SECOND WEEK OF EASTER : MONDAY 2.05.11
JOHN 3:1-8 UNLESS A MAN IS BORN FROM ABOVE, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Nicodemus was a pharisee, a teacher of the Law and a respectable member of the Sanhedrin. But he had his own doubts and wanted to know for certain from Jesus how to enter the kingdom of God.He was ashamed of being seen in the company of Jesus and entertaining such fundamental doubts and hence chose to visit Jesus under the cover of darkness.Jesus was impressed by his humility and wanted him to go one step further and acknowledge him as God through whom he can obtain salvation. Titus 3:5-7 explains :-" he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life." Therefore not by the 'righteous things' like the strict observance of rituals and practices as prescribed in the Law and the performance of good deeds that one can earn his salvation. We are born again by the 'waters' of baptism when all our sins are forgiven after sincere repentance and turning away from sin through the merits of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Through the same passion, death and resurrection of Christ our soul is regenerated by the infilling of the Holy Spirit and we are born again as a new person and a child of God. Because of our response of belief and repentance to the grace and initiative of God our life is transformed by the in-pouring of the Holy Spirit and as a result we easily become obedient to God's will and commandments and perform good deeds. Every Christian by definition should be a born again person if his faith in Christ is genuine. If a Christian is living a sinful life then his faith is not genuine and his salvation could be doubtful.Ultimate salvation is for those who persevere till the end in genuine faith and obedience to the word of God. Right faith involves believing the word of God and obeying it and again faith is a gift of God.
God Bless.
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