John 3:1-6

John 3:1-6 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.”

Jesus said we must be BORN AGAIN. No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. This MESSAGE that we must die and be reborn in Christ, represents a stumbling block for many people. Men and women might accept the Jesus of signs and wonders and the friend of the friendless, and they might honor or at least respect him as a great teacher or perhaps even a prophet. However, to believe He brings new life, freedom from sin, and salvation to all who repent and believe on his name remains beyond their grasp. Nicodemus, a man of learning, prestige, and influence in religious circles, stumbled at the idea of being born again. He reasonably asked, Does this mean a man must enter a second time into his mother’s womb? Undaunted by Nicodemus' doubts, Jesus explains his proclamation in terms of the wind: "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.” We know not where the wind originates, but we understand the reality of a breeze or a rushing wind when it touches our faces, stirs our senses. So it is with being born again. We cannot see the Holy Spirit enter a new believer; we cannot quantify exactly how God buries our sins and brings us forth anew; yet when God possesses a man or woman, we see the change as the individual experiences the power of resurrection life through the Spirit, the breath of God.

Salvation and transformation through rebirth in Christ through his sacrifice at the cross remains the essence of Christianity. Yes, good works are important: doing good and acting nice such as helping people and offering our time and money are good behaviors. If we are followers of Christ, his attributes and his nature should define us. But unless we are born again in the Spirit through Christ, our good works are but filthy rags, and we cannot commune or fellowship with the God of the universe. We need to become new creatures in Christ, through his shed blood. We already saw this truth in John 1:4: In him was life, and that life was the light of men. Christ came to shine light in the darkness, to give life everlasting.

As new creatures IN HIM, we find our will and our inclinations becoming aligned with God's reality; we begin to see with spiritual eyes and to hear God's voice more clearly. The secular man may find this idea repugnant because he stands on the false belief that his life is "good enough" for acceptance by God. Thinking he does not need a different life, he declares his present existence should be acceptable to God. But the Bible declares that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) As wayward sheep we choose our own way, literally trying to be gods unto ourselves. This Adam and Eve attitude does not stand in God's presence, cannot stand, for it is of the sinful nature and will not lead to intimacy with the Lord. There is but one God and He gave his only Son: we should be one with him. Without a born again experience and transformation at the cross, we never enter into that secret place, hidden with Christ in God.

My dear friends, brothers and sisters adopted into the family of God through his great salvation plan, let us eat of Jesus, drink of his blood, for through and in him we have life: abundant and everlasting life. Meditation and prayer strengthen us, but He alone sustains us and makes us overcomers through the power of the Spirit. If you feel weak in yourself today or if your old nature seems to be raising its ugly head, consider who you are in Christ, seek his will and not yours, and He will lift you up into heavenly places as He empowers you with strength, courage, and faith to persevere and to follow him. These daily breakfasts are meant to make you strong IN THE LORD and the power of his might. But as good as spiritual breakfasts might be, an obedient and joyful daily walk is better. This day, live as one newly born, as a son or daughter of the King, totally dependent on him. He will give you life victorious and eternal. Praise his name!