“YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!”

 John 3:1-8                                                    (ESV)

“1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

2 This man came to JESUS BY NIGHT and said to HIM, "Rabbi, we know that YOU are a TEACHER come from GOD, for no one can do these signs that YOU do unless GOD is with HIM."

3 JESUS answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of GOD."

4 Nicodemus said to HIM, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

5 JESUS answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the SPIRIT, he cannot enter the kingdom of GOD.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the SPIRIT is spirit.

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, '”YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN”.'

8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the SPIRIT." 

These days some people are spending a goodly amount of time “dealing” with a virus that, even with the most inclusive numbers, has claimed less than 0.07 percent of the lives of our nation. Some government officials are doing their best to restrict the GOD GIVEN RIGHTS of its citizens in the supposed interests of public health?!?  Understanding how that formula is calculated when things like cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity (and on and on is allowed) is beyond comprehension.  The public was requested to follow certain suggestions for 15 days to slow the spread of the virus on March 16, 2020, yet 6 months later we are still trying to slow the spread?  Mankind doesn’t have the intelligence to compete with THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE.  “The spread” will slow when THE ALMIGHTY declares that it will.  

In the above Scriptures, Nicodemus came to JESUS “by night”, presumably to avoid being seen by his fellow JEWS.  He was a RULER of the Jews, a member of the Sanhedrin, probably a wealthy, well educated and respected man.  Yet he couldn’t SEE when JESUS said to him “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is BORN AGAIN he cannot see the kingdom of GOD."  

In John 4:24, JESUS specifically says “GOD IS SPIRIT, and those who worship him MUST worship in SPIRIT and TRUTH."  There is no other option, we MUST worship HIM in SPIRIT and TRUTH!  Nicodemus was told “YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN”, precisely the same wording because there is NO OTHER WAY!  We MUST worship HIM in SPIRIT and TRUTH as evidence that we are HIS!  Mankind tries to dream up in our minds every solution to the problems of “this world”, and the only ANSWER IS JESUS!  THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!

Just as Nicodemus was a man of means with an apparent DESIRE to do the right thing, he had to be DRAWN TO GOD (John 6:44) by the FATHER, as we ALL are drawn!  Unless GOD DRAWS YOU, coming to JESUS will not happen.  Nicodemus found this out, and it was a long process for him.  Being part of THE CHOSEN is hard for some to grasp, but it doesn’t make it any less TRUTH!  “YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN”, and GOD MUST DRAW you to HIM!