Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Our English Bibles translate what Jesus said in John 3:7 as "You must be born again." To me that word "MUST" has come across as a demand that I MUST DO something, and unless I DO it, I won't even be able to "see" the kingdom of God, let alone "enter" it. The problem is that I don't know how to DO the something that I MUST do. Evangelists have told me three things: (1) Study, (2) Pray, (3) Witness. But how can I know that I have studied, prayed, witnessed enough? Am I to think of Jesus as demanding that I DO something I don't know how to DO? And if I can't do it, He pulls a trigger?
Finally, I decided to look at the actual Greek of what He said, and it turns out to be different. The little word is dei, is third person (not second!), indicative (not imperative!), impersonal. It means literally, "it is needful for you to be born again (passive, not active, aorist)." He didn't say, "You must take the initiative to DO something in order to be born again!" What He said was, "The Holy Spirit must do something to create in you a new heart." Then He goes on in verse 8 to explain this work of the Holy Spirit--that it is He who takes the initiative in your new birth, not you!
The entire discourse as recorded in John 3 emphasizes a radically different idea than Christian legalism stresses ("do this, do that," Laodicean lukewarmness): God has [past tense, aorist] taken the initiative in your salvation, not vice versa; He is the Good Shepherd seeking His lost sheep, not vice versa (Luke 19:10); He is the Savior seeking fellowship with sinners, not vice versa (Luke 15:2); as you did not "born" yourself (your parents did that!), so you cannot DO your own "clean heart" thing (Psalm 51:10); you don't get to heaven by climbing up a ladder to get there, you "look," "behold," a Savior climbing down a ladder all the way to hell to find you (Rom. 10:7-10; Phil. 2:5-8); bitten by a snake, you see Him "made" to be a snake on a pole, "made to be sin for [you], who knew no sin; that [you] might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21); you see the Father's heart wrenched with agony as He "gives" (not lends!) His Son for eternity so that you might not "perish" (John 3:16).
And now, what finally, do you DO? You believe the heart-melting "amen" of Abraham when he was justified by faith. Your richest gain you now count but loss, and pour contempt on all your pride. Were the whole realm of nature yours, that would be a tribute far too small; such love demands your heart, your life, your all. And lo, and behold,--you are born again!
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 10, 1999.Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
Our English Bibles translate what Jesus said in John 3:7 as "You must be born again." To me that word "MUST" has come across as a demand that I MUST DO something, and unless I DO it, I won't even be able to "see" the kingdom of God, let alone "enter" it. The problem is that I don't know how to DO the something that I MUST do. Evangelists have told me three things: (1) Study, (2) Pray, (3) Witness. But how can I know that I have studied, prayed, witnessed enough? Am I to think of Jesus as demanding that I DO something I don't know how to DO? And if I can't do it, He pulls a trigger?
Finally, I decided to look at the actual Greek of what He said, and it turns out to be different. The little word is dei, is third person (not second!), indicative (not imperative!), impersonal. It means literally, "it is needful for you to be born again (passive, not active, aorist)." He didn't say, "You must take the initiative to DO something in order to be born again!" What He said was, "The Holy Spirit must do something to create in you a new heart." Then He goes on in verse 8 to explain this work of the Holy Spirit--that it is He who takes the initiative in your new birth, not you!
The entire discourse as recorded in John 3 emphasizes a radically different idea than Christian legalism stresses ("do this, do that," Laodicean lukewarmness): God has [past tense, aorist] taken the initiative in your salvation, not vice versa; He is the Good Shepherd seeking His lost sheep, not vice versa (Luke 19:10); He is the Savior seeking fellowship with sinners, not vice versa (Luke 15:2); as you did not "born" yourself (your parents did that!), so you cannot DO your own "clean heart" thing (Psalm 51:10); you don't get to heaven by climbing up a ladder to get there, you "look," "behold," a Savior climbing down a ladder all the way to hell to find you (Rom. 10:7-10; Phil. 2:5-8); bitten by a snake, you see Him "made" to be a snake on a pole, "made to be sin for [you], who knew no sin; that [you] might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21); you see the Father's heart wrenched with agony as He "gives" (not lends!) His Son for eternity so that you might not "perish" (John 3:16).
And now, what finally, do you DO? You believe the heart-melting "amen" of Abraham when he was justified by faith. Your richest gain you now count but loss, and pour contempt on all your pride. Were the whole realm of nature yours, that would be a tribute far too small; such love demands your heart, your life, your all. And lo, and behold,--you are born again!
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 10, 1999.Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
