Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 NKJV
Recently while studying the third chapter of John I turned to The Desire of Ages and found a sentence about Nicodemus being startled that also startled me.
He was startled at the thought of a kingdom too pure for him to see in his present state. –Ellen White, Desire of Ages, Page 171.
Now this is a very simple sentence but it spoke volumes to me. It explained to me why I am experiencing all the trials and tribulations I am going through. Even though I am a good Pharisee like good old Nicodemus – after all I am a 5th-generation Seventh-day Adventist and minister of the Gospel – but God is still working on my character. He is still fitting me for His kingdom. If God were to remove all my trials and tribulations, my character would never be developed to fit me for His kingdom.
God has not called me to be a pastor because I have it all together – I clearly don’t have it all together. He has not called me into ministry because I have arrived. Rather God has called me to be a pastor so through the trials and tribulations of a pastor He can discipline me and recreate me to be able to fit and save me into His kingdom. I love being a pastor. I love my job, but let’s be real. We all have had moments when we wish we could quit whatever it is we are doing and just run away to a deserted island way off in the South Pacific. We just want to escape all our trials, tribulations and challenges. The problem is that we wont be living alone on little islands in God’s kingdom. God gives us jobs and positions, not to promote us, but to humble us and recreate us into His image. The trials, tribulations and challenges we face in our life’s calling are there to humble us so that we will be born again and converted to the kingdom of God.
Those who know me know I love people and have a lot of friends, but, again let’s be real. Some people just rub us the wrong way. I remember a dear old lady years ago in a group Bible study saying, “When someone rubs you the wrong way God is just using them to polish your character.” So I am reminded I don’t need to run away when I face challenging people or situations. Like Nicodemus, the kingdom of God is too pure for me to enter in my present state. God knows my character will never be fitted for His kingdom while living on a deserted island in the South Pacific. God has put challenging people and situations in my life in order to convert not them but me!
One night around two thousand years ago a religious leader was told by Jesus, you must be born again. You cannot see the kingdom of God in your present state. You need to be converted. Just a few nights ago, while reading the same story, Jesus told this 5th-generation Adventist pastor, you must be born again. You cannot see the kingdom of God in your present state. You need to be converted. Now I know why James said to be happy when we have trials. Those trials are humbling us so we will be willing to be born again and converted. Those trials are fitting us for the kingdom of God. Those trials and tribulations are our salvation! Without them we will never be fitted for the kingdom of God.
“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22 NKJV
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