重要的福音信息:重生
约翰福音三章1至16节
1有一个法利赛人,名叫尼哥底母,是犹太人的官。
2这人夜里来见耶稣,说「拉比,我们知道你是由神那来作师傅的;因为你所行的神迹,若没有神同在,无人能行。」
3耶稣回答说:「我实实在在地告诉你,人若不重生,就不能见神的国。」
4尼哥底母说:「人已经老了,如何能重生呢?岂能再进母腹生出来吗?」
5耶稣说:「我实实在在的告诉你,人若不是从水和圣灵生的,就不能进神的国。
6从肉身生的就是肉身;从灵生的就是灵。
7我说:『你们必须重生』,你不要以为希奇。
8风随着意思吹,你听见风的响声,却不晓得从那里来,往那里去;凡从圣灵生的,也是如此。」
9尼哥底母问他说:「怎能有这事呢?」
10耶稣回答说:「你是以色列人的先生,还不明白这事吗?
11我实实在在的告诉你,我们所说的是我们知道的;我们所见证的是我们见过的;你们却不领受我们的见证。
12我对你们说地上的事,你们尚且不信,若说天上的事,如何能信呢?
13除了从天降下、仍旧在天的人子,没有人升过天。
14摩西在旷野怎样举蛇,人子也必照样被举起来,
15叫一切信他的都得永生(或作:叫一切信的人在他里面得永生)。
16「神爱世人,甚至将他的独生子赐给他们,叫一切信他的,不至灭亡,反得永生。
信息分享
然而,在这二千多年来,神已将一颗新心──属灵的心──赐给所有相信耶稣基督的信徒。即使在旧约时代,神已应许赐人新心:「我也要赐给你们一个新心……又从你们的肉体中除掉石心,赐给你们肉心。」(结三十六26)
神为何要赐给我们新心呢?因为我们有这个需要。人若继续保留他旧有的本性,又怎能讨神的喜悦呢?因着神的怜悯,当我们相信基督的那一刻,我们便得着新的性情──能够流露属神生命的性情。我们经由重生进入神的家,在基督里得享新的生命。
这是一个神迹,是一个即时完成,而非逐渐蜕变的神迹。你的生命未必出现戏剧性的改变;可是,随着你在基督里逐渐成长,你的改变会愈来愈明显。你将会印证哥林多后书五章17节所言:「若有人在基督里,他就是新造的人;旧事已过,都变成新的了。」
第一位接受心脏移植手术的病人,只多活了18天;但其他接受此手术的病人,却有许多活得很久。然而,当神将新心赐给悔改的罪人,那人便可以得享永生。这是救恩作为的另一个神迹,只要我们相信耶稣基督便可以得着。连天使也没有这个重生的经历。但神却将这个宝贵的恩赐,保留给应该下地狱的罪人──只要他们接受基督的救赎,神便白白地赐给他们。哈利路亚!赞美主!
耶稣说:「我赐给他们永生;他们必不会灭亡。」
GREAT WORDS OF THE GOSPEL REGENERATION - BEING BORN AGAIN
John 3:1-16
1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “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.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Message
In December 1967 the first successful heart transplant occurred in the Groote Schuur Hospital in South Africa. Louis Washkansky who was dying, was given the heart of Denise Darvall, aged 28.
She had died in a car accident. The transplanted heart was re-started beating by an electric shock. It was called a 'miracle'. This operation has been repeated many times since.
But for hundreds of years, God has been giving a new heart to believers in Jesus Christ - a spiritual heart. Even in the Old Testament days, God promised, 'I will give you a new heart ... I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.' (Ezekiel 36:26).
Why does God do this? It is because of our real need. How can a man please God if all he has is his old nature? In the mercy of God, when we believe, we receive a new nature, a nature which is part of the very life of God. We are born again into God's family and made alive in Christ.
This is a miracle. It is instantaneous, not gradual. It may not always be dramatic, but the change will become evident as the believer goes on with Christ. It is proof of 2 Corinthians 5:17 - 'If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come. '
Louis Washkansky lasted only 18 days with his new transplanted heart. Others have lived much longer. But when God gives a new heart to a repentant sinner, that one will last forever. That is one more miracle in this wonderful act of salvation which becomes ours through simple faith in Jesus Christ. Angels have never experienced this. It has been reserved for hell-deserving sinners who will accept what Christ has done. Hallelujah!
JESUS SAID, 'I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE. THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH.'

