The most well know and probable the most famous verse in the Bible can be found in John’s gospel Chapter 3. I am of course referring to verse 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that he who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”
But perhaps just as important a verse in Chapter 3 comes prior to this when Jesus speaks with a member of the Sanhedrin the Jewish ruling body saying in verse 3 “ I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” Here was one of Israel most learned people a rabbi himself, Nicodemus being told that he is not eligible in his current state to be a candidate for the kingdom of God. Nicodemus would have know all about the God of Israel, he would have had his own disciples that he taught, Jesus referred to him in verse 10 as ‘Israel’s teacher’. He would know at least the Tora, the first five books of the Old Testament off by heart. Yet Jesus says that if you want to see the kingdom of God, you need more than just knowledge, you must be born again. Born of the Spirit and of water.
There is no doubt that Jesus is speaking to a ‘good’ man, a man who would keep the law, honour God, keep the sabbath, could teach, attended the Temple for prayer and worship, yet that is not enough.
What Nicodemus had was religion, and religion Jesus says is not enough, you need relationship, a relationship with God that comes from being born again of the Spirit, where your religious knowledge and practices turn to heart response and relationship.
Today we continue our adventure in the Book of Acts and we see where God reaches out to a religious person a man named Cornelius, giving hope to all religious people today that there is more than just religion available, there is a born again Spiritual relationship waiting for those who respond.
Blair
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