Weekly Devotional 4-14-25 Spiritual Rebirth: An Absolute Necessity
In the gospel of John we read of a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus, who having heard of Jesus and the miracles He had been doing, went to Him on a certain night seeking to learn more about Him. We read, “1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He 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” (3:1-2). One can only wonder what was truly in the mind of Nicodemus that night. He was a Pharisee, one who had risen within the ranks of the Pharisees to hold a position on the ruling council. He would have been well versed in and a strict observer of the Mosaic Law. There can be no doubt that he believed that his right standing before God depended on his strict observance to that law. Jesus, however, knowing what Nicodemus believed, stopped him from going further with his salutation and said, “3I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again… no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (3:3; 7-8).
This was certainly new to Nicodemus. All of his life he had been taught that a right standing before Holy God and the way of his spiritual redemption was by keeping the Law. That is, earning a right standing with God by self-effort. He and his teachers did not understand that the Law was given because of sin. That there is none righteous or could be righteous by any attempts at keeping the Law because all sin and come short of the glory of God (Galatians 3:19-22; Romans 3:10-12; 21-24). Hearing these things, (Jesus’ testimony about the necessity of being born again), Nicodemus asked, “How can a man be born when he is old? Surely, he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” (John 3:4). His question underscores the truth that the natural man cannot comprehend spiritual things (1st Corinthians 2:14). That it takes a rebirth of the inner man (man’s spirit) to understand such things.
In answer to Nicodemus’ question Jesus said, “5I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:5-6). Nicodemus needed to understand, and all persons must understand, that a spiritual rebirth of one’s life must occur if he or she is to see (comprehend) or enter the kingdom of God. A birth necessitated because of being spiritually dead toward God (Genesis 2:15-17; Ephesians 2:1-6); a birth generated by the Spirit of God. The apostle Paul makes it abundantly clear that one must be born again spiritually in order to understand, and by faith, accept what Jesus said to Nicodemus (and to us by extension). Consider > 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:1-10).
Thank you, Father, for what you have accomplished and are accomplishing in us who have been brought to newness of spiritual life, and we pray that you will accomplish this same new life in many others.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man