The Great Decision
There is one decision in our life which determines our destiny. This is the most important decision we have to make in our lives. Unless one takes this decision wisely i.e. in the way Lord has ordained, his life is doomed for ever.
HAVE YOU BEEN BORN AGAIN? Answer this question honestly. If the answer is YES, well and good. You have confidence towards God. If not please don’t go to sleep today without making this decision.
This “Being Born Again” is an event that makes Christianity a supreme way different from all other religions and philosophies existing in the world today. God has made a way for man to obtain eternal life through this way. Because of sin there came to exist a great gap between Man and God. God ordained a way to bridge that gap. The experience of being born again is the original plan of God which never originated in the intellect of man or any organization or any religion. The Almighty God who is the source of all wisdom and knowledge had prepared a way for all mankind to obtain eternal life.
If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) To begin the fellowship with God and to continue in that fellowship man has to be a new creation. Ie. Man has to be a new personality casting away all fleshly habits. This cannot be obtained either by will power or by self effort. It is a process by which the Holy Spirit of God deals with each personality and transforms him/her into a new heavenly personality. Let us discuss about “Being Born again” under three titles.
1. What is the fact of being Born Again?
2. How does this experience of Being Born Again happen?
3. How can we possess this experience?
1. What is the fact of Being Born Again?
In this passage (John 3:1-14) Bible says about a very good and just man who was a Pharisee and leader of Jews. Being a Pharisee he knew the Law of Moses and observed it perfectly. He was a perfect man but he came to Jesus at night. He had the revelation that Jesus came from God. So he was a perfect man desiring to meet and have acquaintanceship of Jesus.
When Jesus met this man He had only one thing to say. “You must be born again”. When confronted with different people from different levels of society, Jesus dealt differently with them. With the woman who was caught in adultery He admonished her not to sin again. With Zachaeous , He dealt according to his heart’s desire. He said to the paralysed man, “son, your sins are forgiven”. He knew the circumstances and situations of each person and dealt accordingly. But with Nicodemus who was a perfect man he had only one thing to say. ie. “You must be born again”. There are three reasons to establish that one person has to be born again.
A. Man is blind in sin so that he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Verse 3)
“Verily, Verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”(KJV) Man has become blind in sin. He cannot see or understand anything about the kingdom of God and its joy. “…..whose minds the god of this world has blinded who do not believe lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV). To see and understand what the Lord has prepared for His children that which no eye has seen or that which no eye has heard we have to get our eyes opened. Therefore unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.
B. Bound in sin that he cannot enter (Verse 5)
“Verily, Verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 KJV). Being born again is a process brought about by the Holy Spirit and Word of God together working in one’s life.
C. Born in sin so that he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6 NKJV) Also 1 Corinthians 15: 50 says that “…….flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” (NKJV)
A man born in sin, blind sin and bound in sin needs to be born again if he is to have fellowship with Holy God. It is God’s law that one who sins must die and that wages of sin is death. But at the same time love of God wants to bring back the sinner to God. God’s love and God’s justice meet together on the cross. God imputed all sin on Son of God and delivered Him to experience the punishment of sin. Anyone and everyone who accepts this fact by faith becomes a born again child of God.
When we are born into this world, we are born from a father into a family. We get brothers and sisters who love us. When we are born again we are born form a Heavenly Father into a Heavenly Family. (Ephesians: 13) where we have dear brothers and sisters in Christ (Ephesians 3: 14 NKJV). We are very happy in this new spiritual family even as we are very happy in our own family.
Please see how Jesus explains this new experience. “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes and where it goes . So is everyone who is born of the Spirit”(John 3:8) The Almighty God asks Job a question in Job 38: 24. “By what way …………….is the east wind scattered over the earth?” Again in Job 28:25 we see, “For He looks to the end of the earth…..to establish a weight for the wind.” In Psalms 135: 7, Jeremiah 51:8 and Jeremiah 16:13 we read, “….He brings the wind out of His treasuries.” Thus the origin of the wind, the source (ie. From where it comes) and its destination (ie. To where it goes) are all deep mysteries known only to God. Jesus says anyone and everyone who is born again is like that. Ie. We don’t know how wind blows or from where it comes or to where it goes, but certainly we can know and feel the impact of wind when it blows. Such feeling is very clear and is a definite experience. Jesus says everyone who is born again is like that. This is the resultant effect of Holy Spirit working in hearts opened to Him. Those who have this experience can know and experience the reality of it. Those who are in contact with such people can also understand the difference. Haven’t we had so many experiences in our own lives which we are not able to experience so far?
II. How does this experience of “Born Again” happen?
Though Jesus explained so much, Nicodemus could not grasp this truth. Nicodemus asked in Verse 9 “How can these things be?” Jesus continues, “…..We speak what we know and testify what we have seen…..”. “Knowing and Seeing”: Knowing is an intellectual experience and seeing is the practical experience. Conviction and experience join together in this great truth. Jesus again explains, “And as Moses lifted up serpent in the wilderness even so the Son of Man must be lifted up that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus establishes this need clearly and firmly.
On one occasion when Israelites disobeyed God in the wilderness, God sent fiery serpents among them. Many people died because of poisonous snakes. People repented and cried to Moses. When Moses cried out to Lord He gave him a plan. That was to make a brazen serpent and to lift it high upon a pole in the centre of the camp so that millions of people anywhere in the camp can look at the brazen serpent. Lord promised that whoever is bitten by the snake will live provided he looks at the brazen serpent. How does it happen? Nobody knows. None can explain the logic behind the command that just one look will cure the deadly poison in the blood. Never mind. Don’t try to argue or discuss how this happens. There is no alternative for one who is bitten by the snake. If he wants to live, there is only one way. Believe God’s word that whoever looks at the serpent shall live. He has to take that word into his heart by faith and just look. Lo! He is healed! What a mystery! Looking is avery simple act which none else can do for the particular person bitten by the snake. To live one has to look himself at the brazen serpent according to the command of God.
Jesus Himself says in John 3:13 and 14, “No one has ascended to Heaven but He who came down from Heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness EVEN SO the Son of Man be lifted up.” This has not happened at that time when Jesus said it. Later God lifted Jesus up on Golgotha on the cross hanging on three nails. This is the Name God has lifted up for anybody and everybody who looks at him in faith. In Acts 4: 12 Peter says, “Nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”(NKJV) There is no barrier for this wonderful fact between people of different caste and colour, man and woman, rich and poor, wise and common, educated and ignorant etc. And we read the key verse in Bible in John 3: 16. “For God so loved te world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but has eternal life.” God so loved the world that He gave the costliest price. God so loved the world that there was nothing else God could do to redeem man from Satan.
We see in Psalm 139 that each individual is a special personality “fearfully and wonderfully made by God Himself with utmost care. See verses 13 to 16.
You made my inward parts.
You covered me….
My frame was not hidden from you.
When I was made in secret
And skillfully wrought ….
Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed.
So we see that each of us has a special personality preplanned, moulded and specially designed by God. God only knows the agony when He feels that this personality has slipped out of His hands. God gave the costliest price to get him back somehow. He saw only one solution. Who am I or who are you to question God’s way, wisdom or method? Let us believe without questioning. Let us take this privilege without questioning and enjoy the blessing abundantly.
III. How can we possess this experience?
Romans 10:9 clearly declares “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead you will be saved”. (NKJV) “For with heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Please listen to what Revelation 3:20 says. “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and open the door I will come into him and dine with him and he with Me”.(NKJV) The option and choice completely rest with us. Lord has done all He could do. We ourselves have to take the decision whether to open our heart to Jesus or not. Nobody else can take this decision for you and me. Lord Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts even today. He longs eagerly to come into the lives of those who respond to His sweet voice. He is not bothered about your address, quality, past history, ability or perfection. All He requires is a room to share His blessed provisions and that room is your heart. The only thing you have to do is to open your heart and invite Him into your heart. That is, you have to exercise your own freewill which the Lord has given you. Will you do that today, now?
If you open your heart Lord Jesus will enter your heart in His full glory. Then you are not your former self. This is not a fantasy but a fact, not a myth but a reality. This is a definite practical clear experience. This is an experience executed in a willing heart by the Holy Spirit, the third person in Trinity. Experience it. Taste it. Tell me whether this is myth or fantasy.
If the heart is sound then the whole body will perform well. Once Jesus enters your heart you can enjoy each moment of your life. God will fulfill his plan concerning you no matter in whatever state, circumstance or condition you are. He has His own plan and program concerning each of us. He can fulfil that only if we let go of ourselves totally in His hands. Let Him be our Partner, nay our Owner.
Let us believe and confess. Confession of His Word brings possession of the Word. There is no other experience in our lives better than this experience. Let us surrender our lives totally in His hands. What do we exchange?
Peace that passes understanding
Meekness in place of Anger
Thanksgiving in place of Discontent in place of Worry
Praise in place of Grumbling
Healing in place of Sickness
Blessing in place of Curse
What do we lose : NOTHING
What do we gain? : ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN AND A PEACEFUL AND JOYFUL LIFE HERE ON EARTH
This wonderful experience helps us to be the best mother, wife, husband, father, son, daughter etc in whatever state we are.
One who is born only once dies twice viz. physical death and spiritual death. One who is born twice dies only once. Second death has no hold on him. (Revelation 20:6)
Once a baby is born, it has the need of milk to grow thereby. First it has to feed on pure milk and then on solid food. In the same way when a person is born again he has to drink the pure milk of the Word. (1 Peter 2: 1-2) Then he has to apply himself to the solid food of the Word to get strengthened. (Hebrews 5: 13)
The relationship between God and Man becomes Father – Son or Father – Daughter relationship with this experience. We become dear children of our dear Heavenly Father. At any time we can enter into His presence on the authority of this loving relationship. A river of love is running over to us from the heavenly throne and through us to others. Dear child of God, your life will never be the same once you enter into this relationship. Do you desire this experience? Please take a decision today itself, now itself. Thank You!!
GOD BLESS YOU!
