John 3:3 - You Must Be Born Again To Enter The Kingdom Of God.
John 3:3: You Must Be Born Again To Enter The Kingdom Of God.
John 3:3 (NLT) Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, unless
you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.
John 3:3 (AMP) 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.
COMMENTARY PEARL
If the Kingdom of God was simply a better government or a
societal shift, anyone could enter it. All they would need is the right
perspective or an adjusted lifestyle. And while the Kingdom of God certainly
includes good government and other social systems - at least the part of
the Kingdom that manifests through God's people on earth does - it's
much more than that. It's a quality of life that can't be experienced
by sin-saturated humanity. It requires more than a natural mind-set
and human ingenuity. It requires a radically transformed heart and
eyes that see eternal spiritual realities.
No one can have that kind of heart or see with that kind of
eyes unless he or she is born of God's Spirit. In order to think like
Him, see like Him, and live like Him, we have to have His Spirit
living and moving within us. We must function as citizens of another
realm even while we are living in this one. We can't do that by
changing ourselves. We have to be born again with a new nature.
Many old-nature observers don't see a different nature in
Christians than they find in themselves. That's unfortunate, but it doesn't
mean that new nature doesn't exist. It simply means many Christians
haven't fed the new nature very well, that we are drawing our strength
and energy from our own reserves rather than from the Spirit of God.
Life in the Kingdom comes from beyond ourselves.
Never assume the Kingdom of God is simply "heaven" or a
there-and-then reality rather than a here-and-now experience. On the other
hand, never treat it only as an alternate approach to life on earth
that can be fully realized with better human institutions. We can't
solve humanity's problems by imposing God's laws or morality on
everyone else. We can, however, fill this world with heaven's resources
according to the power that works within us (Ephesians 3:20). And that
power works within us only when we've been birthed by the source of
power Himself. [The One Year Heaven On Earth Devotional by Chris
Tiegreen]
COMMENTARY
All of us are born in sin. Our first birth makes us
children of Adam, and this means we are children of wrath and of
disobedience (Eph. 2:1-3). No amount of education, religion, or discipline
can change the old nature; we must receive a new nature from God.
[Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
To be born anew is to undergo such a radical change that it is
like a new birth; it is to have something happen to the soul which
can only be described as being born all over again; and the whole
process is not a human achievement, because it comes from the grace and
power of God. [Barclay Commentary]
When Jesus says, You must be born again, He simply means
that to enter His kingdom, you and I must let God into our lives, to
work there as He pleases. When we do, eternal life will be ours - now
- and through the miracle of the new birth our life on earth will
become fresh and new. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His
love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we
shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that
have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith
produces a new life in the soul. DA168-177
Entering a saving relationship with Christ is a life changing
experience! All things become new! Not some things, but all things (2 Co.
5:17). For the first time in your life, Christ is Lord; God is Master.
When you become a Christian, Christs presence will affect every
part of you. You will have new thoughts, new attitudes, new values,
and new sensitivities. New priorities will dramatically affect your
relationships. You will view everything in your life from a Christlike
perspective. Christianity is not something you add to your life; it is life!
Nicodemus thought that salvation meant performing certain
religious exercises and holding to particular religious teachings. He had
no idea of the all-encompassing nature of salvation! When you
become a Christian, God gives you a new heart so that everything
becomes new! God gives you a new mind, like that of Christ, so you think
differently. He gives you new emotions, so you feel deeply about completely
different matters. You become sensitive to sin, so you are no longer
comfortable with it. Your recreation will be affected as you are made aware
of what is honoring to God and what is not. Your relationships will
now be guided by the Holy Spirit. Destructive habits and attitudes,
previously immune to change, will be transformed.
Have you noticed the changes God has brought to your life
since you entered a vital relationship with Jesus Christ? These
changes should be very noticeable as a testimony of the new life you
received when you trusted Jesus as your Savior and Lord. [Experiencing
God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby re John 3:3]
Guard jealously your relationship to God. Jesus prayed that
they may be one, even as We are one"nothing between. Keep all
the life perennially open to Jesus Christ, dont pretend with Him.
Are you drawing your life from any other source than God Himself? If
you are depending upon anything but Him, you will never know when He
is gone. [My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Only God can restore life to something that has died. If you
find that your heart has grown cold to God, that the spiritual life
of your family or church has waned, call out to God to revive you,
for only He can give life. It is not your activity but your
relationship with God that brings life!
Spiritual fervor can ebb if left unattended. We all begin our
walk with the Lord enthusiastically, with an excited sense of
anticipation. But over time, busyness creeps in. We become distracted and let
our sin go unchallenged. We may take our relationship with God for
granted and not notice the gradual decline until we find ourselves
drained of spiritual vitality.
This descent can happen in your church just as it does in
your personal life. Do you remember a time when the Holy Spirit was
moving mightily in your church, and the members sensed God leading in
an exciting direction? Are the services now lifeless and the power
of God only a memory?
At a time like this it is futile to try to bring back life
yourself. You can organize many activities and exhort those around you,
but only God can resurrect what is dead. If God has initiated
something in your life, or family, or church, only He can sustain it or
revive it. If you sense that the spiritual vigor has gone out of your
life or the life of your church, this is Gods invitation to pray.
He wants you to intercede with Him so that He might revive His
work. Jesus said that He is Life. It is unnecessary to remain
spiritually lifeless when He has promised vibrant, abundant life if you will
claim it. [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby
re Hab. 3:2]
Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can
start today with Christ and make a new ending.
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo [old, but one of the best]
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad:
https://vimeo.com/162267518
