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| Religion Forum Index » Christian Adventist Forum » Dial Daily Bread: Perk Up, Nicodemus--There's Hope! ... |
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| ka6uup... |
 Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:14 pm |
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Guest
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Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Nicodemus asked a pointed question that troubles every one of us, young
or old: "How can a man be born when he is old?" (John 3:4). The word is
geron in the Greek, from which we get gerontology, the science of
growing old. (We get our word "grey" from that! In other words,
Nicodemus asked, "How can a grey-haired person get converted!?") Roman
Catholic leaders say that if they can train a child up to the age of
seven, they have him/her for life. Child psychologists pretty well agree
that one forms his patterns of thinking and emotional response by that
age. Even a teenager has a decade of habit patterns of neurotransmitters
developing a momentum hard to change, so he/she too is "old." If you
haven't learned to play the violin well by 12, you'll probably never
make it to Lincoln Center.
Now, how can a person be truly converted when he is "old"? The world
says, "It's impossible." But Jesus took on Nicodemus, and said a decided
"Yes!" to his question, "Most assuredly, ... do not marvel!" (vss. 5-7).
Then He said that this miracle new birth comes about entirely by the
work of the Holy Spirit (vs.  . Nicodemus was right in one respect--you
can't re-birth yourself. Jesus hands out no do-it-yourself
"be-born-again" kits. Paul got His point when he said, "From first to
last this has been the work of God" (2 Cor. 5:18, NEB). God plants the
seed of the new birth in your soul like a wind carrying tree seeds far
and wide and you "can't tell" how that gospel seed of hope got blown
into your soul (see John 3:, but it will germinate if you don't step
on it and stamp it out. A seed germinating can break rocks and concrete!
No human heart is too hard for what the Holy Spirit does therein.
Yes, Nicodemus! when a person is old, he/she can be born again! Jesus
said, "Listen!" It happens by looking at Moses's "serpent" lifted up on
a pole like the Israelites bitten by the poisonous snakes (vs. 14). The
"serpent" represents Christ on His cross. You look and the poison of sin
(self-love) is drawn out of your heart. You are born again by believing
that love (vs. 16). "By grace you have been saved, through faith" (Eph.
2:. Perk up, Nicodemus! There's hope.
Copyright © 2009 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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