a look upon Moses' bronze snake lifted up in the desert to save ones physical life is compared to believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of Man Himself, being lifted up [on the cross] to provide eternal life for all who believe in Him.
Verse 14 portrays all of those who were bitten by poisonous snakes, not just a chosen few. So provision was made for all of them to be saved from physical death through looking at the bronze snake on the pole.
In the same way, verse 15 is paralleled to the bronze snake miracles, ("Just as.... so"). It portrays everyone in the world, not just a chosen few, to have provision made for them through the Son of Man to be saved unto eternal life. All any individual in the whole world had to do was to believe in Him making this provision and he would be saved forever unto eternal life.
The manner of being lifted up will be corroborated later as our Lord going to the cross at Calvary to die for the sins of the whole world. This context is continued in the next verse:
A) SALVATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE RESULTS FROM FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE BEING LIFTED UP
The terms of salvation are herein expressed by our Lord: faith alone in Christ alone being lifted up! Notice that God's complete provision for the saving of an Israelites physical life in the time of Moses who has been bitten by a deadly snake through a simple look of faith at the bronze snake mounted on a pole is closely paralled in God's Word to God's complete provision for the saving of one's eternal life again through a simple moment of faith, this time in the Son of Man being lifted up - which we find clarified further in other verses as the Lord Jesus Christ being lifted up on the cross to die paying the penalty for the sins of the whole world:
"He [Christ, (v. 1)] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
(v. 18) "[Jesus said] We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn Him to death.
(v. 19) and will turn Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!"
In the next verse, (v. 16), Jesus further explains to Nicodemus the purpose and reason behind His mission to the world, reiterating the terms of salvation unto eternal life in the same precise way - with His being lifted up being in view in order to provide for man's salvation unto eternal life when they simply trust in Him]:
(v. 14) "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
(v. 15) that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
(v. 16) For God so loved the world that he gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
OBSERVATIONS:
"For" at the beginning of v. 16 continues the thought from vv. 14 & 15 which has everyone of the whole world in view not just a chosen few.
After "For" comes "[For] God so loved the world" which provides the motivation for God's provision of eternal life for everyone in the world, not just a chosen few: His love.
Then we have the phrase, "That He gave His one and only Son", ("monogEne" = "one and only"), which parallels verse 15's "The Son of Man must be lifted up" both picturing the Son of Man/Son of God being lifted up/given to pay the penalty for the sins of every individual in the whole world.
The phrase "[God] gave His one and only Son" is in the historical past tense, meaning that our Lord was speaking to Nicodemus before He was crucified as if Calvary had already taken place. Note that v. 15 corroborates this by portraying this same event as future.
The term 'the Son of God' is a technical term as established in other passages in Scripture for One Who has the attributes of God, hence God the Son was given once for all time, (completed action verb), for the sins of the whole world by God the Father.
Following this is the phrase, "That whoever believes in Him", literally 'whoever is the believing one', i.e., whoever is a believer in the Son of God being given for one's sins which takes only a moment in time of faith.
"God so loved the world...whoever..." = The word "whoever" cannot be limited to a few chosen individuals for it would be tantamount to saying that God so loved the world of only a chosen few who will believe, not the rest; and that whoever of this chosen group would believe should have eternal life. This is nonsensical since all of God's chosen would believe anyway; so why make this statement at all? In truth, "whoever" refers to the whole world's population wherein everyone has a chance and a free choice to believe in the Son and receive eternal life.
Finally, the
phrase, "Should not perish but [should] have everlasting life"
has in view the immediate sure result of never
perishing in hell, (completed action verb); and immediate, (present
tense), possession, of everlasting life forever, (because it is
everlasting by definition).
From the first moment of becoming the believing one in the Son of God
being given for one, one is eternally secure in everlasting life.
The word "should" has in view the capacity and willingness of God to provide eternal life which considering His sovereignty and power is emphatically a sure thing the moment one believes in the Son of God!
So our Lord's answer to Nicodemus' question of "How can this be?" [that one must be born again in order to have eternal life?, (v.9)] must have taken Nicodemus by surprise. For it simply states that the love of God motivated Him to complete the plan for His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for the sin of the whole world, so that whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross, would not perish, i.e., burn forever in Hell, but have eternal life with God in heaven. So it was not Nicodemus' Jewish heritage nor his good deeds nor any ritual which brought him salvation, but a plain, simple and undivided trust in Christ...just a mental assent that Christ is to pay the price for his sin, a simple acceptance of this wonderful free gift, which God calls His grace, (cp Eph 2:8-9).
(v. 37) "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.
[Note that the Father is sovereign in His choice of whom to give to the Son - not depending upon the will of man.
Since not all men will be saved,
then only some will be chosen to be given by the Father to the Son, i.e., only some are elect and will be saved.
The concept of the Father giving individuals to the Son does not infer that the Father is dependent upon knowing that those individuals will believe in Christ as Savior first because the order of events and sovereign priority is that those who are given by the Father to the Son will then come to the Son, i.e., believe in Him and be saved. God cannot be dependent upon the will of man, otherwise His sovereignty is not absolute. Furthermore, we have to consider the Father's drawing and enabling of an individual to come to the Son]:
(v. 44) No one can come to Me, unless the Father Who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
(v. 65) He [Jesus] went on to say, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled him.' "
[If all individuals, elect and non-elect are drawn/enabled by the Father to the Son to be saved, then our Lord's statement in verse 44, 'No one can come to Me, unless the Father Who sent me draws him,' of verse 65: "...enabled" would be redundant. But this is not the case, one must draw the conclusion here that only those who are to be 'raised... up on the last day' are drawn/enabled by the Father, i.e., only those who are elect are drawn & enabled.
So, since not all men will be saved,
and since only all of those who are drawn and enabled by the Father to come to Christ will come to Christ,
then not all men will be drawn and enabled by the Father to be saved]
III) ALL MANKIND IS ALSO DRAWN TO GOD IN A NUMBER OF WAYS BUT NOT ALL WILL RESPOND
A) ALL MEN ARE DRAWN BY CHRIST WHEN HE WAS LIFTED UP BUT NOT ALL WILL RESPOND
(v. 32) "If I be lifted up, I will draw all unto Me (John 12:32-33).
(v. 33) He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die."
Here in this passage, it is evident our Lord said that He will draw all men, Greek "pantas" Str 3956 = all, (i.e., everyone whoever lived to Him with a view of His death on the cross for the sins of the whole world, (Jn 3:14-18; 1 Jn 2:2).
The all in this passage is not restricted and therefore is universal, the same as it is in Romans 10:13 and Jn 2:24:
'''For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
"Everyone" = "pas" Str 3956 = all, everyone - not just all types of men, same root word as in Jn 6:44.
"But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men."
"All" = "pantas" Str 3956 = all, everyone - not just types of men, identical word as in Jn 6:44.
For example, Judas was surely drawn to Christ in a very intense way, yet he rejected Him. That is why his guilt is so great. The nation of Israel was consistently drawn to trust in a coming Messiah and repent in that light, yet she consistently failed except for a remnant who believed. Jesus said that the guilt of those in Chorazin and Bethsaida would be greater than that of those from ancient Tyre and Sidon because they had rejected greater light (Luke 10:13-16). Indeed, Jesus indicted the whole generation for rejecting One greater than Solomon and Jonah (Luke 11:29-32).
All men indeed are drawn to Christ and Him crucified. So all men have available to them the full benefit of what He did on the cross. But Scripture elsewhere indicates that not all men will respond, (Mt 7:13-14).
(v. 8) "When He [the Holy Spirit, vv. 7-8)] comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:
(v. 9) in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me;
(v. 10) in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see Me no longer;
(v. 11) and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."
Note that Jesus said that as a result of unbelief in Him and our Lord's ascension to the Father and the defeat of the Devil, the Holy Spirit would come to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. This implies that men can be convicted of sin, the need for righteousness and of judgment to come. Man is thus held accountable for his unbelief in Jesus Christ especially as to His message of convicting men of sin, the need for righteousness and a coming judgment.
(v. 18) "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
(v. 19) since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
(v. 20) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
[Notice that the creation of the world gives clear and plain evidence of Who God is. Hence creation draws all mankind to God, but few respond]
(v. 24) "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.
(v. 25) And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
(v. 26) From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
(v. 27) God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."
[Notice that the order in which creation exists, especially God's determination of the times set for man and the exact places where they should live give clear evidence of Who God is so that all men may be drawn to their Creator and seek Him. This implies that man can understand Who God is and seek Him. But few do.]
"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him."
[Notice that God has granted to believers not only to believe on Jesus Christ but also to suffer for Him. The context has in view God's exclusive granting of faith in Christ and suffering to believers. These two grants are portrayed as exclusive to believers in light of a number of things:
a) Since unbelievers can do nothing to please God, then God's grant of suffering is exclusive to those who believe;
and since believing is paralleled with suffering in this verse, then God's grant of faith is also exclusive to those who believe.
b) If one could come to faith in Christ without God's grant to believe on His Son then God's gift of faith would be meaningless.
(v. 37) '''Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
(v. 38) This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
(v. 39) For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
(v. 40) "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them."
Man has the capacity to obey God but his sinful nature has turned his will totally against the exercise of that capacity, hence he cannot please God because he will not.
Just as some individuals with the capacity and intelligence to do well in school cannot do well because they will not, i.e., they have an incorrigible attitude problem - they will not do homework, nor study, nor carry books, nor appear studious in any way because it would jeopardize their self-image and association with a peer group or for a number of other arbitrarily rebellious reasons;
so all unsaved individuals all of which have the capacity to trust alone in Christ alone unto eternal life, (otherwise God would not ask them to trust in His Son, (Jn 3:5-18, etc.), cannot please God by trusting in Christ as Savior because they will not, i.e., because they all have totally depraved natures that simply will not accept anything that God commands them to do. They cannot believe in Christ as Savior because they will not even accept the sovereignty of God in their lives over their eternal destiny.
Or consider the wife who in spite of the evidence presented cannot believe her husband has been unfaithful because she just will not accept the truth.
Since finite man has the capacity but cannot believe certain things relative to his temporal life because of prejudices, so it is indeed possible - which you have not ruled out - that man has the capacity to hear God with understanding and believe in the gospel but cannot because of his prejudice against God, i.e., his depraved will. He cannot because he will not.
Consider the coach of a team who chooses those on the team who are going to play in a particular game,
his choice being dependent upon his will and not on the will of those on his team - otherwise it's not his choice at all -
and his choice not restricting the free will choice of his chosen players to play in that game;
so in a much grander way God elects those of mankind who are going to be provided with the gift of faith unto salvation,
His choice being dependent upon His plan and will and not on the will of man - otherwise it is not God's choice at all -
and His choice not restricting the free will choice of His elect to believe in Christ as Savior.
If God's election were dependent upon man's choosing God first, then God's choice would not be His but man's, and God's sovereignty in this matter would be subjected to man's will.
Furthermore, just as a ball player's free will to choose to play the game is not overridden by the coach's choice for him to play - it's both,
in the same way, man's free will to choose to believe is not overridden by God's choice for him to believe.
[Pentecost, op. cit., pp. 139-141]
[Election]"...means 'to call out.' It has to do with selection... Election is the sovereign work of God, according to His own purpose and will, predetermined by His foreordination, in which He selects those through whom the divine purpose will be fulfilled. We refer you again to Ephesians 1:4: We were chosen, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him.
Election is the work of God. It is not a matter of the individual electing God, and then God electing him in response. We find this same truth presented in Romans where, concerning the national election of Israel, the divine principle in election was made very clear. The Apostle [Paul] says...
(v. 10) "And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;
(v. 11) For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His election [="Eklogen"] might stand, not because of works, but because of Him Who calls [="kalountos"],
[Notice that there was no merit or future actions foreseen or implicated in any way in either Jacob or Esau. God's choice was unaffected by the character or future action of either twin]
(v. 12) it was said to her, 'The older will serve the younger.'
(v. 13) Just as it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'
(v. 14) What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
(v. 15) For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.'
(v. 16) So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God Who has mercy.
[Notice that God chooses one over another without impugning His justice, (v. 14).
Furthermore, that choice is solely in accordance with His will, (v. 15).
Finally, nothing in this operation is dependent upon the will of man, (v. 16).]
(v. 17) For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.
(v. 18) So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
(v. 19) You will say to me then 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?'
(v. 20) On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this, 'will it? [Isa 29:16; 45:9]
(v. 21) Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump a vessel for honorable use, and another for dishonor?
["dishonor" = "atimian" = "vileness" = points to those who are destined to God's eternal wrath & condemnation.
Notice that God has "a right...to make from the same lump" of the clay of lost humanity a vessel for honorable use, the elect, and another for dishonor = eternal condemnation. And this is His right, without impugning His character, especially considering that all humanity deserves eternal condemnation]
(v. 22) What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
(v. 23) And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory."
[Pentecost, cont.]:
"This passage is very important to understanding of the doctrine of election. You will notice that God [alone] is the One doing the electing; further, election was based upon the sovereign will of God [and not man's]. It was not God's response to good or evil in the one elected, for this election took place while the twins [Jacob and Esau] were in the womb of their mother, before either had done good or evil as the basis for His election or rejection. Election was to fulfill the purpose to God. God's foreordained plan was the reason for God's election of Jacob. God has separated unto Himself those through whom His program would be fulfilled."
(v. 37) "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away."
(v. 44) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."
(v. 65) "He went on to say, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.' "
And the drawing and enablement of the Father is the call of the Father to those who have been elected by God's grace, to those who have been predestinated or set apart unto glory, to those who God had foreknown would be the instruments to accomplish His foreordained purpose, which is settled and sure by the eternal and unchangeable decree of God.
"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for Him."
The context indicates that the grant by God to believe on behalf of Christ is a cause of the believer coming to a saving faith in Christ. The non elect are not granted the gift of faith on behalf of Christ, otherwise the verse would have no significance for Paul to mention to believers. Furthermore, if all are granted to believe on behalf of Christ then all would believe and be saved, which is not the case according to Scripture.
Thus unbelievers are exclusively under their own auspices to believe in Christ as Savior or not believe.
Since all who believe are elect which Phil 1:29 is addressing;
and since God only grants to the elect the gift of faith unto salvation;
and since one can only come to saving faith in Christ with this gift of faith
and since God decrees all things, not the least of which is this gift of faith unto salvation to the elect only
then God decrees those who will believe unto salvation and those who will not.
This believing is by personal volition of the individual as indicated by the active voice in salvation passages and the concept of believing requiring man's volition by definition.
If it were any other way - such as God discovering through His omniscience who will choose believe in Christ as Savior unto salvation and who will not, then man would be sharing in the sovereignty of God at least on this issue which would make God less than absolutely omnipotent, being dependent upon man's choice to believe or not believe after which God then discovers this and then decrees those who are to be elect.
[Pentecost, cont.]:
"Does this mean that the sinner has no responsibility? Far from it, for Christ has died for the sins of the world. Christ has made a propitiation, or a covering over, for the sins of the world:"
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our [believers', (v. 2:1)] sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
Our Lord said:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life"
"whoever believes" = "pas ho pisteuon" = relative pronoun "pas" = "everyone who" with a definite article "the" = "ho" + the present participle verb functioning as a noun, lit. "everyone who is the believing one" and it is in the active voice which indicates that the one believing is the one willfully responsible for the action of believing.
So "pas ho pisteuon" = "everyone who is the believing one", i.e, everyone who is the believer at the moment one begins believing.
So the 'whoever' is unlimited. While only those whom God has called will respond to God's call, yet God's invitation is extended to all men.
If you are without Jesus Christ, there is only one thing that keeps you from Him, and that is the response of your will to the invitation which God gives when He says, 'Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'...
To me the truth we have presented is one of the most comforting of all the doctrines in the word of God. We delight to know that nothing happens by chance. We are not creatures subject to circumstances, dependent upon luck. There is no such thing as 'good luck' for the child of God. An infinite, sovereign God, has foreordained every minute detail of our lives from before the foundation of the world. God has settled His purpose and His program by His unalterable decree. God foreknows exactly what will take place each moment of each day in our lives because it had been determined according to His purpose. God has elected us, not because of what we have done, but because it suited His infinite purpose. God, Who has elected us, has set us apart by predestination to share His glory forever. God, in infinite grace, called us out of night into His love, out of death into His life, and set us apart unto Himself, not because of what we are, but because it suited God's eternal, sovereign purpose so to do. Every moment of every day we are under His care because He is working all things according to the counsel of His own will, so that we might be found unto the praise of the glory of His grace. In this confidence we rest.'