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Topic: Before Pride Destroys You
[DCLM Daily Manna 28 June 2020 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: John 3:1-8
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Key Verse: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
MESSAGE:
Pride, shame and fear of condescension are prominent among the reasons influential people do not identify with the gospel. This was why Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. You must be born again was Christ’s message to him. Converted, Nicodemus afterward owned Christ publicly. Though he was a ruler, he did not talk with Christ about state affairs, but about the concerns of his own soul and its salvation. What a privilege to preach salvation to a sinning political leader when he comes to a preacher by himself!
Our Saviour spoke of the necessity and nature of regeneration of the new birth to Nicodemus. Life begins with birth. A new life begins with a new birth. To be born again is to begin to live a new spiritual life of righteousness and holiness.
There is no alternative to this: if we want to walk with God, we must have a new nature, new principles, new affections and new aims. By our first birth, we were corrupt, ‘shapen’ in sin. We, therefore, have to be made new creatures. No stronger expression could have been chosen to signify a remarkable change of state and character. We must be entirely different from what we were.
Ask yourself if you currently have that new birth. If not, why halting between two opinions? Christ is ready to save you. He is inviting you to, “Come unto [Him], all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and [He] will give you rest.” Sin breeds crisis and restlessness in the soul. But Christ gives peace and rest to everyone who confesses his/her sins, repents of them and accepts Him as Lord and personal Saviour.
Thought For The Day: Jesus is waiting to save anyone who comes to Him.
The Bible In One Year: 1 Kings 19-20
