Bible scholar, John Phillips, once told the fable of a king who had two sons. The sons came to their father with a question: “Is a gentleman made or born?” The king replied, “Well, what do you think?” The first son responded, “I think that a gentleman is born a gentleman.” The other son disagreed saying, “No, I believe a gentleman becomes a gentleman by training and discipline.” So, the king issued a challenge. “Each of you will receive a chance to prove your case by presenting me with proof of your opinions a week from today.”

     A week passed and the second son approached his father with a cat. The feline was dressed in a waiter’s outfit. It had been trained to walk on its hind legs. At the same time, the cat used its forepaws to hold a box of chocolates that it presented to the king. Well, the king was duly impressed and convinced that if a cat can be taught to walk upright, then a gentleman can be trained. That is until the other son came forward with his presentation.

 

     He approached the throne with a box in hand. The king inquired, “Well, what’s in the box?” The other son replied, “Do you really believe that cat can permanently change into an upright waiter?” The king responded, “The proof is before your eyes.” Without saying a word, the other son opened up a box out of which scurried a dozen mice. The cat then threw the tray of chocolates into the king’s lap and scampered after the mice.

 

     The truth is a walking cat is still a cat. It is born a cat and no matter how much it may appear to change, it is still a cat. You can train it, dress it, and teach it to walk upright. But tempt it with a delicacy it can’t resist.

 

     Changing the outside behavior of the person doesn’t change completely the inward nature of the person. That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus that unless one is born again, he cannot be in God’s kingdom. I believe Nicodemus had discovered the truth of what Jesus was saying.

 

     Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Nicodemus had been taught that if you could change the outside of a person, you would change the inside. He believed that behavior modification could make a waiter out of a cat.

 

     But Nicodemus was no dummy. He realized that nothing he had previously tried could change his true nature. So, Nicodemus asked Jesus, “…how can [a person] be born again? He cannot enter his mother’s body again…” (John 3:4). (I don’t think Nicodemus was actually talking as much about natural childbirth as he was spiritual re-birth.) What Nicodemus was really asking is, “Can I truly be changed? Can I become a better version of myself?

 

     Nicodemus may have been on the wrong track, but he was asking the right questions. “How can I be born, again?” Well, the place to begin is by looking back to your own physical birth.

 

     I wasn’t the one who delivered my children. My wife volunteered for the duty. I shied away from the active part of the birthing process when Bill Cosby said that it was like pulling your upper lip over top of your head. However, I can tell you from watching the birth of my kids, that neither were they all that active in the process either. Not one of them text messaged their mother when to start and stop pushing.

 

     The fact is that none of us can take credit for our physical birth. The same is true of our spiritual birth. It is through God’s pain that we are born. It is through the blood of his son that we are made new. Ephesians 2:8 says that “Saving is all [God’s] idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it” (MSG). Too many of us, though, are born on third base, but think that we’ve hit a triple. But the truth is you and I play a small role in the success we enjoy.

That’s because upon our new birth, God gives us exactly what we need. He gives us new eyes so that we can see by faith. He gives us a new mind to think like Christ. He gives us new hearts to obey His will. He gives us new strength so that we might not grow tired. He gives us a renewed hope so that we won’t become discouraged. But, more than anything, God gives us in Jesus a Redeemer who can cleanse our soul.

 

     “God so loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Giving defines God’s role in this whole saving process. Through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God gives new life. God gives new birth. God gives us a new beginning.

 

     It is God’s responsibility to give. Our role is simply to believe—that “whoever believes may have eternal life.” God is the giver. God is the Redeemer. We’re the believers. And, believing requires new birth.

 

     Jesus said that “… unless one is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter God’s kingdom” (John 3:5). When Jesus takes hold of one’s life, the past is erased, and a new beginning is established. But, if the forgiveness of sin was the only thing God did, it wouldn’t be enough. You and I would just go back to the beginning and mess up all over again.

 

     That’s why we are reborn through both water and the Spirit. We are cleansed of the past, but we are also given the power to live into a victorious future. God’s Holy Spirit makes it possible for you and me to live a life that reflects the image of Christ. The power to make godly decisions. The strength to rise above temptation. The capacity to live within the center of the Lord’s will.

 

     Now, does that mean you will never chase mice again? Does that mean you won’t be tempted to pick up another drink? Does that mean you will never lust after another woman? Does that mean your tongue won’t slip into gossip?

 

     No, like any baby, you will stumble into disobedience. You will falter in your speech. You will disappoint your Heavenly Father.

 

     But, like any loving parent, God hangs in there with you. He knows your weaknesses. He knows you are growing. So, He patiently works in you, for you, and with you.

 

     For years, there has been a story circulated through Alcoholics Anonymous. The story is about a construction worker who had become an alcoholic. The worker discovered Jesus and put his trust in Christ to save him from his addiction. When the man returned to work clean and sober, his colleagues made fun of his new life. The other workers said, “Surely, you can’t believe in miracles and things like that. You don’t believe that Jesus actually changed water into wine.” To which the sober worker replied, “Well, I wasn’t there to watch Jesus turn water into wine. But, since I staked my belief in him, I do know that in my home he has turned beer into furniture.”

 

     That’s the kind of change with which God’s Spirit can effect in your life. Through the cleansing blood of Jesus, combined with the power of His Holy Spirit, you can be reborn. Have a happy birthday!