Another Life to Live

John 3

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:4

Conversations with Jesus don’t seem to flow like we would normally expect. If a man were to tell me, “Kev, I can tell you are a teacher from God, because no one can do the things you do.”, I’d respond much differently than Jesus. I’d probably say, “Thanks man. Thanks a lot!” After hearing these very words form Nicodemus, Jesus unexpectedly retorts, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” I’m still not sure how this was a response to the man. What I do recognize, is that the same odd form of communication exists today between the people of the world, and the people of Christ. It looks like this;

“I can’t help it. I was born this way.”

However tactfully the Christian may or may not respond, what they might be thinking in their mind is, “Oh dear. If you really were born this way, if you really haven’t been born again, that’s too bad.” Being born whatever way is supposed to be some kind of defence for a person of the world. A follower of Christ sees it as a death sentence. Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. The "cannot" seems quite definite.

We have been raised in a world that told us we are basically animals. I believe the typical narrative tells us that we came from apes. Is that true? Are we little more than monkeys? Whether we like it or not, we are stuck with and obligated to obey whatever instincts we are born with. We rarely even pause long enough to consider the possibility that the way we are, might not actually be okay.

Jesus doesn’t present us with a new ideology. He hasn’t come up with a new philosophy for living. His words for Nicodemus are not that there is a better way to live - There is another life to live.

No one is born a Christian. The family of God is a thing that we need to be reborn into. Nobody really knows the intricate mechanics of how it happens. What we know, is that it does happen for those who believe in Jesus. You’ve noticed it haven’t you? Christians just think differently. You try to argue with them, but they just don’t get it. They simply aren’t the same creature. That’s the point.

To an extent, the world is probably right. Without Christ, we really are like animals. Would it ever truly be a compliment for me to say, “Yes – You really were born that way”? Without even thinking, we are compelled to do whatever our instincts tell us to do. Many people are fine with that, and even defend the worldview. I wonder though if some of us are tired, or maybe even find it a bit insulting. Is it possible that you’ve loved the darkness more than you’ve loved the light? Does it sound like good news to hear that you were made for more?
None of us fully understand what this reborn life looks like, and that’s okay. For now, I hope that you have either found it, or something about it appeals to you.