| 
For Those Who Fear They'll Be Deceived
By Jennifer Slattery Bible Reading
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night 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 I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."
"How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born! Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." - John 3:1-5
Growing up, I watched a close caregiver get swept into one spiritual falsehood after another. At three separate points, this led to this individual joining cults. Their behavior felt particularly confusing because they claimed to know Jesus. Over time, I developed a strong fear of spiritual deception that hindered my confidence to accurately hear God's voice. Perhaps you've struggled with something similar and worry that you'll miss, or misinterpret, God's will and land outside of it. Reading some of Jesus' conversations with people, like the one recorded in John 3, we might find His words cryptic and wonder why He didn't speak more plainly. Was He using a theological puzzle to evoke Nicodemus's curiosity, or was He, perhaps, pointing the scholar to truths he already knew? | 
No comments:
Post a Comment