In my last blog, we saw Jesus explaining to Nicodemus the need to be born again. That we can’t work our way into heaven any more than we can work our way into the physical world.
In both cases, we need to be born into these kingdoms. One is primarily through the efforts of our mother (physical birth) and the other solely through the work of the Holy Spirit (spiritual birth).
Nicodemus, for all his knowledge of scripture, had trouble wrapping his brain around this concept.
All his life, he had been trying to earn his way into heaven. To keep the law of God to a T.
But here Jesus is completely tossing out that idea, and so Nicodemus asks,
How can this be? (John 3:9)
In other words, “I don’t understand. I’ve dedicated my life to the law. And now you’re saying that to enter God’s kingdom depends solely on the Spirit’s work, and not mine?”
To this day, people from basically every religion ask the same thing.
All their lives they were taught they had to earn God’s favor by doing good works, and so they have a hard time wrapping their minds around the idea that salvation is a free gift. It seems…too easy.
Jesus chides Nicodemus for his lack of understanding, saying,
You are Israel’s teacher…and do you not understand these things? (10)
Had Nicodemus truly understood the words of the prophets (Jeremiah and Ezekiel, as I mentioned in the last blog), he should have understood Jesus’ words.
Because he didn’t, Jesus went even further back in scripture to a well-known story in Jewish history.
While the Israelites were wandering in the desert after having escaped Egypt, they started complaining against God and Moses.
Because of their rebellion, God sent snakes which bit the people and caused many to die. When the Israelites repented, God told Moses to set up a bronze snake on a pole, and that everyone who looked up to it would live.
They didn’t have to do good works in order to live. They simply needed to believe in what God had said.
The ones that chose to believe and looked at the snake lived. The ones that chose to continue in their unbelief died.
Jesus told Nicodemus, “In the same way, you don’t work to earn your way to eternal life. All you have to do is look to me, and put your faith in me when I go to the cross to die for your sins.
“Just as the snake was lifted up and all who believed in what God had said lived, so I will be lifted up, and all who believe in me will live.”
It’s not clear if the conversation with Nicodemus ends here and John is simply expositing on Jesus’ teaching, or if Jesus actually says the next few words (there are no quotation marks in Greek).
But either way, these words are the most famous in the Bible.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
How are we born again? By simply putting our faith in Jesus. By believing that he died on the cross to take the punishment for our sin.
Sin is essentially saying, “God I don’t trust you.”
So the remedy to sin is not good works. It’s turning around and saying, “God I trust you.”
And the first area that you need to say, “God I trust you,” is in putting your faith in Jesus for your salvation.
Have you done so?
Father God, I admit I have sinned. I have been living my own way, instead of trusting you and doing things your way. Forgive me.
Jesus thank you for dying for my sin. Please come into my life and be my Lord. I want to trust you from now on in every area of my life and to live your way.
Holy Spirit, every day, please lead me, guide me, and change me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 