May 3
Judg 17:1-18:31 | PS 104:1-24 | Prov 14:20-21 | John 3:1-21
What is more difficult, to simply add on to your current direction or to about face? Though entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ is extremely simple, since He did everything necessary, it is rendered difficult because it requires a change of mind, a change of thinking on our part. The other day while speaking to a patient who I have spoken to about Christ numerous times through the years, in frustration she said, "But I try so hard". Jesus never told us to try harder. The truth is we are all broken and not pretty close to achieving this relationship in our own goodness. Those who become more "religious" are given additional tasks at becoming better, trying harder to attain that finish line. Jesus essentially tells us that we don't even realize that we entered the wrong race. It is as though our whole life we practiced running when what was needed was to swim. Religion says "Do". Jesus says "Come". Religion says "You have to be better". Jesus said He knows that we can never be good enough. Even one sin not paid for is too much, and blocks heaven from us. No amount of good works can change this. So, Jesus, suffered and died on the cross, the perfect sacrifice. One act, if we simply accept it, wipes away all of our sins: past, present and future. For our part we are simply told to change our minds, or about face. Yes, good works will occur. But this in response to what He has done not to achieve something which is unachievable.
We read in John 3:1-2, "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.”" As we read through the Gospel accounts we often erroneously view the Pharisees as the "bad guys" or God's enemies. They were the Who's Who in religion. They were the ones who were looked up to in order to get closer to God, the epitome of being as good as you can be. Jesus takes charge of the conversation by telling him that he needed to about face, not add on to his perceived goodness, as we read in 3:3, "Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”" You can't blame Nicodemus who has difficulty comprehending what Jesus stated, so Jesus says again in 3:5-6, "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." Nicodemus being an expert of the law, Jesus goes onto give a visual analogy of what being born again was in 3:14-17, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." In the example from Numbers 21:4-9, nothing was required for those bitten by the poisonous snakes to survive other than to simply look at the Bronze Serpent on the pole,
Religion gets it so wrong. God is not some tyrant whose demands are so stringent that you can never seem to please Him. He loves you unconditionally. He loves us so much that He doesn't make us do the work to one day spend eternity with Him. He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us and do the work that was required for our salvation. It was never about doing works on our part. It comes down to how we see ourselves and how we see Him. If we see ourselves as almost good enough to gain entry, then we are further away than we think. If we see ourselves the undeserving sinners that we are then our minds are just where they need to be. It is in our hopelessness that we can turn our eyes to our Living Hope. Repentance, or doing an about face in the way we think, and acceptance of Jesus' perfect work is all that it takes. And again, there will be fruit from this relationship which will be seen as "good works". But this comes after salvation, not before it.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: