Born Again?Shembull

Embrace the process

What’s the process that makes a baby? If you don’t know, you should probably ask the apostle Peter and a Pharisee named Nicodemus. In their conversations about being born again, they use phrases like “perishable seed,” a reference to male sperm, and “a mother’s womb,” where a fertilized egg grows. Sperm plus egg is the proven process that leads to physical birth, a stunning sequence of evidence that we wouldn’t believe unless we had seen it.

God’s Word plus a human heart is the process that can lead to another stunning result—being born again. Peter writes, “You have been born again . . . through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). When the living Word of God hits our hearts, miracles can happen. Repentance can replace stubbornness. Faith in Jesus can drive out self-righteousness.

So embrace the process! If a couple wanted a baby, they wouldn’t just pray. They would . . . you know . . . embrace the process. Similarly, if you want someone to be born again, embrace the process. Don’t just pray that your kid or your friend becomes a believer. Find a way to share the Word with them: “Hey, I heard this sermon and thought of you.” “I know you’re not super into church, but I’d love for you to come with me and give church a second chance.”

It’s amazing what seed and egg can create. Even more amazing is what the Word can do when it gets to your heart.