"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV).
A prominent businessman, elder in a prestigious church, was impatient with "narrow-minded, born-again Christians." "I am a Christian," he said, "but I have never been born again, and frankly I'm not interested. We emphasize more important issues in my church."
When I read the third chapter of John with him and explained that there is only one kind of biblical Christian, the one who is "born-again," and that no other kind of "Christian" can enter into the kingdom of God according to the words of Jesus, the light suddenly went on. With this new insight he readily received Christ as his Savior and Lord.
A caterpillar is an ugly, hairy, earthbound worm - until it weaves a cocoon about its body. Then an amazing transformation takes place. Out of that cocoon emerges a beautiful butterfly - a new creature, able to live on another plane, to soar in to the heavens. So it is with man.
John 3 records Jesus' explanation of how one becomes a new creature. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who tried to adhere meticulously to every detail of the law, had come to Jesus for counsel.
"'Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:2,3, NAS).
Puzzled, Nicodemus asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" (John 3:4, NAS). Then Jesus explained that physical birth alone does not qualify anyone to enter the kingdom of God. Since His is a spiritual kingdom, we must experience spiritual birth.
TODAY'S ACTION POINT: I will read John's gospel, chapter three, meditating especially on the first eight verses, and will consider again my relationship with the Lord. If I should die today, I want to be sure I would go to heaven, and through the enabling of the Holy Spirit I want to begin living the supernatural life.
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