"You must be born again " (John 3:7)

In a recent sermon, Pastor David Copp, Sr. said, "Eternal External Manifestation is based on Irreversible Internal Transformation." Now, that's really a mouthful, and we'll come back to that, but first I want to talk about Joey the dog.

Joey is an English Springer Spaniel and he's the second Springer I have been acquainted with. BOTH of them have been strong-minded and self-willed, and once they have started doing something a certain way, they stubbornly don't want to change.

An example is the trash can in the kitchen. Before we let Joey into the kitchen, something heavy must be placed on the top of the trash can lid, and if we forget, Joey quickly lifts the lid and his head is deep into that trash in a hurry. If the back gate is left slightly open, Joey runs for it, and takes his own sweet time in returning, pretending he doesn’t hear our commands.

Joey is less responsive to the needs of people than we would hope. He puts his paws up on the kitchen counter, and if he finds food, he eats it immediately; for he might not get another chance. He does not have any concern that the bowl of food on the floor is his and the food on the counter is someone else's - he wants them both.

Now, don’t get me wrong – Joey can be cute, like when he rolls on his back and barks until you rub his tummy. And he does have a pedigree (though he failed his dog obedience class).

His barking does bother the neighbors. He is not aware of their opinions and would not care if he did know. Sometimes he stops when the command is given, "Joey, no bark", which saves him from the ire of the neighbors, but other times, he must be muzzled because he will not stop barking, and he occasionally growls at the hand that muzzles him.

The thing that would really help Joey would be to become a new dog! The old Joey has problems. And this brings us back to Pastor Copp's observation, "Eternal External Manifestation is based on Irreversible Internal Transformation."

People often feel "if I can just change my attitude, I will be changed, and I will be happier and more effective in life!" But Pastor Copp said, "It's not that you will be changed by bringing your thinking around, but you must be changed through the power and love of God in Christ."

You might look at yourself and think, "I'm doing OK!" And from a human vantage point, that may well be true. But what is God's perspective? When we learn from His Word, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), it should occur to us that from the way the Lord looks at things, we probably seem a lot like Joey the dog. God is pure, God is holy, but we are not.

"Eternal External Manifestation is based on Irreversible Internal Transformation" is a long way of saying, "You must be born again" (John 3:7). A lot of people have been "turned-off" by the words "born again" because they think these words were invented by Christian theologians. Not true - they were said by Jesus Himself, and He speaks to all people of all time in every place.

Someone "eternal", Someone "external" to you, must come into the center of your being (the "internal" part) and "transform" you in a way that will last - forever. Just like Joey the dog really needs a "makeover", you need to "see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3) --- And there is a way.

Jesus was speaking to a man named Nicodemus, a theologian and religious leader of that time. Nicodemus was a man who belonged to a group of people who thought well of themselves. As a group, the Pharisees felt they had done all that was needed in order to please God and satisfy their obligation to society.

But inside Nicodemus there was a nagging doubt that maybe being a Pharisee in good standing was not enough. There are many today who are much like him, and they often belong to the "right" synagogue" or the "proper" church, or perhaps a "mosque" or an "ashram" that pleases them, and they think "all is well with me." And yet, there should be a doubt inside. There is no religious person in history who was more "proper" than this Nicodemus, but Jesus looked him right in the eyes and said, "You must be born again" (John 3:7).

Nicodemus had many questions and he did what we should do – He asked them! He was told we need to be changed, because "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) which presents a problem. I have become convinced that the only way to change Joey the dog, would be to go back in time to when he was little, and start again. Perhaps with tough love and gentle discipline, he would become just how everyone would want him to be. It won’t work with him, but you and I have that precise opportunity - to be changed in Jesus Christ.

The "new start" is readily available in Him. "If only I could start over" - "If only that hadn’t happened to me" - "If only". . . You’ve got what you want, because you can be "born again" right now.

Nicodemus asked for an explanation, and Jesus gave one. There is a birth we all know about, and it is "of the flesh" (John 3:6). But there is more, for we can become "born of the Spirit" (John 3:6), which is different and eternally better. With Joey, we can only be gentle when we can, and firm when it is required, but with you, all can be made new. Your heart, your attitudes, your needs and hopes; all can be made new in Him.

Jesus, we receive You right now. We have been too much like Joey the dog, going into places we should not go, ignoring Your commands and doing things our way. We want to be "born again", Lord Jesus. We take You at Your Word and trust in You now. Thank You, Lord, for transforming us by Your love. In Jesus Name. Amen.