An age old theme is being played on the airwaves, on TV and every media means possible in today’s declining land of morals. It’s the theme that if we are born a certain way, then God has ordained it. It is even in the form of Lady Gaga’s song, “Born this Way,” the most popular song in sales this year in America. Why is this song so appealing to so many? With words such as:
“I’m beautiful in my way,
‘Cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way.”
Who can’t help but to feel good about themselves if they believe that whomever they are in life and whatever they do it’s okay because God made them that way? Lady Gaga is invoking God’s name so it must not be that bad, right? How about when she says the following lines which were recently banned or at least altered in Malaysia, and even left out when American Idol played it last week:
“No matter gay,
straight or bi,
lesbian transgendered life,
I’m on the right track, baby.”
Why even waste an ounce of time writing on a pop singer’s song? Because we all know the power in music and especially the way it affects our youth and young adults. But not only in the music but the messages that modern day lyrical pop, rock, rap and RB preachers are spreading are affecting people immensely! If your favorite artist is telling you that God says it’s ok to be Gay, then how does one receive the message from another person who says that God says it’s NOT okay to be Gay?
But the question isn’t about being Gay or not, but if one is born one way do they stay that way and please God? Jesus answers that question in the following verses in his conversation with a Jewish leader and Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus. Mind you, Jesus isn’t talking to a Gay person here, or anyone else considered a “sinner,” but a man who is a teacher of Jewish law. A respected leader, a holy man. A man considered very upright and godly by Jewish standards. Check out what Jesus tells this man:
John 3:1-21
1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
If one of the most upright men on earth at that time needed to be “born again,” what does that say for the rest of us? Being born again is entirely dependent upon us believing in HIM – believing in Jesus Christ. What do we believe about Jesus? That He is God’s Son sent to the world to save us from our sins! Nicodemus needed saving not because he wasn’t good enough, but because he didn’t have God in his heart as well as his mind. He didn’t see himself as one who fell short of God’s expectations. The number one reason to seek God – because we will never be righteous enough for God on our own!
“But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6
So however way in which we were born the “first” time, we all need a rebirth – a second birth – a spiritual birth! This is how we do it – how we can become born again:
- We must admit that we fall way short of God’s standards! – That message is watered down if we dare believe that God made us this way so we must be okay. If we believe that, then we won’t believe that salvation is even necessary.“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23
- We all pay the penalty for sin – which is physical death. But there is spiritual death too!“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
- Christ paid that penalty for us:“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
- All we must do is recognize our separation from God (called sin) and call upon Him while believing in Him and we will be saved!“For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Romans 10:13“9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10
So contrary to pop preacher Lady Gaga and contrary to what many already believe, yes, we may be born “this way” but God doesn’t expect us to stay that way. If the way we are born is contrary to the way God wants us to live, then we must do as Jesus said in John 3 and come out of the darkness, stop practicing godlessness and live in the light! And we do that first by becoming Born Again!
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See also:
- Video by John Piper on being Born again (in bloglist!)
- Know God by Pastor Miles McPherson, Rock Church San Diego
- How to be born again – back of Gideon Bible
- The New Birth – Pastor John MacArthur
