John 3: You Must Be Born Again

Today’s reading is John 3.

In Genesis 1:1-2, the earth was born. “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The earth was born by Spirit and water. In Genesis 7, creation was undone. Man and beast were wiped from the face of the earth. The waters above and the waters below collapsed in on each other. Water covered the land. The earth became formless, void, and uninhabitable. However, the earth was born again when “God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided” (Genesis 8:1, ESV). The word for “wind” here is the same word as “Spirit” in Genesis 1:2. The earth was reborn through water and Spirit. In Exodus 14, the nation of Israel was born as they walked on dry land through the Red Sea. “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground” (Exodus 14:21-22, ESV). With talk of waters being divided and dry land appearing, the Holy Spirit is purposefully reminding us of creation. Once again, the word translated “wind” is the same as “Spirit” in Genesis 1. In other words, Israel is created, that is, born as a nation through water and Spirit.

Recognizing how God has consistently worked in Creation, recreation, and His nation, are we really surprised when Jesus explains being “born again” as “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God”? (John 3:5, ESV). God has always worked birth and rebirth through water and Spirit. Not one or the other, but both. When Nicodemus still doesn’t get it, Jesus asks, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?” (John 3:10, ESV). That is, a teacher of Israel should have been able to look at how God always worked and understood when Jesus anchored His teaching in that repeated working of God. But Nicodemus didn’t get it.

Today, many teachers of Christians and churches are like Nicodemus. Though they are teachers, though they have studied Scripture, though they have read the text, they miss the story. This is how God works. This is how God works birth and rebirth–through water and Spirit.

Perhaps it is shocking that water is included. After all, surely the Spirit can do whatever He wants. And He does. But in birth and rebirth, He works in connection with water. He always has. But let us recognize the Spirit is included. Born again by water is no mere ritual or symbol. Something actual takes place; something spiritual takes place.

Therefore, on the day Christ’s church is established in Acts 2, Peter responds to those desperate for forgiveness, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, ESV). That is, be born of water and Spirit. On the one hand, be warned, if you walked through a baptismal initiation rite, but it did not produce a new life, growing and transforming by the Spirit of God, don’t assume your initiation rite was Biblical baptism. On the other hand, if you simply decided to try to clean your life up, but you didn’t start by submitting to God’s baptismal process for rebirth, don’t assume your new behavior is the work of the Spirit. We are born not simply of water. Nor are we born simply by Spirit. We are born by water and Spirit. And unless you were born by water and Spirit, you will not enter the Kingdom of God.

Have you been born of water and Spirit? Have you been born again? If not, can we help you? Please, reach out to us. Click the contact button at the top of the page and let us know how we can help.

Tomorrow’s reading is John 3.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does John 3 prompt or improve your praise of God?

Psalm 85: Restore Us Again!

Today’s reading is Psalm 85.

Have you been there? You committed sin. You came to your senses. You sought forgiveness. You enjoyed it. You praised God. Having experienced the grace and mercy of God, you doubled down and committed to serve Him even more faithfully from here on out.

Then you sinned again.

And I don’t mean found yourself in some other sin (though that would apply as well). I mean, you ended up right back where you were in that previously forgiven sin. In fact, not right back where you were. That almost never happens. No. This time, you are even deeper.

Now what?!

Enter Psalm 85. “Restore us again, O God of our salvation,” Korah’s son begs. God had forgiven Israel before (see vs. 2). He had removed His anger before (see vs. 3). He had been favorable and restored fortunes for Israel before (see vs. 1). But here they are again, in sin, under God’s wrath, needing God’s forgiveness, favor, and restoration again.

What does the psalmist do? He prays. He prays with confidence. On top of that, this is actually the second time the sons of Korah have been in this situation. As we noticed last week, Psalm 84 mirrors Psalms 42-43, separate from but longing for God. Psalm 85 mirrors Psalm 44. Both look at Israel’s repeated falls into sin and repeated need for God’s forgiveness, favor, and restoration.

Of course, neither of these psalms give permission to turn back to sin when God has forgiven us. But, please, see the permission to turn back to God when we have sinned. See the permission to turn back to God when it has been a return to sin. See the permission to turn back to God when it’s a sin that has been forgiven before. Don’t listen to the whispers of the enemy telling you to linger in your sins. Don’t listen to the whispers of the enemy telling you God won’t forgive and restore you.

If you have gone back into sin, turn back to God today. Seek His favor. Seek His restoration. He will provide.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 85.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 85 prompt or improve your praise of God?