Hard To Grasp

I imagine that “Nick” pulled his cloak up around his cheeks the evening he went to talk to Jesus.  He had a question—the kind that demands to be answered—even if Nick risked losing his status as leader among the teachers of Israel.  Jesus must have publicly taught something that caught Nicodemus’ interest, and likely, created the insecurity that comes with misunderstanding and ignorance.  The Gospel writer John recorded the event.

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.”  Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  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?”  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, 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.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  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.”

Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”  (John 3:1-9 ESV)

Like Nicodemus, we religious types have a tough time understanding the role of the Holy Spirit!  As hard as it was for Nicodemus to grasp that eternal life comes by being born again through the Holy Spirit, similarly, it is tough for many, many believers to comprehend the meaning of the Holy Spirit who: “dwells with you and will be in you.”

It works this way: If a person is born again by the Holy Spirit and not by human effort, then it logically follows that the Christian life is lived, not by human efforts, but by the Spirit who is with and in the believer.  The normal Christian life, then, is life in the Holy Spirit.

Read the following passage from Titus 3 and focus on the underlined: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior….”  (Titus 3:4-6 NIV)

What is the work of renewal that the Holy Spirit will do in believers?

More to come!