John 3: 1 – 8
Just the other day, the National Enquirer caught former vice-presidential nominee, John Edwards, sneaking around in a hotel late at night with his mistress, and their love child. Things like this have been going on since the dawn of time. We believe that the cover of darkness will protect us from being seen, and nobody will find out where we went or what we did.
Indeed, nefarious deeds happen in the dark.
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
Here is an example of something good happening in the dark of night. Nicodemus was afraid that people would see him with Jesus; they were officially at odds with each other after all, it would look bad for him to meet with Jesus in public. But he had this uncontrollable desire to hear what Jesus had to say, to learn at the feet of the master, to find out about the Holy Spirit.
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
In God’s kingdom, there is a spiritual Helper who produces new life. But His role is to bring about “second birth”. The Holy Spirit uses a variety of ways to accomplish this. He convicts the world of sin, empowers the gospel, regenerates us from within, and places believers into eternal union with Christ. Though He is invisible, His life-changing activity can be clearly seen. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit”. The Spirit desires to use us in sharing the gospel so others can experience that second birth.
The Holy Spirit is the Christian’s source of power.
Just the other day, the National Enquirer caught former vice-presidential nominee, John Edwards, sneaking around in a hotel late at night with his mistress, and their love child. Things like this have been going on since the dawn of time. We believe that the cover of darkness will protect us from being seen, and nobody will find out where we went or what we did.
Indeed, nefarious deeds happen in the dark.
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
Here is an example of something good happening in the dark of night. Nicodemus was afraid that people would see him with Jesus; they were officially at odds with each other after all, it would look bad for him to meet with Jesus in public. But he had this uncontrollable desire to hear what Jesus had to say, to learn at the feet of the master, to find out about the Holy Spirit.
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
In God’s kingdom, there is a spiritual Helper who produces new life. But His role is to bring about “second birth”. The Holy Spirit uses a variety of ways to accomplish this. He convicts the world of sin, empowers the gospel, regenerates us from within, and places believers into eternal union with Christ. Though He is invisible, His life-changing activity can be clearly seen. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit”. The Spirit desires to use us in sharing the gospel so others can experience that second birth.
The Holy Spirit is the Christian’s source of power.
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