November 11

Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” — John 3:3 BSB

True religion begins when supernatural light and life enter the soul. How or why it happens, the soul cannot fully explain, for “the wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” We don’t see the wind, but we feel its effects. Likewise, God’s presence may be invisible, but His work in the soul is felt. The streams of life flow into the heart from a hidden source, and rays of divine light shine into the soul from an unseen sun. New life stirs within us from a source we cannot fully comprehend.

Just as a newborn baby feels the life in its limbs, though it doesn’t yet understand its father, so a newly born soul is conscious of feelings it never had before, as the mysterious life of the Spirit ebbs and flows within. Though they may not yet cry out “Abba, Father,” they are aware of the new life within them.

Our bodies are sensitive to every feeling, from a small scratch to a serious wound, from a mild ache to a deadly illness. So, too, should our immortal souls be sensitive to the movements of spiritual life. Just as our bodies register every change, our souls should experience the ebb and flow of spiritual feelings. If a man has not experienced these new feelings, and cannot point to a time when they first stirred in his heart, he has not yet passed from death to life. If he is not a new creation in Christ, he is not truly in Christ.