Lessons from John 3: Personal Relationship with Jesus
Christianity is not a religion; it is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus came in person, in the form of man, though being fully God, and offered Himself willingly to God the Father. He was a perfect sacrifice for imperfect people. He did this so that we might be rescued from our sins both now and for eternity and gain a personal relationship with Him.
Last lesson, we learned about the pharisee Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus. We found that Nicodemus belonged to the “church,” but he knew nothing about the personal, life-transforming relationship to Jesus Christ upon whom the church was founded.
There are people like this in churches today. There are people who sit there week after week, and they might even join the church membership because they know it’s the right thing to do. But they have still not come to see their need for the Savior.
We also know that Nicodemus was not only a scholar and a great student of the law, but his name tells us something else about him. Though he was Jewish, he had also been given a Greek name as well as a Hebrew one. And because he went by his Greek name, this would indicate that he was probably from the upper class or was very wealthy.
So this was a highly educated man as well as a very moral and ethical man who came to Jesus. Again there are people like this in our churches today. Maybe even some of you have become devout students of the Bible. You delight in storing up knowledge and you can even quote the scripture at the right time in the right way, but you have never let that knowledge make its way from your head down to your heart.
In spite of all of Nicodemus’ accomplishments and achievements, there was still something that Nicodemus did not possess: a personal relationship with His Savior. And although he was a highly respected man and what some would consider highly moral and ethical (a good) man, none of these things would earn him entrance into heaven.
God’s eternal home is reserved only for those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.
Terri Hamman
Faith & Fitness Coach