Thursday, May 22, 2008

Born Twice #8: All of God. All of Grace.

CHRIST CHURCH NYC Sermon (From 18th of May 2008)
John 3:1-21 (Sermon is from the NRSV)

Third Conclusion - a New Birth is an activity only of God!

What do we mean by that?

Did Junior choose to be born? There is an obvious answer to that. No, he didn't! Of course not.

Have you thought about this? The most basic reality in our life - the breath in our lungs, and the life we have - this is not something we chose. Laurel did all the work with Junior. We talk regularly about controlling our lives, but at its foundation, life is a the choice of another.

Not one person alive in this room chose to be alive.

And so it is with being born a second time: God reaches lives and HE rescues US. We do not rescue ourselves. Indeed we cannot rescue ourselves.

What does Psalm 40 say?
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and he set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
Only God can save a person.

It is all of grace.

______________________
And yes, that is a self take from Wife just before she gave birth. She calls it: "The Belly and The Boy".

3 comments:

Benjamin Ady said...

"The most basic reality in our life - the breath in our lungs, and the life we have - this is not something we chose."

Speak for yourself. I choose it. Every day. To live or not live. To breathe or not breathe. etc.

I've chosen it so many times I lost count.

Maybe you're just referring to the first time. The first breath?

Justin said...

Yup, Benjamin.

at its foundation

Benjamin Ady said...

Yeah--they sort of trick us into that first one, before we're old enough to know better than to take it--imagine all the pain we could have avoided.