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Study 15: 9th - 15th October

Readings from the Gospel of John
Reading – John Chapter Ch 3:5-8.

“Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Sprit gives birth to the Spirit. You should not be surprised at me saying, “You must be born again”. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You can hear the sound, but you cannot tell from where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”(John Chapter 3 verses 5 to 8 (New International Version).

All through the game of golf there are different divisions and groups of people. For example there is the division between being an amateur and a professional. One plays the game for a living, the other for no income. There divisions between juniors and seniors, associates and members, members and visitors of clubs. In Professional golf you have different Tours. These are all designed to give benefits for particular skills and groups of people. Moving from one category to another involves certain conditions.

In a similar way Jesus says to Nicodemus; that to enter God’s new life in Jesus or to be born again; one must be born of water and the Spirit.
It is not certain what Jesus means by being born of water. It could be a reference to our natural birth from the waters of our mother’s womb. It could refer to the waters of John’s message of repentance that came shortly before Jesus. Water here refers to some kind of visible reality that is part of life. Being born of the Spirit though is something different, like the following expression, flesh gives birth to flesh where the Spirit gives birth to the Spirit.

This birth of the Spirit is out of our natural reach and different to normal life. Only God who is Spirit can give this life and of this we have no control.
This is where trust or faith I God plays a role. What God looks for in us is trust. Trust is surrendering our life into the hands of God. When we trust or surrender our life to God, then we are relying on God to do something we cannot do ourselves, to be born of the Spirit. The Spirit as the reading tells us has a life of it’s own. You cannot control God, but you can see where God has changed people’s lives.

To be born again of the Spirit involves surrendering our life to God, receiving Jesus for who he is (God’s only Son and King) and trusting in his death and rising from the dead to take away our sins. This will be explained further in Chapter 3. God’s promise is that when we do this, we will be born again as his children and heirs of eternal life.

The most important point about being born of the Spirit is that it is God’s desire and freedom to give new life to all who believe. We cannot earn it or have any right to this due to our sin.

In changing from being an amateur to a professional golfer involves earning the right by being a good player and satisfying the requirements of the PGA. In becoming a member of a golf club you need to satisfy the requirements of the golf club. Just being a good bloke will not be sufficient. Likewise it is God who sets down the requirements. We must be born again to enter God’s eternal life given through Jesus.

My hope is that Australian golfers will less think of their own integrity and thinking they deserve God’s favour, to surrendering their life to God and receiving new birth through God’s Spirit. This being born again happens when we believe in the one (Jesus) God sent.

Prayer.
Lord Jesus, thank you that you make being born again possible through your death and rising from the dead. Help us today to surrender our life to you so that new life is possible.
Amen.

• 5 June: Oatlands Golf Day
• 24 - 26 July: SCA Annual Conference
• 6 - 9 Sept.: PGA Merchandise Show
• 15 Oct.: Wyong Trainee Pro-Am