The Holy Spirit HOPELESSLY RELIGIOUS
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:6.
When we are born into this world of sin, we are born with the absence of any joy in holiness or joy in communion with God. That's the dilemma of being born a sinner. But at the same time, the human being is born hopelessly religious. We insist on worshiping something. Our problem is that we often don't recognize that this vacuum within is a God-shaped vacuum. So until people discover the truth of the gospel, they will direct their worship to things, other people, or themselves. No one is born again until the Holy Spirit is able to lead him to the place of being fed up with worshiping anything else but God.
I was told as a preacher that one of my responsibilities was to help people become converted. If this is true, how can this be accomplished? Is there anything we can do to help someone else to the point of conversion? Well, it is for sure that when it comes to our first birth, we have no choice or direction in the event. It happens to us, but we didn't choose it. But when it comes to being born again, we do have a choice. God gives us life and strength and health for the purpose of providing us the opportunity to come to Him for life. God offers us more than life here, with its three-score years and ten. He offers eternity--the choice of the second birth.
One of the first things we can do in seeking to bring others to choose conversion is to uplift Jesus. It is as Jesus is lifted up, and the Holy Spirit is enabled to speak to the heart by the awareness of His love, that hearts are softened and attracted and broken.
The Holy Spirit has a timetable for each one of us--Nicodemus waited and pondered for three years. If Nicodemus had come to some of us, as he came to Jesus that night, we would have had him in the baptismal pool by the following Sabbath. But Jesus was willing to wait for the Spirit's schedule, and when Jesus was lifted up, Nicodemus responded and became a faithful follower of the Lord. It is the Holy Spirit's work to bring people to the place of being willing to worship something besides things, other people, and self. And then, as Jesus is uplifted, hearts are won and sinners are converted.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:6.
When we are born into this world of sin, we are born with the absence of any joy in holiness or joy in communion with God. That's the dilemma of being born a sinner. But at the same time, the human being is born hopelessly religious. We insist on worshiping something. Our problem is that we often don't recognize that this vacuum within is a God-shaped vacuum. So until people discover the truth of the gospel, they will direct their worship to things, other people, or themselves. No one is born again until the Holy Spirit is able to lead him to the place of being fed up with worshiping anything else but God.
I was told as a preacher that one of my responsibilities was to help people become converted. If this is true, how can this be accomplished? Is there anything we can do to help someone else to the point of conversion? Well, it is for sure that when it comes to our first birth, we have no choice or direction in the event. It happens to us, but we didn't choose it. But when it comes to being born again, we do have a choice. God gives us life and strength and health for the purpose of providing us the opportunity to come to Him for life. God offers us more than life here, with its three-score years and ten. He offers eternity--the choice of the second birth.
One of the first things we can do in seeking to bring others to choose conversion is to uplift Jesus. It is as Jesus is lifted up, and the Holy Spirit is enabled to speak to the heart by the awareness of His love, that hearts are softened and attracted and broken.
The Holy Spirit has a timetable for each one of us--Nicodemus waited and pondered for three years. If Nicodemus had come to some of us, as he came to Jesus that night, we would have had him in the baptismal pool by the following Sabbath. But Jesus was willing to wait for the Spirit's schedule, and when Jesus was lifted up, Nicodemus responded and became a faithful follower of the Lord. It is the Holy Spirit's work to bring people to the place of being willing to worship something besides things, other people, and self. And then, as Jesus is uplifted, hearts are won and sinners are converted.
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