Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5
Thought for the Day: Conversion and the Holy Spirit
Paul was a very religious man but without a true spiritual life before his conversion. Nicodemus was another religious man, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews, who came to Jesus in the secrecy of night for a spiritual discussion. While Nicodemus begins the discussion acknowledging that Jesus is from God, Jesus commandeers the conversation, making an important point about the kingdom of God: Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). According to Jesus, conversion entails being born again, creating a new spiritual life in a person. Like the apostle Paul having his sight restored, Jesus declares that one cannot see the kingdom until he is born again by the Spirit. One is blinded to the truth of God until God himself intervenes in a person’s life, opening his eyes to who he really is in Jesus.
Jesus’ explanation to Nicodemus of God’s active role in conversion is comparable to what he later asks Peter in Caesarea Philippi: “Who do you say that I am?” “You are the Christ,” says Peter, “the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus responds, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven,” (Matthew 16:15-17). Jesus does not congratulate Peter on his insight into this fundamental Christian truth. Instead he gives the credit and glory to God. In other words, flesh and blood, that is people and their own intellect, have no part in divine revelation. Only God the Father in heaven reveals what he wants to whom he wants it revealed. Conversion to Jesus, therefore, is under the supernatural direction of God the Father, who brings people into belief in his Son one person at a time through the work of his Spirit. This is why Jesus says, The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit (John 3:8). No one knows when and where a person will come to faith in Jesus. It is not as though you or I can list ten things a person needs to know and/or do to become a follower of Jesus. Conversion is not simply baptizing an infant and promising to raise her as a Christian. It is not agreeing to the truth of the creeds, as noble and glorious as they are. Conversion is the divine working of God’s Spirit. Yes, God will use our feeble words, works, and witnesses to move a person to the point of conversion, but the act of conversion itself is his alone.
Conversion entails entrance into the kingdom of God through individual new birth, a supernatural birth, a birth conceived and delivered by God. As Jesus tells Nicodemus, being born again does not mean redelivery through the birth canal. This birth is supernatural birth because one who is born of the flesh is flesh but one who is born of the Spirit is spirit. As Jesus tells the woman at the well in John 4:24, God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. One cannot worship in spirit until one is born of the Spirit. God creates new worshippers through conversion. One cannot enter the kingdom of God until one is born of the Spirit. God creates new worshippers in his kingdom through conversion. One cannot see and comprehend the truth of Jesus until one is born of the Spirit. God creates new spirit and truth worshippers in his kingdom through conversion. To be born of the Spirit means to be born of God, converted to Jesus, and alive in the Spirit to worship the One true God forever.
Self-examination, repentance, prayer, and worship:
Before you pray, take some time to reflect on something you want forgiven in your life. Perhaps there is something in your past you have carried around long enough. God does promise to forgive us when we repent. Tell the Lord you are sorry, ask him to forgive you, and then pray a prayer like the following:
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may receive from you, the God of mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Spend further time in prayer and worship before studying the Gospel of John below.
Study: John 4:27-42, The Disciples Rejoin Jesus
27Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" 28So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" 30They went out of the town and were coming to him.
31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."33So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?" 34Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' 38I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
39Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."
Reflection Questions:
1) According to Jesus, who did the labor in this situation from which his disciples can reap?
2) Why did the woman want her friends to meet Jesus? Can you relate to her enthusiasm in your own witness?
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