I have questions.....
By Trevor Drinen | August 2, 2011
Today’s reading: Isaiah 65; Isaiah 66; Psalm 62; John 3 NASB
SCRIPTURE
“4 “How can someone be born when they
are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their
mother’s womb to be born!” 5
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God
unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.7 You should not be surprised at my
saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell
where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the
Spirit.” 9 “How can this be?”
Nicodemus asked.”
-John 3:4-9 NASB
OBSERVATION
As I visualize this setting - Nicodemus comes to Christ and basically says, “I know who you are but I have questions.” I see Nicodemus intellectually puzzled
and honestly stumped.
Notice what is happening in these verses.
Nicodemus comes to Christ and basically says “I know who you are but have questions.” Jesus responds by saying
that one must be born again to truly know Him and thus enter into the kingdom
of His Father.
Like Nicodemus I also hesitate over the
imagery and the concept that Jesus is presenting. I mean, come on! Outside Christianity the phrase “to
be born” (also called labour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a humanpregnancy
period with the birth of one or more newborn infants
from a woman's uterus.It’s
here I’ve come to appreciate Jesus’ willingness to along walk side people who
tend to question and push back.
I think that the doctrine
of regeneration or the new birth is therefore critical in distinguishing why it
is that one person finds Christ lovely and good and another judges Him
repulsive. A natural heart (that is one which has not been granted the new and
clean heart promised in Jeremiah and Ezekiel) looks upon Christ and sees
condemnation and shame. The spiritual heart (that which has been quickened by
the Holy Spirit) looks upon Christ and sees loveliness and compassion and
grace. What I am suggesting theologically is that there is a logical (if not
chronological) order to the doctrines of regeneration and belief. Regeneration
preceding belief seems to be the logical order of salvation. An unregenerate
heart will not trust Christ, because it does not deem Him trustworthy.
APPLICATION
Those who now believe
(present tense) do so because they have already been born of God (past tense).
In Greek the verb translated “has been born” is in what is called a perfect
tense which suggests a completed action of the past with continuing effects in
the present. In other words, what I think John is saying is that current belief
is an effect of having been born again. Therefore, rather than saying “if you
believe, you will be born again,” it is more theologically correct to
understand that “if you have been born again, you will believe.” When God
reveals Himself to a hardened heart it only further hardens in self-preserving
rebellion. When God reveals Himself to a heart which He Himself has softened it
responds by basking in His marvelous light. As the old saying goes, the same
sun which hardens the clay melts the ice.
How do I understand why
it is that some believe and others do not? I think I need to let Jesus answer
that question for myself and others: “16 For God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life. 17 For God did
not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him. 18 Whoever believes in
him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come
into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds
were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil
hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds
will be exposed. 21 But whoever
lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that
what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” -John 3:16-21
PRAYER