How Can I Change?/Where it All Begins

From Gospel Translations

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|reviewed=Not Reviewed
|reviewed=Not Reviewed
|newtitle=Where It All Begins
|newtitle=Where It All Begins
-
}}
+
}}Not many years ago the rumor began circulating that a
 +
popular rock star had been “born again.” Reaction
 +
from the Christian community was predictably enthusias-
 +
tic. But when he learned of his alleged conversion, the
 +
rock star quickly put an end to the rumor: “It was report-
 +
ed that I was born again. That’s not true. What I said was
 +
that I was into ''porn ''again.”
 +
 +
One little letter can make quite a difference.
 +
 
 +
I find myself skeptical when I hear that public figures
 +
have been converted. Even if the individual does acknowl-
 +
edge a commitment to follow Christ, his or her lifestyle
 +
rarely seems to reflect a corresponding change. There is
 +
often no evidence of repentance. There is no involvement
 +
in a local church. As ordinary citizen Joe Six-Pack observes
 +
this apparent contradiction, he inaccurately concludes
 +
that this is what it means to be born again.
 +
 
 +
{{LeftInsert|'''Meditate on 1 Peter 2:2-3. '''What is the “milk” described here? Why is pure milk essential for spiritual growth?}}Charles Colson is a notable exception to the pattern. A
 +
former attorney and presidential aide in the Nixon administration, Colson was convicted and imprisoned for his role in Watergate. It seemed suspicious when, during this period, he claimed to have submitted his life to Christ. But this was no scheme for reducing his sentence. Colson’s conversion was genuine, as evidenced by his new lifestyle. His book ''Born Again ''gives an eloquent and powerful account of his authentic encounter with the gospel.
 +
 
 +
Although the phrase “born again” is commonly used in
 +
today’s culture, its theological implications have been
 +
obscured. For example, when retired heavyweight boxer
 +
George Foreman returned to the ring, sportscasters spoke
 +
of his career being “born again.” Politicians who experi-
 +
ence a setback and then regain popularity are sometimes
 +
referred to as born again. And many people think of born-
 +
again Christians as a hyperactive fringe group within the
 +
Church, unaware that the new birth is a biblical prerequisite for being a part of the Church at all!
 +
 
 +
{{RightInsert|"Becoming a Christian is not making a new start in life; it is receiving a new life to start with."<ref>Quoted in R.C. Sproul, ''Born Again: Leader Guide ''(Orlando, FL: Ligonier Ministries, Inc., 1988), Chapter I, p. 14.</ref><br>'''-Thomas Adams'''}}Even the mature Christian can fail to understand this critical phrase. Yet if we ever hope to change as God intends,we must begin with an understanding and experience of regeneration—the new birth. Here’s where the whole process of sanctification begins.
 +
 
 +
{{LeftInsert|<big>1</big> Which of the following phrases best describes, in your opinion, what it means to be born again?
 +
 
 +
''(Answer is printed at bottom of page) ''
 +
 
 +
❏Making a decision to start living a better life
 +
 
 +
❏Renewing a long-lost commitment to Christ
 +
 
 +
❏Asking God to forgive your sins and live in your heart
 +
 
 +
❏Telling all your former friends they’re going to Hell
 +
 
 +
❏None of the above}}=== The Education of a Pharisee ===
 +
 
 +
The phrase “born again” didn’t originate with President Jimmy Carter. It originated with Jesus Christ. Let’s discover where he introduced it and how he meant it to be understood as we eavesdrop on a brain-bending conversation in the third chapter of John.
 +
 
 +
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin. He commanded great respect in Jerusalem as a theologian and teacher of the law. In light of his position and prestige, it’s surprising that Nicodemus would pay a private visit to Jesus. After all, Jesus lacked the formal training Nicodemus and his peers valued so highly. Besides, this blue-collar rabbi had
 +
just wreaked havoc in the Temple and insinuated he had
 +
unique authority from God (Jn 2:13-22). But Nicodemus
 +
was intrigued by Jesus’ teaching, and he could not deny or
 +
dismiss the miracles taking place. So, with a certain
 +
degree of humility, the prominent religious insider called
 +
on the uneducated carpenter from Galilee:
 +
 
 +
Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come
 +
from God. For no one could perform the miraculous
 +
signs you are doing if God were not with him.
 +
(Jn 3:2)
 +
 
 +
{{RightInsert|Answer: None of the above.  For a biblical definition read on.}}One thing could be said for the Pharisees—they knew the importance of etiquette. By addressing Jesus as “Rabbi,” Nicodemus was expressing respect for his status as a teacher and a willingness to learn. But his next statement was one he would quickly regret: “Rabbi, we know....”
 +
 
 +
Not the recommended way to begin a conversation
 +
with the Son of God.
 +
 
 +
Jesus could have confronted Nicodemus for his arro-
 +
gant attitude and ended the conversation there. Instead,
 +
he chose to help Nicodemus see how limited his knowledge really was. His method? A quick game of Biblical Jeopardy. Category: Regeneration, for $200.
 +
 
 +
{{LeftInsert|"We rarely take this teaching [that man cannot enter the kingdom of God] sufficiently seriously, perhaps because it cuts from under our feet the last vestiges of our natural self-sufficiency. It highlights the biblical teaching that our salvation is all of grace. The one thing necessary is the one thing we ourselves cannot perform!<ref>Sinclair Ferguson, ''The Christian Life ''(Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1989), p. 55.</ref><br>'''—Sinclair Ferguson'''}}“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (vs. 3).
 +
 
 +
The Lord’s statement perplexed Nicodemus. “How can a man be born when he is old?”he asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Nicodemus could not comprehend what Jesus
 +
meant, nor was he accustomed to being addressed this
 +
way. It was typically his place to give the answers, not
 +
grope for them. He may even have been in the Temple
 +
when Jesus, as a 12-year-old boy, amazed the priests with his questions. But Jesus was no longer an adolescent.
 +
 
 +
{{RightInsert|'''For Further Study: '''Read Matthew 19:23-26. What are the odds, apart from God’s intervention, of a person entering the kingdom of God?}}“I tell you the truth,” Jesus continued, “no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit...You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’” (vs. 5,7).
 +
 
 +
But Nicodemus was surprised. In fact, he was shocked.
 +
 
 +
“How can this be?” he asked.
 +
 
 +
At this point Nicodemus needed two Tylenol. Adding to
 +
his difficulty was a sense of humiliation, especially when
 +
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, we speak of what we
 +
know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you
 +
people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you
 +
of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will
 +
you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” (vs. 11-12).
 +
 
 +
{{LeftInsert|"The new birth is not only a mystery that no man understands, it is a miracle that no man can undertake.<ref>Quoted in R.C. Sproul, ''Born Again: Leader Guide, ''Chapter III, p. 20.</ref> <br>'''—Richard Baxter'''}}It’s easy to look down on the humbled scholar, but let’s subject ourselves to the same examination: Do we understand what Jesus was saying about being born again? Are we surprised at Jesus’ statements? Unless we’ve reached the place where, like Nicodemus, we ask “How can this be?”, it’s unlikely we have fully understood the mystery and miracle of regeneration.

Revision as of 18:45, 22 May 2008

 

Notice: This template is no longer in use. Please use {{Info}} instead.

Not many years ago the rumor began circulating that a

popular rock star had been “born again.” Reaction from the Christian community was predictably enthusias- tic. But when he learned of his alleged conversion, the rock star quickly put an end to the rumor: “It was report- ed that I was born again. That’s not true. What I said was that I was into porn again.”

One little letter can make quite a difference.

I find myself skeptical when I hear that public figures have been converted. Even if the individual does acknowl- edge a commitment to follow Christ, his or her lifestyle rarely seems to reflect a corresponding change. There is often no evidence of repentance. There is no involvement in a local church. As ordinary citizen Joe Six-Pack observes this apparent contradiction, he inaccurately concludes that this is what it means to be born again.

Meditate on 1 Peter 2:2-3. What is the “milk” described here? Why is pure milk essential for spiritual growth?

Charles Colson is a notable exception to the pattern. A former attorney and presidential aide in the Nixon administration, Colson was convicted and imprisoned for his role in Watergate. It seemed suspicious when, during this period, he claimed to have submitted his life to Christ. But this was no scheme for reducing his sentence. Colson’s conversion was genuine, as evidenced by his new lifestyle. His book Born Again gives an eloquent and powerful account of his authentic encounter with the gospel.

Although the phrase “born again” is commonly used in today’s culture, its theological implications have been obscured. For example, when retired heavyweight boxer George Foreman returned to the ring, sportscasters spoke of his career being “born again.” Politicians who experi- ence a setback and then regain popularity are sometimes referred to as born again. And many people think of born- again Christians as a hyperactive fringe group within the Church, unaware that the new birth is a biblical prerequisite for being a part of the Church at all!

"Becoming a Christian is not making a new start in life; it is receiving a new life to start with."[1]
-Thomas Adams

Even the mature Christian can fail to understand this critical phrase. Yet if we ever hope to change as God intends,we must begin with an understanding and experience of regeneration—the new birth. Here’s where the whole process of sanctification begins.

1 Which of the following phrases best describes, in your opinion, what it means to be born again?

(Answer is printed at bottom of page)

❏Making a decision to start living a better life

❏Renewing a long-lost commitment to Christ

❏Asking God to forgive your sins and live in your heart

❏Telling all your former friends they’re going to Hell

❏None of the above

The Education of a Pharisee

The phrase “born again” didn’t originate with President Jimmy Carter. It originated with Jesus Christ. Let’s discover where he introduced it and how he meant it to be understood as we eavesdrop on a brain-bending conversation in the third chapter of John.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin. He commanded great respect in Jerusalem as a theologian and teacher of the law. In light of his position and prestige, it’s surprising that Nicodemus would pay a private visit to Jesus. After all, Jesus lacked the formal training Nicodemus and his peers valued so highly. Besides, this blue-collar rabbi had just wreaked havoc in the Temple and insinuated he had unique authority from God (Jn 2:13-22). But Nicodemus was intrigued by Jesus’ teaching, and he could not deny or dismiss the miracles taking place. So, with a certain degree of humility, the prominent religious insider called on the uneducated carpenter from Galilee:

Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him. (Jn 3:2)

Answer: None of the above. For a biblical definition read on.

One thing could be said for the Pharisees—they knew the importance of etiquette. By addressing Jesus as “Rabbi,” Nicodemus was expressing respect for his status as a teacher and a willingness to learn. But his next statement was one he would quickly regret: “Rabbi, we know....”

Not the recommended way to begin a conversation with the Son of God.

Jesus could have confronted Nicodemus for his arro- gant attitude and ended the conversation there. Instead, he chose to help Nicodemus see how limited his knowledge really was. His method? A quick game of Biblical Jeopardy. Category: Regeneration, for $200.

"We rarely take this teaching [that man cannot enter the kingdom of God] sufficiently seriously, perhaps because it cuts from under our feet the last vestiges of our natural self-sufficiency. It highlights the biblical teaching that our salvation is all of grace. The one thing necessary is the one thing we ourselves cannot perform![2]
—Sinclair Ferguson

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (vs. 3).

The Lord’s statement perplexed Nicodemus. “How can a man be born when he is old?”he asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Nicodemus could not comprehend what Jesus meant, nor was he accustomed to being addressed this way. It was typically his place to give the answers, not grope for them. He may even have been in the Temple when Jesus, as a 12-year-old boy, amazed the priests with his questions. But Jesus was no longer an adolescent.

For Further Study: Read Matthew 19:23-26. What are the odds, apart from God’s intervention, of a person entering the kingdom of God?

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus continued, “no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit...You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’” (vs. 5,7).

But Nicodemus was surprised. In fact, he was shocked.

“How can this be?” he asked.

At this point Nicodemus needed two Tylenol. Adding to his difficulty was a sense of humiliation, especially when Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” (vs. 11-12).

"The new birth is not only a mystery that no man understands, it is a miracle that no man can undertake.[3]
—Richard Baxter

It’s easy to look down on the humbled scholar, but let’s subject ourselves to the same examination: Do we understand what Jesus was saying about being born again? Are we surprised at Jesus’ statements? Unless we’ve reached the place where, like Nicodemus, we ask “How can this be?”, it’s unlikely we have fully understood the mystery and miracle of regeneration.


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