In our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today we are reading John 3, one of the most powerful chapters of the entire Bible! One of the most important Truths that every believer MUST learn is found in verse 6:
6 What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
To understand this, we must first realize that every person ever born is, first of all, a spirit being. We possess a soul, which includes our mind, emotions and will. Then, when we are born into this world, we live in a human body. We are NOT our bodies! We are not our mind, emotions, feelings and choices. We ARE spirit beings, created in the image of God, Who is also SPIRIT! Our spirit man is eternal. That means that we will live forever - SOMEWHERE! God Himself is the only One Who can separate us from our soul, so that wherever the spirit goes, the soul goes with. Our bodies are ONLY good for this world! They will return to the dust from which they were originally created. EXCEPT for born again believers! WE will have a brand new body when we rise to meet JESUS in the air at the catching away of the church. John 3:3 says this:
3 Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus was saying because he did not yet understand that he was, first of all, a spirit being! Our spirits are perfect, (and all babies WILL go to Heaven) until we understand right from wrong. Inevitably we WILL choose wrong, on purpose, and our spirit will die, no longer belonging to God, but to the enemy. Once we realize our need for a Savior and call upon HIS Name (JESUS) then we are reborn, instantly, as a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) with the same soul and body. John 3:16-18 is the key here:
16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. 18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation—he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]
THIS is the message we are to bring to the world! Along with 2 Corinthians 5:18-21:
18 But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. 19 It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor). 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ’s personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].
While so many in the church are trying to get people to be good and do good things, GOD is trying to get all people everywhere to be GOD's! To belong to HIM! To be born again of the incorruptible seed of His Word (1 Peter 1:23)! And then to DO His will by preaching the Gospel of Salvation to everyone we meet! AMEN! Meditate on all of John 3 and allow Holy Spirit to show you things in ways you may never have seen them before! Then you will know the next steps in carrying out YOUR ministry (2 Corinthians 5:19)! Here is Hillsong United with just the right message! "Go":
Shalom in Him!
