The Gospel of John

The Tao of Salvation

Ragamuffin Diva writes in "I Am Yours, Save Me" about the idea of working out your salvation. She asks what this means.

Nicodemus was basically asking the same thing. He came to Jesus at night; being a Pharisee, he'd get into trouble if he were seen fraternizing with this revolutionary. But Nicodemus wanted answers.

Looking at Jesus' answers to people's questions is fascinating. He always looks at the real question, not its surface manifestation. Nicodemus said "We know you're a teacher..." and Jesus responded by telling him about being born again. This section of the Gospel of John is an economical, succinct description of how to be saved.

Born again. How can this happen, and what's it like? Starting from scratch.

Nicodemus was raised by the Jewish system of laws. He was used to performing for his living. He was drawn to Jesus... and got his life changed.

Born again, not of water this time but of the Spirit. We all start out as babies. Lots of potential, no ability at all. It all has to be learned; we learn from our parents and from other experiences over the years how to get on in the world. Unfortunately, it's not really our world. It is, for all its apparent beauty, Satan's place. We grow up learning laws and a lot of other things that go against God's way.

Jesus said he didn't come into the world to judge it, but to save it. You have to be born again because you don't understand any of God's reality.

And then, as Rags observed, you have to go on. You're born again, you're across the Jordan and can't go back. God has made promises, and he always keeps his promises.

If you want his life, however, you have to keep going. You have to work. You don't get to be good at sand sculpture unless you go out and do it, and keep doing it. You don't get good at following Jesus unless you let him take you by the hand and lead your reborn, new self in new ways. You don't know anything about his world, you don't know anything about how his life works. The only way to learn it is to, day after day, only with his help, keep following him.

It's easy to turn this into ritual, as the Jews did. If you do all the right steps you'll inherit the land. But God looks at the heart. He's not interested in rules, judgment and laws. Jesus has given us a new covenant. He asks of us something harder than laws: following him with open hearts and renewed spirit. Daily reconstruction, daily letting the Holy Spirit work his salvation in us.

Some questions:
1. What do you do, each day, to stay in contact with your new father?

2. Does your spirit feel renewed after you've done them?

3. Do you consider yourself an expert at following Jesus?

4. How did you experience being born again?

5. What do you think "being born again" means?

6. Read Ragamuffin Diva's Blog entry. Do you agree with what she says?

2005 February 24
I rewrote this story and expanded it. The new version is here.

posted by Larry @ 8:06 AM