Happy Birthday to Me

February 5th

When asked about the most important thing that has ever happened to me, I always reply when I was spiritually reborn into the kingdom of God. Of course, being reborn spiritually isn’t possible unless one is first born physically, but that’s a talking point for another day. In chapter 3 of John’s gospel Jesus was speaking to a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was a religious leader of the Jews and could not grasp what Jesus was talking about when He told him he had to be born-again if he expected to enter the kingdom of God. This incredible supernatural event is inarguably one of God’s most significant miracles. I couldn’t even venture an intelligent guess as to how many times a day it occurs, but for the Creator of the universe to bring a dead soul to life is, in my humble opinion the most glorious miracle of all. Turning water to wine, healing the sick, calming the seas, walking on water, and raising the dead were child's play when compared to the act of regenerating one man’s dead soul.

II Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Wow! I remember the incredible peace that came over me the moment I gave in to His call. I didn’t begin to understand the theological significance of the event, but the joy that flooded my soul brought tears to my eyes. God, in His infinite wisdom determined before the foundation of the world those whom He would effectually call into His kingdom. His word tells us this miraculous event we call the new birth results in His Spirit entering our bodies and taking up residence. In Romans 8:9 we’re told you are in the Spirit, “. . . if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Of course, we couldn’t grasp such doings were it not for God’s Spirit illuminating us (Jn. 16:13; I Cor. 2:14, 15). It seems we sometimes leave our first love (Rev. 2:4) because we have forgotten what we were like before God intervened in our lives and rescued us. It seems we quickly develop the Pharisee Syndrome (Luke 18:11, 12). We forget we were bound for eternity in hell when God gave us the faith to switch course. Maybe we should take time today to reflect about just how disgusting our own lives were before He reached down, picked us up, dusted off our filthy souls, breathed new life into us, gave us our cross, and told us to follow Him. And then maybe we’ll begin looking for an opportunity to tell some dear lost soul what great things God did for us.