Today’s Bible readings are Judges 17:1-18:31, John 3:1-21, Psalm 104:1-23, & Proverbs 14:20-21
John 3:1-4
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader
who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to
speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to
teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born
again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed
Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born
again?”
What is it exactly that the gospel is intended to do to our
lives? What is the purpose of the good news? We start to see the plan of God
unfold in this exchange between Jesus & Nicodemus. Jesus begins to explain
the purpose of the gospel.
He says: “unless a man is born again”. This shows us the intent of the gospel. It is
to bring TRANSFORMATION into our lives. The gospel is meant to change
everything about our lives & cause us to become new creatures.
Many people hear the gospel, & even respond to the gospel,
but never experience true transformation. This is not the way that it is
supposed to work. I want to make one point very clear; IT IS NOT THE GOSPELS
FAULT!!!
The gospel still carries the same power that it did when
Jesus preached it when He walked the earth. The problem is that many don’t let
that gospel into their lives the way that it is meant to work. We want the good
news that will make us feel better. We want the good news that we like. But we
tend to blow off the rest of the message that can really lead to changed hearts
& changed lives.
The gospel is an entire message. It teaches us to love,
live, & forgive. It also teaches us to walk in victory, power, & truth.
It teaches us to say no to ungodliness, evil, & wickedness. It teaches us
of grace, mercy, & faith. When we take these things in their entirety we
experience transformation.
Transformation occurs in our families, our relationships, our
finances, our emotions, our minds, our attitudes, our bodies, etc… It begins to
affect every area of how we live. This is the TRUE intent of the gospel. It is
meant to transform us into new creatures!!!
How does this occur? It starts by taking in the Word. The Word
is a seed that will produce God’s plans in us.
Isaiah 55:10-11
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and
making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for
the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
God’s Word puts in us the things that are needed in order
for us to experience transformation. As we receive His Word it gives life &
truth to us so we can see the way life is supposed to be in Christ. This leads
to us living that life by faith. This is transformation.
If there is an area of your life that has not experienced
transformation, open up your heart to the Word of God. Begin t search the
scripture to see what it says about your situation. As your get the GOOD NEWS
about that area, let it transform you in to the new creature that you truly
are. Le the gospel affect every area of your life in Jesus Name!
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