John 3:5-8
"Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.'"
Surely, this short account is one of the most powerful passages in all the Bible. From the mouth of Jesus, we hear the words of truth in what may be their simplest form. Jesus explains that without the touch of the Spirit, no one enters into the kingdom of God. We must have a second birth, one which is from God.
Jesus explains that just as every person is born of the body, of water if you will, those who are part of Christ's kingdom are born a second time. This time though, our birth is not of the body, for that is already past, but from a working of the Spirit in our lives. This is the second birth. This is being born again. This is the sole basis for salvation. When the Spirit comes upon a person, they are born again from on high.
Knowing some would want to know how this is possible, Jesus explains that we accept the coming of the wind, though we don't know from where it comes. It is the same with the Spirit. It is only sufficient for us to know the Spirit comes from God upon the life of a believer. Just a real is the wind, so is the moving of the Spirit on the life of a believer. Just a wind brings refreshing, so the Spirit refreshes and makes new the spirit of the Christ follower.
I'm thankful I don't have to know how God makes me new again, but I praise the Lord that I'm born again of the Spirit.
LORD JESUS
Lord, I thank you the sending of your Spirit in my life to bring about my salvation. I thank you for the new birth, and I thank you for a second chance to live for you. Amen.
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