Noted Clergyman Converted

THE thousandth chapter of the Bible, John  3,  should really have started with the last three verses of  chapter 2. Jesus was  in  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  the Passover,  and many believed on Him as they  saw  the miracles  He  performed. But Jesus did not trust Himself and His work  to  them  because  He  knew  what men  were  like.  In  fact,  "He  knew men so  well,  all  of  them, that he needed  no evidence  from  others  about  a man,  for he  himself  could  tell  what  was  in  a man"  (verse  25,  N.E.B.).  *  Chapter  3 proves  this  point  with  the  experience of  Nicodemus.  A  top  leader  of  the church,  who  should  have  known  the purpose  for the church's existence,  was ignorant  of  the ABC's  of  salvation.  He may  have  been  a  qualified  religious leader in financial affairs,  social action, organization,  and  policy  making,  but he was  illiterate  regarding the one and only  purpose  for  which the  church  exists.

Though  talented,  wealthy,  educated, and  honored,  Nicodemus  was  in  need of  spiritual  regeneration,  but  didn't consciously  sense  this  need.  He  knew the  Jewish  nation  needed  a  Messiah who  would  liberate them  from  the clutches  of  a  heathen power.  But what he didn't know was his personal need of a Messiah who would liberate him from the  penalty  and  power  of  sin.  A  man may be ignorant  of  many things in the Scriptures  and  still  be  saved.  On  the other  hand,  a  man  may  be  saturated with  spiritual  knowledge  and  yet  be lost.  Ignorance like  that  of  Nicodemus is far too common among us as religious leaders today.

The  first  approach  Christ's  night school  student used was one of  flattery. Nicodemus  accorded  this  Galilean peasant,  who  had  no  formal  training, the honorable title,  "Rabbi."  He topped this  off  by  declaring  Him "a teacher sent  by  God;  [for]  no  one  could perform these  signs  of  yours  unless  God  were with him"  (John 3:2,  N.E.B.).

This  remark  indicates  Nicodemus' thinking was  wrong.  His  evaluation of Christ  was  based  on His  performance, not  on  who  He  was!  His  ignorance  of Christ's  mission  limited  his  praise  to that of  calling Christ a teacher but not a  Saviour.  Imagine  what  would  have happened if Peter had been with Christ that  night.  How  his  eyes  would  have sparkled with pride for his Master when this  chief  ruler began eulogizing,  "You are a great Teacher and miracle worker  Yours  is  a  special  relationship  with God."  What  beautiful  words,  Peter muses. What an acknowledgment! Com pare  his  attitude  with the carpers  who plague  us  daily.  Nothing  to date  has been said by anyone comparable to this. Fantastic  admission.  The  Master  must be  pleased.  He  searches  Christ's  face for  signs  of  positive  response.  He  sees neither anger nor charm, only love. But what he hears is astounding!

Christ  forthrightly,  yet  kindly,  tells His listener that he is lost unless a new birth is  experienced.  These  words  were shocking  not  only  to  Nicodemus  but also  would  have  been  to  Peter  had  he been there. Can't you see Peter leaning over and whispering excitedly, "Master, don't you  know who this man is?  Why, he  is  a  leading  member  of  the  Sanhedrin.  A  wealthy,  educated,  highly respected, honorable,  upright,  and law- abiding citizen.  Furthermore,  he  is  a friendly  neighbor,  a  fine  husband  and father.  He  is  a  Sabbathkeeper,  tithe payer, and his character and morals are impeccable. He is the kind of person the church desperately needs. Think of  the prestige  he  will  bring  to  our  ranks! Imagine  the  influence  of  his  act  on others.  Please,  please,  welcome  him to our ranks and I will make arrangements for  his  baptism  tomorrow!  Following that,  I  will arrange  for  a  picture  story to be published on the front page of the general  church paper.  Just imagine the headlines Sanhedrin  Member  Baptized!"

Ignoring  this  imaginary  advice, Christ  makes  the  point  even  stronger in  verse  7  as He bluntly informs  Nicodemus, "Ye  must be  born again." There is  something  binding  about  that  word "must." The word is nonnegotiable. It is "either/or" no  way  around  it.  Those who  do  have  a  new-birth  relationship wouldn't  have  it  any  other  way.  Com promise  would  be  about  as  sane  as  a patient telling a  surgeon to cut out his heart but spare  his life.  Life  and heart are  inseparable;  so  are  the  new  birth and meaningful life!

Many people have no idea why Christ made  such  an  unalterable  demand  on Nicodemus  for  entrance  into  eternal life.  Verse  6  gives  us an insight:  "That which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh." Christ here expresses a most unpopular truth.

Even  if  Nicodemus  could  enter  his mother's  womb  and be  born the second time, or ten times, or a thousand times, he still would be born a sinner. Man is born  with  the seeds  of  sin in his  being bequeathed  to  him by  Father  Adam. Rear  a  baby  in  a  sin-free  atmosphere and he will  inevitably  sin.  If the whole human  race  were  put in heaven today, this would  not  guarantee  a  stoppage of "evil  thoughts,  murders, adulteries, fornications,  thefts,  false  witness, blasphemies"  (Matt.  15:19).  Sinners  don't become  saints  just  by  environmental change.  Living in heaven might modify a  person's  behavior  a  bit,  but  without a  new-birth  experience  there  would  be no guarantee of a permanent change.

For this reason God asks the question about  every soul,  "What kind of chance would  I  take  if  I  allowed  this  person into  My  kingdom?"  That  is  a  serious question everyone ought to think about, and  it was  a question Christ indirectly asked Nicodemus.

Complete Transformation Needed

I have often wondered what behavior therapists  do  with  John  1:12,  13:  "But as many as  received  him, to them gave he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but  of  God."  The  phrase  "not of blood" had  special  significance  to  the  Jewish mind  who  traced  his  noble  lineage  to Father  Abraham.  In  a  modern setting we  are  quite  aware  that  "bluebloods" are  just  as  capable  of  being  prodigal sons and daughters as anyone else.

The next phrase "nor of the will of the flesh,  nor  of the will of man," prophetically  renders science quite powerless to permanently prepare man for heavenly citizenship.  Whether  it  be  such  techniques as shock therapy, brain surgery, behavior  modification,  chemotherapy, supportive psychotherapy, deep analytical  psychotherapy,  assertion  training, rational-emotive  techniques,  psycho- dynamic  or  Freudian  approaches,  reciprocal inhibitions,  systematic  desensitization,  operant  conditioning, self-directed  behavior  modification programs, yoga or transcendental meditation, none can produce the new birth experience. We would not deny the usefulness of  certain behavior modification techniques in aiding people to face life's stresses. Man can stand all the improvement  he  can  get  by  any  legitimate means.  But the new-birth experience is more than a patching up of the old life. It is a complete transformation!

Lest  one  get  discouraged  over  this rather  revolutionary  concept,  we  find the  Saviour  explaining by what means it could be accomplished. Not only is the new  birth a  "must,"  but  for  its accomplishment  we  are obliged  to  obey  a second  "must." Christ shared the secret of  how  a man is  born again with Nicodemus:  "As Moses  lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so  must the Son of  man be  lifted  up"  (John 3:14). Here lies the genius of the new-birth experience. If an individual fails in finding and securing  a  conversion  experience  it  is on this very point.  He who fails in this area fails to lift up Christ in the wilderness  of  his  heart. When Moses  made  a serpent  of  brass  and  elevated  it  high before the people, the gracious command was given that all who should look upon the  serpent  would  live.  Anybody  who wanted to could look. Not that the brass serpent  had power to  help them,  but it was  a  look  of  faith.  It  pointed  to  the One that was symbolized by the serpent, and that One was Christ.

Christ's  revelation  to  Nicodemus unfolds  an  entirely  new  aspect  of  the atonement. Why didn't  Moses  lift up a lamb  instead  of  a  serpent?  It  is  an amazing  thought  that  God  the  Son came  "in  the  likeness  of sinful  flesh" (Rom.  8:3).  He  identified  himself  with fallen man in order to lift man from the pit of  sin and death to the highlands of salvation.  The  marvelous  operation  of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, is deeply  involved  in  the transformation  that takes  place  in the life  of  the  individual  who  will  look  to Christ by faith alone. The venom of  sin that has infected every person born into our  world,  the  only  exception being Christ, can be neutralized by looking in faith to Him who  knew no  sin.  Science cannot  explain  it.  Philosophers  cannot rationalize it. Discussion groups cannot fathom  it.  Reason  cannot  reason  it. Only the one who looks by faith to Life will find life.

Reliance on works, obedience to God's law,  or  any  other  self-made  plan  for salvation  spells  eternal  death!  Nicodemus  had  difficulty  in  accepting  this point.  Little  wonder  that  he  ex claimed,  "How  can these things be?"  A man  of  such  integrity,  morality,  high principles,  and  good  works  found  it almost  beyond belief that he was a sinner  in  need  of  the  pardoning  grace  of Jesus Christ. 

When it comes to altering the deepest motives  of  a man's life,  only  an under standing of the atonement and a  sense of Christ's pardoning love can effect any permanent change.

"The light  shining from the cross  reveals the love  of  God.  His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing,  we  shall  be  led  to the  foot  of the cross in repentance for the sins that have  crucified  the Saviour.  Then  the Spirit  of  God  through  faith produces  a new  life  in the  soul.  The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will  of  Christ. The heart, the mind, are created  anew in the image  of Him who works  in  us  to  subdue  all  things  to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we  can say with Christ, 'I delight to  do thy will,  O my God.' Ps. 40:8 "—The Desire of Ages, p.  176.

Lift the Cross High

Fellow ministers, it is our responsibility and privilege to lift high the cross of Christ  before  our  congregations.  The cross  should  be the foundation of  every sermon.  It  is  a  pledge  of  everlasting life.  I am not talking about a cross that you  put on  a wall  or hang around your neck,  but  the  great  principles  of  the atonement that are deeply branded upon the soul by the Holy Spirit. These alone can  save  and  change  men.  God could reach more hearts and change more men if we  would spend more time and effort on presenting the tremendous themes of Christ  crucified,  Christ  resurrected, Christ  ascended,  Christ  ministering  in the  heavenly sanctuary,  and  Christ coming  again.  Above  all,  let  us preach Him  from personal experience.  If He is the living center of  our lives He cannot help  but  be  the  center  of  our  sermons.

When  we  share  with  others  the  preciousness of  Christ and what He means to  us,  it will  be  as  precious  jewels that sparkle  and  shine  in  the  brilliant  sun light.  In  this  way  sinners  will  be  attracted to Him and not to  ourselves.What people, depressed people, people enslaved  in  destructive  habits,  people who  are  burdened  with  guilt,  desperately need today is  a  new  revelation of God's love that will lead to  a new-birth experience.

"Ye must be born again."