The Gospel of John 3:4-5 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!

When God Says …

“Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:4-5 KJV)

Nicodemus, baffled by what the Lord said, asked a very natural logical question his carnal mind can grasp on. But the Lord was speaking in the spiritual realm. Hence, the Lord's response is some kind of red-flag warning to Nicodemus and us, too. “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” (John 3:5 NIV). Nicodemus in his religious mindset missed the point. Tainted beliefs breed corrupted thinking, and vice versa. Thus, we have to stand on faith in Christ and be born again. Yes, that's faith in Christ Jesus! Apostle Paul reminds us: "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Cor 15:21-22 (NIV)

The Lord emphasized to Nicodemus the need of regeneration for one to enter the kingdom of God. To be born again is to be born from above, not through our human way or will, rather from God's gift of grace. It is a rebirth manifested by fully immersing in water through baptism and rising out into a new life in spirit. Declaring to Nicodemus: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit", the Lord Jesus points to Nicodemus the power of believing in His death, entering the grave and rising from it in three days. 

Now, in the finished work of our risen Lord on the cross, in Him by grace through faith, we enter a new life in the kingdom of God. Scriptures assure us: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

And I say, AMEN!

Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries

(When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.)

Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
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Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.