Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory, Power, and Dominion forever and ever and to the Holy Ghost that is yet abiding in the body. As we approach the end of 2023 this month’s phrase is: A New Birth in Jesus Christ. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, “… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  

We must Experience the Supernatural; Not Just Affirm it!

Nicodemus came to Jesus personally. He wanted to examine Jesus for himself to separate fact from rumor. My brothers and sister the new birth is more than affirming the supernatural aspects of Jesus Christ, it is experiencing the supernatural of Jesus Christ.  In verse 2, Nicodemus says, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus revealed to Nicodemus that the  kingdom would come to the whole world not just the Jews. Jesus’ kingdom is personal, not national, or ethnic; His entrance requirements are repentance and spiritual rebirth. 

God no longer dwells in the Temple (building) He moved from the outside to the inside (body). Through Jesus we are invited to become recipients of His Spirit, to receive Him into ourselves, to be born again. What greater gift can we possibly receive than the gift of God Himself?  This is the mystery of the ages that Paul said has now been disclosed to God’s people (see Colossians 1:26–27). The message is this: the Messiah is in us, and He is our hope of glory. When we become a recipient of the Spirit of God Himself, we become partakers of the divine nature. This is why John wrote that believers are called the children of God, because we have received His Spirit. If we are born again, God has literally put His Spirit inside us. He wants to draw us out of the world to Himself.  John 3:6 emphasizes, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” The flesh is what we are naturally. The Spirit of God is the supernatural Person who brings about the new birth. Jesus says in verse 8: “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.” The Holy Spirit is not a part of this natural world. He is above nature, supernatural; He is God. Hence, the new birth is the work of God, the Spirit. 

In closing, Apostle John said, “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His son. Yes, the new birth we need is in the Son (Jesus Christ). If we have Him, we have a new spiritual, eternal life. Without Him we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  As, Christians, we still sin, but it becomes shameful to us because we now realize how much it offends God. With our new birth, new life, we develop new priorities. We want to please God out of love, not fear, and as members of His family, we want to fit in with our Father and our Brother Jesus Christ. Thus, when we become a new person in Christ, we also leave behind that suffocating burden of trying to earn our own salvations. We know what Jesus Christ has done for us: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  Until the next message, let us not forget, “…with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26.

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop