The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"The Miracle of Life"
The Pharisee Nicodemus came to the Lord Jesus Christ for teaching. He actually needed birthing.
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:1-3).
We cannot learn our way into salvation and newness of life in Christ. Certainly, we discover and believe truth in order to be born again through faith in the Lord Jesus. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). However, the new birth always involves the miraculous work the Holy Spirit, who brings forth life from barren wombs like unto Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Elizabeth, and other women in Scripture who seemingly should not have conceived, and yet brought forth life.
"And you hath He quickened (enlivened), who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1).
Salvation in the Lord Jesus involves a work of God deep in the spirit of every convert. From being "alienated from the life of God" unto the vibrant and teeming life of Christ Himself present in the heart, the spiritually dead become as the father affirmed of his son once prodigal, but repentant and redeemed, "This my son was dead, and is alive again" (Ephesians 4:18; Luke 15:24). The eternal life of the Lord Jesus dwells within every born again believer, making possible a life far beyond our human means and "the hope of glory" for all who trust the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:4; Colossians 1:27).
If God performed so great a miracle in our spiritual conception and birthing, why would we not expect Him to lead us thereafter in the same wonder of grace? As with our salvation, when we likely did not realize we had "passed from death unto life," our Lord's quietly miraculous working will frequently not seem overt and evident (John 5:24). Presently, the life of God moves in ways and means usually known only to a few, if any. This is true in us, making necessary our determination to "walk by faith, not by sight," being confident that even if we can see only a limited measure of "life… more abundantly," the life of Christ abounds within us nevertheless (I John 5:7; John 10:10). Indeed, the empty tomb of the Lord Jesus not only bears witness to His resurrection unto "newness of life," but also unto the corollary wonder true of every believer: "Ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God" (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12).
A miracle birthed us unto Christ's life everlasting. Further miracles await us forevermore as we "live through Him" (I John 4:9). In fact, every act of faithful obedience to God involves His working to bring forth life from death, even as the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul affirmed of our lives being the scene of the very life of God resident and resurrecting in those who believe…
"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
(John 4:14)
"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you."
(Romans 8:10-11)
Weekly Memory Verse
We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
(II Corinthians 4:18)
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