Aug 22 2013
‘The wind blows wherever it pleases’
What Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus means for spiritual and physical healing.
Can you remember the details of your conversion experience? If it was an obvious move from darkness to light you probably remember something that got your curiosity going. Perhaps you felt God’s presence in a church, or it was something a friend said or did that impacted you. Such an experience usually leads us to a period where we ask lots of questions before we make a final decision. Nicodemus was no different (John 3:1-16). He came to Jesus one night because he had seen the miracles he was doing and was starting to believe that Jesus really had an authority from God.
Knowing Nicodemus was starting to see God in what he was doing, Jesus said, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Obviously Nicodemus was not born again, but Jesus used the fact that he was seeing something to explain that complete sight could only come by a radical transformation of the heart, something so radical that Jesus called it being ‘born again.’
This term ‘born again’ threw Nicodemus. He could not understand how anyone could be born a second time? More
Feb 27 2015
Undeserved Favour
Luke 7:36-50 Jesus forgives a sinful woman
When a Red Indian who had been converted to Christ was asked what it meant to him, he picked a worm out of the soil, placed it on a dry leaf and then set the leaf on fire. As the fire drew close to the worm he suddenly plunged his hand into the flame and pulled the worm out. Then he said “Me, that worm.”
The ‘sinful woman’ that was forgiven by Jesus as she wept at his feet could have said the same thing. Her life was in a moral mess but God plucked her from certain destruction.
It’s interesting that Jesus said her faith had saved her because I think it’s quite obvious to everyone that something far bigger than faith was also involved; namely God’s grace.
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