The Holy Spirit is instrumental in our gaining our salvation. This daily devotional looks at why we shouldn’t question being born again and how the Holy Spirit can be compared to the wind.
Nuggets
- Being born again is the foundation for salvation.
- Though invisible, the Holy Spirit is instrumental to our salvation.
Devotions in the Never Alone: The Holy Spirit in Our Lives series
We’ve been talking about being born again for the last couple of verses in John 3. Jesus completes the explanation in John 3: 7.
Then, Jesus compares the Holy Spirit to the wind. Let’s jump in.
Let's Put It into Context #1
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
Let's Put It into Context #2
God is spirit, and Jesus had been and is again. We need to be born of Spirit through salvation.
Verses 5 and 6 reiterate that we cannot have salvation without the Holy Spirit. This only comes through God.
Jesus instructs us as to what is expected of us. We have to submit to God’s Will. This brings godliness into our lives.
The whole purpose of is for us to change our heart. We have to change worldly moral character to spiritual graces.
That is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit. We are born from above.
Jesus said that, without the Holy Spirit, we cannot enter the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom that describes His sovereign reign.
Once the original sin occurred, we were born of flesh. Yes, we are still made in God’s image, but we are also made in Adam’s image. That means the sinful nature is in us from birth.
The flesh is polar opposite of where the Spirit is.
Still Trying to Understand Being Born Again
“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’” (Jn. 3: 7 ESV)
Being born again is the foundation for salvation.
Oh, yes. Jesus knew Nicodemus. He knew Nic was going to have trouble with the concept of being born again.
From Nic’s point of view, that is understandable. The Pharisees and the Sanhedrin thought they were good to go. They thought the Messiah would show up and give them a rousing pat on the back for all their good work.
Didn’t happen that way.
Jesus could have also been telling Nic not to marvel because he should have known about Who the Messiah really should be. God gave us prophecies in the Old Testament clearly pointing to Jesus.
Missed them, too.
Then here comes Jesus, saying relationship not religion.
That meant Nic was going to have to change his way of thinking on little things as well as big things.
But you know what, that doesn’t gain us salvation. Salvation is the gift of life through the deliverance from condemnation and sin to acceptance and holiness and changes us from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive.
- Sin is not believing that Jesus is our Savior to save us from our actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
- Pure means not being sinful or having the stain of sin.
- Virtues are standards of moral excellence.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
- Holiness is the transcendent excellence of His nature that includes elements of purity, dedication, and commitment that lead to being set apart.
- Purity means possessing God’s moral character, having eliminated the stain of sin.
- Spiritual death is the spiritual separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
- The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Glossary
We only gain salvation when we admit that mankind was separated from God after the original sin, making us sinners; believe Jesus paid the penalty for those sins to become our Savior and Redeemer; confess God as Sovereign God; and demonstrate that commitment by submitting to living our lives following His laws and commandments.
We may not know how the Holy Spirit works in our salvation, but we can see the changes made when He does.
Let’s look at the flip side for a second. If we aren’t born again:
- We are dead in our sins.
- We have no access to God for forgiveness of our sins.
- We do not receive God’s blessings that are for His children.
Why is salvation so important? It starts the regeneration and sanctification processes.
- Regeneration is being changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive and the internal new birth and requickening that God brings about through the work of the Holy Spirit.
- Sanctification is the transformation of mind, body, and soul, which begins with regeneration; gradually changes our nature and morals through the promptings of the Holy Spirit; and ends with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
Glossary
Being born again allows us to approach our Heavenly Father for forgiveness of our sins. In regenerating us, God makes us a new creation.
Comparing the Holy Spirit to Wind
“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit’” (Jn. 3: 8 ESV)
Though invisible, the Holy Spirit is instrumental to our salvation.
Caird reminded us that there is not immediate indication that regeneration has started in our souls. We just talked about what regeneration is.
Resource
It is almost like Jesus was careful about explaining the concept to Nicodemus. He used the wind as an example.
Okay, how do we compare the wind to those of us who are born in the Spirit?
No, it doesn’t say “So it is with the Spirit.” It says everyone who is born again.
Everyone can feel the effects of the wind. Even if we are in a building, we feel it shaking, the heating doesn’t keep up as much as it usually does, and we can look out the window and see the trees blowing around.
The wind doesn’t pick or choose who or what it is going to blow on. It blows on everything in its path.
God hasn’t chosen who will and will not accept the gift of salvation. Oh, He knows who is going to and designed our plan accordingly.
The choice isn’t His.
Let’s take that a step farther. We talked about blowing the trees. We can’t see the wind — we see the effects of the wind.
We can’t see the Holy Spirit. We see the effects of the Holy Spirit working.
There is another similarity. The wind ambles along wherever God sends it. It doesn’t act in its own.
It doesn’t choose to change course or even how fast or slowly it will blow. It can only do the will of God.
The Holy Spirit just goes where God sends Him. He is God’s messenger to us. He can only do the will of God.
The wind cannot be tamed. We may use it to power our machines, but we cannot restrain it.
Neither can we restrain the Holy Spirit. He will move freely about His work as He is called to do so.
Dyke reminded us how refreshing the wind can be. It can bring in fresh air and move stagnant air around.
Resource
So is the work of the Holy Spirit. He cleans out our souls and brings in freshness.
But then again, the winds can be gale-force winds. They can cause much destruction.
The Holy Spirit can, too.
Making the Connections
Jesus said that we “… must be born again’” (Jn. 3: 7 ESV). We must be to gain salvation.
We are still given our free well to determine whether we accept the gift of salvation or not. Free will is the ability within us to make decisions, which determine actions that produce character.
How Do We Apply This?
Caird wrote, “Self-reformation soon proves a vain attempt; but the effort to repent and turn to God cannot fail, when the very Power that fashioned our mysterious being prompts and aids in the work of restoration.”
Resource
We cannot regenerate ourselves. Only God can.
We need to seek God and grow in grace and knowledge (II Pet. 3: 18).
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
Father God. We know that when we are lost in our sins, we need You so that we can be born again. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to convict us so that we could ask You to forgive us of our sins. Help us to grow in grace and knowledge. Amen.
What do you think?
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