Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3
The title of this post, and the following excerpts are from Max Lucado's book, Cast of Characters.
"Birth, by definition,is a passive act. The enwombed child contributes nothing to the delivery. Postpartum celebrations applaud the work of the mother. The mother pays the price of birth. She doesn't enlist the child's assistance or solicit his or her advice.Why would she? The baby can't even take a breath without umbilical help, much less navigate a path into new life. Nor, Jesus is saying, can we..Spiritual rebirthing requires a capable parent, not an able infant."
"Pedigrees and possessions don't matter. Your best won't do. Your works don't work. Your finest efforts don't mean squat. Newborn hearts are born of heaven. You can't wish, earn, or create one. We need, not the muscle of self, but a miracle of God. God handles the task, start to finish."
"whoever believes in him shall not perish. Perish...a sobering word. We'd like to dilute, if not delete, the term. Not Jesus. He pounds Do No Enter signs on every square inch of Satan's gate and tells those hell-bent on entering to do so over his dead body. Even so, some souls insist."
Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
"Born Again, eh?" Are you? I hope so. :)
