"Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.'"
John 3:5&6
I was blessed once again, to be present at the birth of my brand new granddaughter, Natali. It was a wonderful experience even though it kept grandpa up all night! I watched my daughter as she bravely labored. Finally, as I waited in an uncomfortable lounge area, I got the news. The baby is here! After a short time, they allowed me back in the room and I saw mom, dad, and the new bundle of joy. All this reminded me that there is a new birth that is even a greater miracle than the one we had just experienced.
It struck me that everything about a baby speaks of the new world they will be born into. You see, my granddaughter has legs, but she could not walk while in the womb. She has a mouth, but she could not speak or even cry while in the womb. Everything about her, arms, legs, eyes, ears, mouth, hands and feet are things that are intended to use in the world she was being born into. So it is with us. Everything about us speaks of the world we will be born into. It is a new life in the Spirit that we look forward to, and God has equipped all of us already with the things we will need in that new, glorious world. What we do not understand will then be fully understood. The incredible spirits that God has placed in each of us will come to life when we are finally born into the kingdom of heaven.
When we received Jesus for the first time, there was an awakening. This was the birth that Jesus spoke of to Nicodemus in the scripture above. There is one great difference between the natural birth of a baby and our birth into the kingdom of God: We have a choice to be born or not, a baby must be born. Nothing can stop it. But the wonder of a birth is mind boggling. When a baby is born, everyone marvels at the miracle. When one is born into the kingdom of God, all heaven marvels at the miracle. And when we are finally birthed into our heavenly home, it will be marvelous to behold.
The phrase, "Born again," has been used for centuries. It has been ridiculed and maligned. But God knew exactly what he wanted to say to make it clear to us. He used the example of the simple, yet complex miracle of childbirth. We can understand that because we have seen it. So he let us know that this new life he has made available is even more miraculous than that. Today, I want to meditate on the beauty of God's salvation. He brought me from death to life and birthed me into a new world of eternal life. But there is another birth that awaits me and even now creation is groaning as in the pains of childbirth, longing for that day. It is wonderful, it is miraculous, it is exciting. I have witnessed a birth, but the greatest one is still to come!
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