SPIRITUAL RE-BIRTH

Freelance writer  Lupie Riley

Thougth: Most of us are familiar with the phrase "you must be born again" but do we really understand the depth of it's meaning? When we came into this life we were spiritually dead due to the sin of disobediance from our first parents, Adam and Eve. The Word says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There isn't one person living or dead that has kept all of the 10 commandments. But God provided a rescue out of the bondage of sin that we were born into. God left his formal glory and put on the flesh of a human called Jesus. Through his sinless, bodily sacrifice he aquits us of all our guilt and adopts us into his family as a child of God.

Jesus explained the re-birth process to Nicodemus, a member of the sect of Pharisees who used the dark of the night as a shield for his interview with the Messiah. Jesus told him "with all earnestness I possess I tell you this; Unless you are born again, you can never get into the kingdom of God." Nicodemus was dumbfounded by this reply so Jesus went on to explain. "Unless one is born of water (natural birth) and of Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Men can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven; so don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again!"

Paul goes on to reveal what happen's to a person when they invite Christ into their life. "When someone becomes a Christian (born again) he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore, a new life has begun!" It's nothing we can do to buy or work our way into heaven, it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, it is God himself who made us what we are and given us this new life from Christ. Ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others (paraphrased). If we ever wondered why were here on this incredible planet called Earth it's found in those two words "helping others."

Prayer: Father God, thank you for making me right with you through the shed blood of Christ. How wonderful it is to be called a child of God and a member of your family. Amen

Verse: Titus 3:4-7 LB "But when the time came for the kindness and love of God our Savior to appear, then he saved us--not because we were good enough to be saved, but because of his kindness and pity--by washing away our sins and giving us the new joy of the indwelling Holy Spirit whom he poured out upon us with wonderful fullness--and all because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did so that he could declare us good in God's eyes--all because of his great kindness and now we can share in the wealth of the eternal life he gives us and we are eagerly looking forward to receiving it."

Married 58 years, four children, nine grandchildren and three greats.  I've been a freelance writer for over 40 years.  Working on a book at the present.  My priorities are God first, family, country. Look me up on Google search by my name Lupie Riley, click on first link. Faithwriters.com