What is Important – Part 1

John 3:1-6 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” 

Last Sunday, Guest Pastor Dr. Willie Nolte preached on our continuing sermon series through the book of John. He stated that the book of John records seven miracles of Jesus and each are referred to as “signs” because signs point to something. The miracles spoke of in all the gospels all pointed to who Jesus is; the promised God-sent Messiah, the Blessed Redeemer and Savior of the world. There is a great misconception in the world that all roads lead to heaven and everyone is going. But, the truth is just the opposite and all have sinned and fallen below the line of God’s perfection in thought word and deed. Jesus did not come to provide a way to heaven for the good people. Psalm 14:3, Psalm 53:3 and Romans 3:12 say, “They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” Everyone falls below the line and short of the glory of God. The world needed a Savior.

In John 3, this Pharisees named Nicodemus represented the right desire for heaven, but the wrong method to get there. The Jewish law had 613 rules (365 of which were “Don’ts) to keep in order to be “good enough”. Many have the “right” desire to walk through this life in obedience and in relationship with their Creator/Father. Having an aspiration to not break God’s Laws in order to live a life that is pleasing to God, where they know Him and honor Him. But, doing “good” does not make us good. There is no divine “ticket rule” where works because everything is broken by our sin and we all have been caught. The desire is for eternal life with a quality on earth as it is in heaven. Doesn’t right things work righteousness, love and purpose? So, keeping rules to please God, trying to do good and being good makes sense. Yet, life eternal is not quantitative but qualitative. It’s the difference between desirability and practicality. The “Nicodemus way” will always fail because the missing is that “the wages of sin is death”.

The Good News is that it actually is possible to know God, have the heavenly qualities of life and experience eternal life. But, we can get so “hung up” on our way to pursue God that we miss the true way of God.

Let’s continue Dr. Nolte’s message on “eternal life” in the next post.

In Christ, Brian