October 2- Do You Believe?

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 3:5-21 NASB

Classic red letter words—You must be born again… For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Nicodemus asked “how” and Jesus told him—believe. We have to seek and practice the truth. Pilate and Jesus spoke together in John 18:37. “Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (NASB) Jesus came to testify or bear witness to the truth. Truth occurs 201 times in the NASB. That is a lot of truth. Jesus says “Truly, truly,” a couple of times just in this passage. Truth is free from pretense, falsehood or deceit. Don’t be amazed—just believe what Jesus has said. It may seem too simple—but it has to be heartfelt—not just head knowledge. I think that believing is a heart action, knowing is a head or brain action. Listen with your heart and hear the truth. That truth will set you free. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:2 (NASB) I like the “not being judged” part, too. Very reassuring that those who believe in Christ and practice truth won’t be condemned to an eternal death.

I grew up going to Sunday School every Sunday. We were taught that Jesus loves us, but never “you must be born again.” When I first heard this and that Jesus was coming back—I thought He would come again as a baby and I wanted to be His mother this time. Later on in a college Bible Study I heard that He is coming on a white horse, not as a baby, to rescue us all. Actually those who have a believing relationship with Him will be caught up to meet Him in the air. Later He’ll come on His white horse to judge those who do not believe and to wage war. See Revelation 19:11, where He is known as Faithful and True. He is Truth, just like it says in John 14:6. Jesus said to him (Thomas), "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (NASB) I believe. How about you?

Dear Jesus—You are Truth. Thank you for revealing Yourself to me that I may believe and truly feast on Your words today.

2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.