Many years ago there lived in the city of Jerusalem a man named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jewish nation. He was religiously connected with a respectable denomination called the Pharisees, a people zealous of the law and most attentive in keeping all the fasts and feasts.
During the Passover week when a great many strangers from all over the country were in the city, there was a considerable stir concerning one Jesus of Nazareth who was at that time in Jerusalem. He had been working miracles, and had thrown out of the temple a number of men who had been making a market of it. The denomination to which Nicodemus belonged was against Him, almost to a man.
Notwithstanding this, Nicodemus was not satisfied. He would not be led by public opinion, but was determined to go and hear for himself. So after it was dark one night he set off alone to have an interview with Jesus.
Before Nicodemus had been very long in the company of Jesus, he was told that except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
This shocked Nicodemus; he believed in men being religious and keeping the law, but of being born again he knew nothing. Then Jesus told him something else more startling: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. Not only wicked men, like drunkards and thieves, need to be born again, but also you—your own self!
This cuts at the root of all human religion. It does not matter how good people are, or what church they belong to; Jesus says they must be born again or never enter the kingdom of God. They may say their prayers, read their Bibles, and “do the best they can.” If they are not born again they cannot see the kingdom of God. It’s a must be, you see.
A man once told us he did not think he needed to be born again because he was brought up religiously as a Christian. Now, if any man could have gone to heaven without it, that man was Nicodemus, and yet to him the Saviour said, Ye must be born again.
What must one do to be born again? Not pray for it; not work for it; not try to love God, but receive Jesus Christ, the gift of God. Listen! God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, and as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.
When a person receives Jesus Christ, the gift of God, he becomes a Christian. In other words, he becomes God’s child.
Have you received Jesus as your own Saviour? Are you a believer? Do you believe that the Jesus who died on Calvary for your sins was the Christ of God—that He lived, He died, and He rose again, for you? If not, you are at this moment outside the kingdom of God. If you live outside and die outside, you will be out of heaven and in hell forever.