“For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23)
Late Fall is one of my least favorite times of the year. Just as the colors of Autumn are beautiful, the dead fallen leaves from the trees cover what not long ago were flowering plants and a green bed of grass. The holidays bring fresh excitement offering warm gatherings for family and friends. But when January arrives and the Winter winds begin to howl and snow starts to fly, I start counting the days until the crocus will start to push through the soil once again. I tell myself that even though the daylight hours will soon be at their shortest time – it is right around Christmas when we start gaining back minutes of light with each new day. So rather than rake my leaves – I blow them into a pile and mulch them with my mower, convincing myself that the nutrients will be good for next year’s soil. I consider what new bulbs I might want to plant in a few months, recognizing that perennials are one of God’s greatest miracles in that while they appear to die – they are ‘born again’ when the earth’s warmth returns.
Did you hear the story about the baby who was born twice? Sounds like a headline on the front of one of those tabloids at the grocery check-out counter. But this is the true story of a Texas woman who went for a routine ultrasound in the sixteenth week of her pregnancy. Then it was discovered that there was a tumor growing from her baby’s tailbone. Originally pregnant with twins, the mother was now faced with this rare birth defect of one surviving child after having lost the other. She was told that the tumor was stealing the blood supply from the fetus, forcing its survival to become more compromised each day. At nearly 24 weeks, fetal surgery was performed requiring that the baby be removed from the womb and then returned. Surgeons were able to detach most of the tumor which had grown nearly as large as the fetus, replacing it back into the mother’s womb in just five hours. After 12 more weeks in utero, LynLee Hope was ‘born again’ at full-term via C-section. Dr. Darrell Cass, who led the surgical team at Texas Children’s Fetal Center, described the procedure as a “kind of miracle.” And that it was!
“Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born” (John 3:4). These were the words of Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. Secretly appearing before Jesus, he was aware of the miracles Jesus had performed and certain Jesus was sent from God. Like many of his time, Nicodemus misinterpreted the plan of God. Correcting Nicodemus’ misunderstanding, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ He went on to explain that “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:5-7). Nicodemus had a real need. He required a change of heart and understanding—a spiritual transformation. When Jesus spoke with him, He used an illustration that could be easily understood. A newborn baby entering an earthly physical life was a perfect comparison for a person of any age beginning a new spiritual life.
The term ‘born again’ is a commonly used phrase among present-day Christians. The expression literally means ‘born from above’ and is not a spur-of-the-moment decision based on emotion but rather more of a conversion process. The Apostle Paul understood: “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake – I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith . . . I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me” {Philippians 3:8-9,12). When that happens, it’s more perfect than the first buds of Spring and more of a miracle than a twice-born child. It’s a creation that He alone can bless from above. For unlike the flowering bulb that appears to die, we who are born again will live forever.
REFLECTION: How would you explain to someone who is beginning their journey with Christ what it means to be born again? Is it possible to be a Christian and not be born again?
For more on the story about the baby who was born twice, paste this link in your browser: http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/health/baby-born-twice-fetal-surgery/index.html
A NEW LOOKUP DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., NOVEMBER 26, 2016. COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.