Born Again or a Pharisee? (Part II of III)
John 3:1-3, There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “ I tell you the truth, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Change — real change — usually takes place slowly, over time; yet most folks are too lazy and too indifferent to give real change the attention and patience it needs.
Our old godless habits die a slow, bitter, bloody death when we attempt to leave them behind as we search for faith and salvation in Jesus. But to be “born again” we must become a new man, a new woman, in the way we live and think and believe.
We must be willing to surrender the way we are for the way we hope to be. Similar to the lady who when criticized for saying an unkind word in spite of the fact that she claimed to be a Christian, said, “I ain’t what I otta be. And I ain’t what I’m gonna be. But praise the Lord I also ain’t what I must be.” What are you willing to give up to be truly “born again” as a child of God? Some of us will have to give up our anger so we may be “born again.” Some of us will need to quit blaming others for the bad things that have happened in our lives so we may be “born again”. Some of us will have to give up being right all the time so we may be To be “born again”, some of us might have to give up our arrogance, our self-righteousness, even learn to say with meaning, “I’m sorry,” or “I forgive you.” Some will need to give up their endless quest for money, power, fame, recognition, adoration if they want to be “born again.”
Whatever it might be that separates us from God must be completely eliminated from our lives before we can claim to be “born again.”
Jesus gave this command to be “ born again” to Nicodemus, the Pharisee. He was educated, moral, honest, sincere and very religious. He went to “church” and prayed daily. (Sounds like you?) But Jesus told Nicodemus, like He would tell you and me, that Nicodemus needed to be “born again.” We can be baptized, confirmed, religious and moral and still be separated from God because of the spiritual condition of our hearts.
Next time: How to know when you are “born again”, considered in the conclusion to “Born Again or a Pharisee?” --------------- Chris Voss is a pastor at First Christian Church, 317 S. Main, Donna.