• John 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
• John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

My first wife suffered three miscarriages and it has always been my hope that God got to raise those children for us and we would meet them when we join them in eternity. Am I wrong to think this way?

Being born of water and then born of the spirit in rebirth is so that we can enter the Kingdom of God while we are still alive walking this earth. This is the Kingdom, not the eternal realm.

What is a Kingdom without subjects? Land without life.

I have to readjust my thinking about those miscarriages. Since they were never born of water, they were not born in sin and their relationship with God the Father was never broken, so it doesn’t need to be fixed. That makes me feel better. Others may say I am only trying to make myself feel better but isn’t that one of the goals of being born again, to ease our pain?

I do not test my theology, I look to be comforted in my pain. My theology may be wrong but as long as my pain is gone what does it matter? So much of this life of faith is about finding safety in the midst of turmoil, security in times of doubt, and peace in times of war. We may not have our theology perfect but if our faith comforts us, then why not accept the help, even though we do not understand how it works.

John 3:8 “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 might not understand the Spirit but we feel the effects. If that is all we have, cling to it.

At my first wife’s funeral my son and I mourned loudly without shame, it was real and painful. The Spirit blew through us like a calming breeze and made the pain bearable. My son turned to me and said “I felt that.” That was tangible proof of God’s power. Praise God He made Himself known to my son.

This is what it means to be born in the Spirit, He makes Himself known. God no longer hides His face from us. He no longer sees our sin when He looks at us.

Psalm 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Philippians 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

Romans 3:10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

Romans 3:26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Given that all statements are true we must reconcile just how we have access to Jesus who is righteous because we have no righteousness of our own. Access by faith does not make His righteousness ours. We do not own it.

This life we live in the flesh keeps us from being righteous. This is why our final translation will come when we leave this body behind.

Philippians 3:21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Those bodies will not be like the one that was crucified but rather the one seen on the mount of transfiguration.

Matthew 17:1-2 English Standard Version

The Transfiguration

1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

Those three disciples were allowed to see into eternity so we could have a glimpse of Jesus as He sits on the throne of heaven. Our hope is in their witness, to understand that on that day we might have a body worthy of its own righteousness.

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

We are impatient people.

This life we live is surrounded with instant gratification with likes, follows, agreements, and praise from people who agree with us. If we live for the moment we have lost sight of the final results, if we have a hope for a new life. Being born again means change, not perfection.