Born again

In my last post, I described Jimmy Carter as perhaps the worst President this country has ever had. He may have been a bad President, but he was a terrific human being! Seriously, you've got to love Jimmy Carter as a man. He was one of the first that I can recall in the public discourse to use the term "born-again" to describe himself and it got a lot of discussion going regarding the topic.

Let's review what Jesus said:

John 3: 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

So, according to Jesus, no one can enter God's Kingdom without a rebirth of the spirit by acceptance of God's Holy Spirit within. According to the Word, when we ask forgiveness and accept God's Holy Spirit, He remembers our sin no more (Isaiah 43:25). The slate is wiped clean! So why is it that the devil tries so hard to remind us of our former shortcomings? Frankly, he plays on our own human memory and our inability to consider ourselves worthy of such a gift. He throws in our face those things that went before and hopes to bring us down with them. In such times, I just thank God for His Grace and the great gift He gave us in his Son Jesus! If God is for us, who can be against us?

So, try all you like to remind me of the past, satan. God has forgiven me and you have nothing to hold against me! Praise God forever!