My garden if full of reminders of God's Handiwork!John 3:1-7 (The Message)
Born from Above
1-2. There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it."
3. Jesus said, "You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to—to God's kingdom."
4. "How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this 'born-from-above' talk?"
5-6.Jesus said, "You're not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the 'wind-hovering-over-the-water' creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it's not possible to enter God's kingdom. When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.
7-8."So don't be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be 'born from above'—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's headed next. That's the way it is with everyone 'born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit of God."
Have you been born again? How do you know if you have or haven't? I watched one of my favorite preachers talk about this very thing. It was powerful and quite a revelation to me. I had never thought about it in this way. He brought out the point that before the birth, there was conception and then nine months of preparation for that baby to be born. Then of course a radical change would take place at birth. This change when we are spiritually born again brings also a radical change. We know God has turned us around from the way we was heading, we are going in a different direction. All the ways that we have tried to change ourselves of course fail. We can't do it, but He can! The Holy Spirit comes to live in us just as this baby was in the womb. It was an amazing sermon that really touched my heart. We must be born from above to make heaven our home. I have heard and I am sure you have to someone say they "think" they are saved! It would be like asking me if I have children, I wouldn't say, "Well, I think I do", people might think I was strange for a very good reason. Of course I have children, I know that and I know I am born again just as Nicodemus is being told by Christ Himself in this passage. It is of the greatest importance that we must be sure of our salvation. It is a matter of life and death, hell and heaven! I pray this has touched your heart as well. We know when we are born again, radical change does happen and we begin a growth process that will last until Jesus comes for us. I pray that you will be blessed this Lords Day! Pray for me as I pray for you! Also enjoy the wonderful encouragement over at Spiritual Sundays (the link is on the sidebar).
