This week we covered the conversation with Nicodemus. One of the attributes of Christ that was highlighted was His omniscience. This was an example of Jesus answering all of Nicodemus' questions that he was thinking but didn't ask outright. Ever notice many times in scripture where Jesus' response has little to nothing to do with what the question or comment was about? This was a classic example of that. Jesus got to the heart of what Nicodemus really wanted to know, and that was how to enter the Kingdom of God. We can see from Jesus' answer that you must be reborn, or born again. All too often there are those institutionalized Christians that look down their collective noses at "those born-again's, but in reality, without being reborn Spiritually, you are not a Christian at all. Jesus makes this emphatic in this discourse.
We also see from Jesus' response that God is sovereign in His selection of the elect. He likens the Holy Spirit to the wind. We can call on the wind all day and it may or may not come. It may come from the east or west, north or south. We don't know. We don't control the wind, and we don't control the Holy Spirit. We are dead in our sins until the Holy Spirit moves in us. As Jesus says to Nicodemus "You're a teacher of the scriptures and you don't know these things?" Sharp rebuke. Too bad there are far too many Christians and pastors that don't understand either.
Pastor Frankie Rainey will be preaching the word next Sunday. Feel free to join us.
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