Hey Church!

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:1-3)

A commentator on the Westminster Confession of Faith wrote, “One of the miraculous works that God does is to effectually call and revitalize those who are spiritually dead. He gives them a new heart, a new spirit–in fact, it is not too much to say that he gives them new life. Paul termed it ‘regeneration’ in his letter to Titus (Titus 3:5). Jesus called it being ‘born again’ in his late-night conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1-8).”1 

Pharisees like Nicodemus were experts in the Law of Moses. Jesus often rebuked these men for missing the forest for the trees; they put so much confidence in dutiful, fleshly obedience that they often missed the greater truths of the spiritual realm altogether. 

We see an even more shocking example of the Pharisees’ spiritual blindness in this weeks’ personal worship passage, when Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth (John 9). After Jesus healed him, the man went on his way rejoicing, but the religious elites diminished the miracle and, instead of seeing God at work, they sought to prosecute the Healer for violating the Sabbath Day. These are the very sort of people the Apostle Paul warned us to avoid–anyone “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5). 

Jesus makes the solution plain to Nicodemus: no matter how perfectly you work for your righteousness, it will never be enough to even see (let alone inherit) the Kingdom of God. You must be born again into a new nature–one whose best work of righteousness is to cling to the One who is white as snow. When Jesus restored the blind man’s sight, that man received a new identity! No longer will he be known as “beggar” or “blind man,” but “healed” and “loved by God.” 

As I meditated on these things last week, the Lord put the song “Born Again” by Cory Asbury on my heart. I am consistently moved by one line in the chorus that says, “In the quiet pride of my father’s eyes I remember who I am.” Remember who you are! You are no longer “blind,” or “slave to sin,” or [fill in characteristics belonging to your old nature here], but “son/daughter of the King,” “friend,” and “set free.” Think of yourself in this way over the weekend. In fact, I know it may sound strange, but go as far as to speak that over yourself. Whenever you think of it, say out loud, “I’ve been born again.” If temptation comes, or when you sense your old nature rearing its ugly head, say out loud, “That’s not who I am anymore!” 

How ridiculous would it be if the man healed of blindness went on living with his eyes closed, as though still blind? And yet that’s what we do when we allow the tempter to convince us that we are still in bondage, or doomed to fail. You are a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come! Abide and delight in Him this weekend. Rejoice that you once were blind, but now you see.