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Be Born Again, Be Renewed!

 

John 3:3 - Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" (NIV).

 

Like I have mentioned in the past weekly messages, as Jesus' disciples our faith has to be genuine. That is to be called in spirit and in truth to understand Jesus Christ's mission for His Church and those around us . 

 

In John 3:3. Jesus tells Nicodemus (whom by all intents and purposes would understand who this Jesus is, but he doesn't seem to understand until he has this encounter with Him), that being "born from above" (or "born again") means a spiritual rebirth – seeing God's kingdom requires a new perspective, one rooted in God's Spirit. Now in our modern world, what is this about? It’s about:


- New beginnings: Letting go of old ways, admitting one's wrongdoings, confessing them and embracing a life aligned with God.
- Spirit-led living: Prioritizing love, compassion, and purpose over worldly measures.
- Transformation: Seeing ourselves and others through God’s lens, not society’s.

 

So Jesus is saying here, "Hey, you gotta start fresh." Being "born from above" means experiencing a spiritual shift – like a reboot for your soul. It's about:
- Perspective change: Seeing life through God's lens, not the world's.
- New values: Prioritizing love, kindness, and purpose over power, accolades, self-aggrandizing or societal status.
- Inner transformation: Becoming more like Jesus, embracing compassion and forgiveness no matter what this might be or look like for us.


Again, let's think of it like this way: Just as a seed grows into a new plant, we too can become new people, rooted in God's love and spirit.

- Empathy over judgment: Seeing people as God sees them, with love and compassion.
- Purpose over plans: Aligning your life with God's bigger story - John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall 

  not perish but have eternal life" (NIV).

- Forgiveness over grudges: Letting go, just like Jesus does for us.
- Community over individualism: Connecting with others, building each other up.It's about living like Jesus, in small and big ways. And it is beyond only doing good works, it's about doing faith works in the act of resisting evil in the face of challenges and tough situations that need the mind of Jesus Christ to love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). 

 

Do you want to explore more what this looks like in your everyday life? First, you must be born again and be renewed. for example, you might:

 

- Help to volunteer or help a difficult neighbor whom you know is in need, to show kindness, even when it's hard.
- Want to also remember our 5 Marks of Mission as Christians to explore faith that inspire our growth, especially in the world around us that is so volatile, divided and sometimes    makes us very vulnerable - examples are too numerous to mention. 

 

John 3:3 - Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" (NIV).

 

 

Thanks be to God!. Amen.

 

The Reverend Wilson Akinwale

Rector