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From Heaven With Love
Wind produces effects that are seen and felt. So the work of the
Spirit on the soul will reveal itself in every act of the one who has
felt its saving power. The Spirit of God transforms the life. Sinful
thoughts are put away, evil deeds renounced. Love, humility, and
peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place
of sadness. When by faith the soul surrenders to God, that power
which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of
God. The beginning of redemption we may know here, through
personal experience; its results reach through eternal ages.
Nicodemus Begins to See the Light
While Jesus was speaking, some gleams of truth penetrated the
ruler’s mind. Yet he did not fully understand the Saviour’s words.
He said wonderingly, “How can these things be?”
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“Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”
Jesus asked. Instead of feeling irritated over the plain words of truth,
Nicodemus should have had a humble opinion of himself, because
of his spiritual ignorance. Yet Christ spoke with such solemn dignity
and earnest love, that Nicodemus was not offended.
But as Jesus explained that His mission was to establish a spiri-
tual instead of a temporal kingdom, His hearer was troubled. Seeing
this, Jesus added, “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe
not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” Not
discerning the nature of Christ’s work on earth, Nicodemus could
not understand His work in heaven.
The Jews whom Jesus had driven from the temple were zealous to
maintain an appearance of holiness, but neglected holiness of heart.
Sticklers for the letter of the law, they were constantly violating
its spirit. Their great need was that change which Christ had been
explaining to Nicodemus—a new moral birth, a cleansing from sin,
and a renewing of holiness.
There was no excuse for the blindness of Israel in regard to the
work of regeneration. David had prayed, “Create in me a clean heart,
O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Through Ezekiel the
promise had been given, “A new heart also will I give you, and a
new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart
out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put