Good People and Serial Killers

Nicodemus knew of Jesus’ miracles and teachings, and concluded that God must be with Him.  How else could Jesus do such things?  Nicodemus was also a Pharisee, so sought out Jesus in the night to avoid the hassle of his peers bent on persecuting Jesus. 

It seems Nicodemus was sincerely seeking truth.  So Jesus gave it to him.  “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)  That’s the truth, straight from God Himself.

Nicodemus didn’t need more information, he needed transformation.

How can a grown man be born a second time, he wondered.  Surely that’s not possible.

Jesus went on to explain that we must be born again of water and the Spirit, of God.  With physical birth, we inherit a sinful human nature and separation from God.  By default.

From Adam.  Every single one of us.  Good people, serial killers, and everyone in between.

There is no good that is “good enough for God”.  It doesn’t work that way.  He is perfect, holy, and just, so His penalty for sin is death.  Fortunately, Jesus paid the price for our sins – past, present and future – and now we are saved by faith in Him.  Faith in Jesus recreates us as new beings, born of His righteous Spirit.  And as new creations we are now fit for His kingdom. 

Not perfect.  Not sin-free.  But perfectly forgiven.

Because God loves us, He sent Jesus to pay our penalty.  “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.”  (John 3:16)

Jesus came to save, not condemn.  “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  (John 3:17)

We’re the ones who condemn.  “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”  (John 3:18)

We condemn ourselves by refusing and rejecting Jesus.  We condemn our children by not raising them up in Him and His Word.  We condemn future generations by allowing the world to lead them further and further away from Christ.

Until we understand our own inability to save ourselves, we won’t understand and accept Jesus as the only solution.

Did Nicodemus find the truth he was looking for?  Did you?  Please, please, please don’t stop looking until you do.