Why... "born again"?

(John 3:3) Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Unless a man is born again he cannot see nor enter the kingdom of heaven is where the human race now finds themselves but how did we arrival at such a pitiful place and with so many cluelessly oblivious to the truth of it all? So many second guessing even God’s existence.

Here then is an allegory which could make it easier to understand for those willing to listen, consider, process and then act upon…

There was a man from another world who understood the beauty of all things; Utopia, a land which had the best of fruits, a place where the lion lay down with the lamb. It was a world far too beautiful to accurately describe, it was unadulterated magnificence. Thorns were unheard of, blemishes foreign to any of it fruits and sheer joy was an emotion that flooded the soul. Peace was an undertone that filled his environment. It was an acreage embodied with pure bliss and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was the center of it all. He was the one who created it and all He required was obedience.

And then one day an enemy from another world saw his opportunity. Someone who knew the truth, at least in part, he was an individual with great power, cunning and full of sin. An evil being who had already rebelled against God, a traitor who had been banished from heaven, who once held a position of power.

There is only One Master and Chief and the sooner we learn that the simpler our lives will become. He rebelled against God, disobeyed a direct command resulting in a twisted objective to defy God His creator and get this man to follow him. However Adam was not so easily fooled and so he devised a cunning plan targeting that which Adam held closest to his heart, his wife Eve, she was the apple of his eye and so this cunning creature, later to be recognized as Satan approached with lies and beguiled her inquiring mind into believing that he had a better life for her, unbeknown to her, she was drawn into his cunning scheme, the art of deception had ensnared her and she tried something forbidden. On the surface what he had to say seemed harmless enough, but once she indulged in the prohibited, her eyes were opened to a world of terror, filled with death and then it was too late, the door to their wonderful world was closed forever. A new facet to their understanding was quickened. Suspicion, malice, guile, envy, were just some of the fruits they could now actually comprehend. Her defiance had unlocked that door for all who would follow, her offspring would now be born as sinners and by nature bear its fruit with sin at the center of it all.

    

God was furious with their rebellion, questioning why he had formed them and their disobedience came at great cost; they were banished from their blissful country and into a world filled with treachery. Monsters and vile beasts surrounded them on every side. They were now on the run, seeking the preservation of life, hiding in caves and eating fruit full of worms. Death had become part of their survival! They now had to track and kill live venison to sustain their family. They hunted and were also hunted. The utopia on what was once peaceful had long been forgotten. Pain and suffering had become a way of life with death continually knocking at their door. And then Adam died, his life had come to an end. Death! The reality of their mutiny. The curse of death lives on and all because of our great grandparents rebellion.

If you think you know better, then by all means ignore God’s voice, but don’t be surprised when you face a similar fate. God has spoken and those who find the grace to heed His voice will be richly rewarded. Jesus has paid that price and He has broken the curse, God in the flesh died in the place of sinners reversing the curse placed upon mankind. It not as if once we are saved, “born again” that we become perfect in character, far from it, but no differently to a baby who enters our world learning what is needed for survival, the Christian also must endure many hardships along the way as they learnt to put on the mind of Christ. However although each Christian differs in growth and maturity, one thing is certain we can all see into heaven through the eyes of faith. Without true repentance for our sin, we may look heavenward but all we will ever see is the vast universe, pondering what is out there. Fabricating our own lies to suit our lifestyles.   

Being “born again” gives us eyes to see the truth. It’s God Himself who opens our eyes to know the truth. A second chance is what we have been given and there most certainly won’t be a third.

Here is the instruction: Acknowledge your sins, confess them, cry out to Jesus Christ the Lord as you seek out His forgiveness for you rebellion against His Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, confess Him as Lord, believing that God the Father raised him from the dead. Cry out to Him and He will react, of this I am convinced. 

These are the actions that quickens our Spirit and our understanding springs to life, this is how a person is “born again”. It establishes an honest relationship with God, His door is now open to our voice. Our grasp on who God is, is now quickened, we understand that we have found what we have always been looking for and we are given a peace where faith instills a confidence into our soul. Finally we know that all will be well. We were once the enemy of God but now we have been recruited into his fold, praise the name of JESUS CHRIST my LORD! We are now children of God and we must look to please our Father by uncovering His will, and not our selfish wants for our lives.

Signing off

Tyrone