THE BEST EXPERIENCE OF YOUR LIFE _ | a!62 Lifeclass THE BEST EXPERIENCE “Very truly | tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). This week, we will be learning about a man named Nicodemus. His conversation with the Lord Jesus is one of the most famous conver- sations in the world, and is found in John chapter 3. Nicodemus was a highly respected man in his day. A teacher of the law for both religious leaders and ordinary people, he was a man of morals. He fasted twice a week, prayed lengthy prayers, and was zealous for the Scriptures. Yet one night, he came to Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." Jesus replied, “Very truly tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:2-3) Had the Lord given such a reply to Zacchaeus (the tax collector and thief (Luke 19:2-3a)), to Mary Magdalene (who had been delivered from seven demons (Luke 8:2)), or even to the thief who hung on the cross next to Him, His words may well have seemed reasonable to us. However, Jesus was speaking to a man of spiritual authority among the Jews - someone who appeared to be close to God. This proves that each and every one of us needs to be born again, re- gardless of who we are.Week 3 Day I5 63 What did Jesus mean when He said we must be born again? He was referring to the new nature we all need to receive through faith and the Word of God. In his book, Foundational Truths for Christian Living, Derek Prince uses the following analogy: “A corn seed produces corn; a barley seed produces barley; an orange seed produces an orange. Soitis also in the new birth. The seeds the divine, incorruptible, eternal Word of God. The life this produces, when received by faith into the heart of the believer, is like the seed - divine, incorruptible, eternal,"*5! That was what the Lord Jesus was teaching us when He said, ‘The Spirit gives birth to spirit” John 3:6b). Lie in ruin life in obundance Dryness, Fullness SEED of sin SEED of the Word of God This is the new birth - we receive a seed in our hearts that produces new life in us. “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of Goo" (1 John 3:9). When we are born again, not just one part of our lives improves - we are made completely new. All that we are benefits from this change. This new nature opens the spiritual eyes of a believer and enables them to see the kingdom of heaven. That was why Jesus told Nico- demus that only by being born again could a person see the king- dom of heaven. You too have the opportunity to be born again, right here and now. The prophet Jeremiah taught us that the mercies of God are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). The most important thing in receiving His mercy is that we accept it by faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him