Happy Re-Birth Day!

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

40 years ago this month I was born again.

There was this girl who happened to be a senior and a cheerleader who was interested in me. She invited me to attend a YoungLife meeting with her. I was skeptical about attending a religious event - I had probably been in a church less than 5 times my entire life.

But, I decided to go. And my life was eternally changed.

That night Guy Owen made a clear – and very entertaining! – presentation of the good news of the Gospel. Basically he told us that we were separated from God by our sin and that we couldn’t do anything to address that problem. However, God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to pay a debt He did not owe on our behalf.

After the meeting was over, I approached Guy to ask him about what it meant to become a Christian and what I needed to do. He explained that all I needed to do was simply receive the gift that God was offering. I didn’t need to do anything to earn it – as if I could! - and I didn’t deserve it. It was simply a gift.

I accepted the gift. And my life was eternally changed.

The first scriptures I learned in February 1973 were both in 2 Corinthians 5:

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5: 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Because of God’s initiative, Jesus became sin on my behalf and paid the penalty due for me. I accepted His finished work on my behalf and became a “new creature.” At that moment the old things passed away; behold, new things have come!

And I am celebrating a Happy Re-Birth Day!