Saturday, July 22, 2017

Changing


People resist change.  The truth is it doesn’t matter how wise or educated you are. There are smart or religious people sitting in churches every Sunday who are as lost and troubled as a man named Nicodemus because they have head knowledge, but no heart knowledge. (Look at this conversation in John chapter 3.) Many people get involved with church, but not with Christ. People need to understand that the church can’t save you – only a relationship with Christ can save you. There is no doubt that religion (the church) will clean you up. It’ll make you look real good but that’s only head knowledge. If a person is to be saved, his heart has to be changed and that comes only from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ… That’s the message Jesus was preaching to Nicodemus. Nicodemus, the seeker, came seeking answers about religion & Jesus told him, “It’s not about religion – it’s all about a relationship…” Being born again is a God thing. It's all about God’s  grace, not the grace of man.


Grace goes beyond our comprehension. By our human nature, we want to merit God’s favor. We want to be the ones that get us into heaven. Jesus said, “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born again…” That’s God’s plan – you must be born again… Jesus tells Nicodemus, “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit… What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit…”


Nicodemus didn’t understand this. He was struggling with the idea of a man being born again, and he couldn't understand how a grown man could be born again, and went away back into the darkness. 2 Corinthians 5: 17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (or creation); old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new…”  Resisting change because you don't understand will never allow you to experience God's great grace. Make this your song today:


’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word;  Just to rest upon His promise, And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!” Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;   Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust Him more!