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Published: Nov. 13, 2019, 1 a.m.

It must have been as confusing to Nick as it might be in many churches today.

Nicodemus had come to Jesus for more information about Him and His ministry.

He was certain Jesus was sent by God and the works of Jesus and His teaching had to be from God. However, the response of Jesus confused him, \u201cYou must be born again.\u201d

\u201cWhat are you talking about,\u201d He asked.

Jesus explained further, \u201cExcept a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.\u201d

Either the look on Nick\u2019s face or his body language asked, \u201cWhy is that?\u201d

"Because", \xa0Jesus went on to say, \u201cThat which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.\u201d
Let\u2019s unpack what Jesus was saying to this \u201cgood man.\u201d

The physical birth of a human being can only bring forth carnal living.

A person lives by the desires and appetites of their physical nature, the five senses of the human body; sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.

A person\u2019s thoughts, emotions, and volition are animated by selfish desires and the sinful appetites of the flesh.

The Apostle Paul wrote it this way, \u201cThis I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness\u201d Ephesians 4:17-19 NKJV).

Nicodemus believed in Jesus, and Nick\xa0was a good man.

Jesus was telling him that would not get him into the Kingdom of God. Indeed, he was not going to Heaven, even though he was a religious leader; even though he believed in Jesus and His teachings.

Why is that?

He had not been born again.

Everything he was doing religiously and all of his good works were being done out of the flesh and not out of the Spirit of God.

Nicodemus was doing all of those things to please God and to earn his way to Heaven.

He believed in Jesus but all of his righteousness was self-earned by his own good works.

He did not have true righteousness.

No man or woman can earn true righteousness through their own good works. Every human being is born with a sin nature.

Our mind, will, and emotions are not directed toward God but toward our own self-will and they are animated by the spirit of darkness.

We are literally sinners from birth.

We do not like that truth; we may even resist admitting it.

Everything within our education system, our culture, the medical science and philosophy declares otherwise.

Even most of Christian psychology teaches man is basically good.

Psychologists Freud, Rogers, Mower, Glasser, and Skinner, may adamantly declare there is good deep in the heart of a person and it can be found if we dig deep enough.

That is not what God\u2019s Word declares.

The Psalmist wrote, \u201cThe wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies\u201d (Psalm 58:3 NKJV).

\u201cBehold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me\u201d (Psalm 51:5 NKJV).

Ephesians 2:1-5 declares, \u201cAnd you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now w