A Radical Concept

John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

This is a powerfully meaningful statement. It comes from Jesus Himself. They are words in red in my Bible and I have them highlighted...twice...in yellow and green! If Jesus said them, they not only are the truth, they should be listened to and more importantly adhered to.

We are doing a women's Bible study on the Book of John. I love this book. Chapter 3 is pretty much the chapter to read to determine one's salvation, to determine one's understanding of the term born again. If I sound like I'm repeating myself, I am!

To be born again means to be born from above. This is not a physical birth but a spiritual one. It comes from the power of the Holy Spirit in one's life upon receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. It means a transformation has taken place in one's life. A change in views, for instance.

Before I knew Christ my mindset was different. I knew who Jesus was and I believed there was a God. But I totally misunderstood the words whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. I thought that just believing as I did, with my head, not my heart,  made it a done deal. I believed that God would not let anyone perish for eternity because He was a good God. He'd have mercy on all people. 

So how does one believe? I said before a transformation takes place. But it’s not a change that we can make happen. It comes from God. The old lifestyle gets replaced. It's no longer all about me, but about Jesus.

Nicodemus from Chapter 3 went under the cover of night to visit and question Jesus. Why night? He was a religious leader of the Pharisees. Shouldn't he have had all the answers? Here's an interesting comment made from my Dake's Study Bible: Nicodemus misunderstood Jesus [the born again comment] and thought only in human terms. Millions today make the same mistake in comparing the new birth with the old birth. This is the very thing Jesus did not want men to do. The truth is a begetting and a coming into existence [physical] and the other is adoption [spiritual]. And later this comment was made: Jesus expected [Nicodemus] to know the scriptures enough to be saved, but he was like millions in churches today, even many ministers who do not know what the new birth is.

Harsh words? Gnawing at the craw? Jesus didn't preach easy words. He came for a purpose and that was for all to know Him...personally, intimately. If we want to know Him in our own way, we are lost. If we allow His Spirit to teach us, if we are open minded, come as little children, these words are not so hard because we have allowed ourselves to be transformed (and this does NOT mean brainwashed).

Remember, the truth sets us free. Jesus is the Truth. Jesus was radical in His teaching because it went against the “beliefs” of the religious leaders. The Pharisees and Sadduccees believed that if they kept the rules set out before them they were saved. They could not understand the things that Jesus preached and that's why they wanted Him killed. He was a threat. And...He's still a threat today to many.

We are not in relationship with Jesus just by going to church or reading the Bible. There is no one religion that is better than another because all are man made. It's not about religion but about a relationship...a personal relationship...with Jesus Christ. It's between each one of us and Jesus. It's a decision we each must make. I can't make this happen in anybody's life. It happens when something in your spirit catches and says, Pay heed to these words. Just like the fishermen, Jesus says, Follow me. And like the fishermen we are to arise and follow. If there’s a catching in your spirit, go for it! It’s God trying to get your attention.

I remember hearing someone say, and I’m very certain I had the same thought that no one is going to push this born again stuff on me. I thought I "knew" in my mind back then, like the millions in the world today, that this concept was "wrong." NOT! Back then no one could tell me what to do. I "knew" in human terms...but not spiritually. Here in John 3 Jesus Himself is telling us we must be born again, born of water and Spirit. God never changes...His words never change. 

If we don't want to hear the truth, we try to sweep it under the carpet. The world wants less talk about Jesus because the truth exposes lies and who wants to know they've believed a lie. John 3:19-20 - and this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. These are more of Jesus’ red-letter words. They are the truth. And He never changes.

A radical concept, this thing that we are not all basically good people! So, did I consider myself evil twelve years ago? No. I presume most people don't because they aren't murderers or thieves. In comparison to "those others" they are basically good. We are all born to this world in the same way, sinners. And we remain that way no matter how we argue about how good we are until we understand the meaning of being born again.

If a person does not remember a time in their life when they were touched by power of the Holy Spirit and dramatically heart changed, chances are they have not received the new birth that only comes from that relationship (not religion) with Jesus. Ask me about this! When it happened to me I knew nothing about the Holy Spirit, so how could I make up what occurred?

John 3:15 says that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have eternal life. It’s the word “believe” that trips us up, I think. Believe on means to receive by faith, not by works, with the heart...in vitality and depth in our innermost being. It is believing "on" Jesus Christ. He becomes our foundation. It is "in" Him we abide. Faith brings the transformation, not anything we think we can do.

John 3:21 adds to the understanding that it is not by our own efforts we can come into this relationship with the Lord. He WILL do His part in guiding people to receive Him...that nudging that so often gets pushed aside, those words that make us grumble time and time again or make us think who do they think they are saying this? Believe me, I know. I got snarly when I heard this too often! And one day as snarly as I was one second, the next, for no reason I could explain at the time, I was weeping because I wanted to hear God’s voice...and the next day I did, and I experienced the power of the Holy Spirit..and it was the beginning of the transformation I was talking about.

So, this radical concept...being born again. Not man’s plan! It’s in Jesus’ words! In red! If it were man’s plan, maybe it would be accepted. However, God’s plan of salvation doesn’t meet the criteria of the average person. (I can’t remember if I heard this or wrote it myself!) It is a radical concept. If this seems radical, it’s because He was radical...to the point where religious leaders wanted to kill Him because He criticized them for their attempts to keep the laws when they couldn’t...and radical today because there are so many who want any mention of God’s name removed. 

We cannot keep all the rules. When we grasp this and grasp that we all fit into the category of imperfect, we will see a need for a Savior. When we fear today or on our deathbed whether we’ve been good enough, whether we did enough, we might see a need for a Savior. Seek Him now and avoid the fear. 

It’s only by childlike faith and not by any work of our own, no amount of our own good deeds, the amount of time we spend in church, which church we attend or even how often we read the Bible, if we do (which we should anyway) but only through receiving Christ and having a personal, not religious, relationship with Him. Then we have entered into the light, received the truth and realized that NOW our deeds have been done in God (John 3:21). Jesus really does save! His free gift of salvation. These words are from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:

John 3:21 - But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.