Flip the Script Be Born Again

Wednesday July 16, 2025

Scripture: John 3:1–17

Reflection: Nicodemus came to Jesus at night when no one could see the visit and he had questions shaped by everything he knew as a respected religious teacher. But Jesus flipped the script entirely when He said “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”Until that conversation, Nicodemus thought faith was about doing more, knowing more, and following the rules more perfectly. Jesus turned this upside down. He spoke of new birth, not as something we achieve, but something God does in us by the Spirit.  In a world that still tells us that our worth depends on what we do, Jesus’ words come as both a challenge and a gift. The challenge is to let go of self-made religion and in return you will receive a new life born of grace. A new start shaped not by our failures or successes, but by the boundless love of God.

The ultimate flip flop in this passage is found in verse 16:“For God so loved the world…”Instead of condemning the world, God sends His Son to save it. Instead of leaving us stuck in shame, Jesus lifts us into new life.The flip for us is tomove from trying harder to trusting deeper. Let grace do what effort never could—make you new.

Consider this:

• Where am I still trying to “earn” God’s love, instead of receiving it as a gift?
• Like Nicodemus, do I come to Jesus with questions or hesitations? What might Jesus be inviting me to see differently?
• In what area of my life is God asking me to “flip” from fear to faith, or from control to trust?

Prayer: Spirit of God, flip my heart from striving to surrender. Help me to receive Your love, and to live as one reborn by grace. Amen.