| By His GracePosted May-15-08 07:11:58 PDT "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."
John 3:4-6
"Of water and the Spirit" could refer a couple of different things in this passage. It could refer to the contrast between physical birth (water) and spiritual birth (Spirit), or it could also refer to being regenerated by the Spirit and signifying that rebirth by Christian baptism. The water may also represent the cleansing action of God's Holy Spirit. Nicodemus undoubtedly would have been familiar with God's promise in Ezekiel 36:25-26. Jesus was explaining the importance of a spiritual rebirth, saying that people don't enter the kingdom of God by living a better life, but by being spiritually reborn. It is not a question of how "good" we are, how many charities we donate to, how many old ladies we help across the street, how many times we stop and buy lemonade from a kids' lemonade stand. None of that matters. What matters is Christ. He and he alone, by His Grace and sacrifice on the cross, can give us entrance into His Kingdom. It is a gift, pure and simple. The only thing left for us to do is to accept it. The work has already been done at Calvary.
God Bless you,
JH
|
) 
) 
)  About eBay | Announcements | Security Center | eBay Toolbar | Policies | Government Relations | Site Map | Help | |
Copyright © 1995-2008 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
| |