May 18, 2020
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It was an incredible moment when our second grandchild was born. My wife and I actually got to be in the birthing room only minutes after his arrival. There was that fragile, precious little handful of baby boy, and then across the room was that amazing life-support system they call the placenta. I couldn't help but flash back to the birth of our youngest child. His delivery was the first one I was allowed by the hospital to be there for. (That was in the very old days, you know.) And I'll never forget our obstetrician's comment immediately after the baby and the placenta had come. He looked at me and he said, after having had this experience hundreds of times, "This is the greatest miracle known to man."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Greatest Miracle Known to Man."
Our obstetrician was almost right. The birth of a baby is the second greatest miracle known to man. The greatest miracle is that moment when a person like you or me is spiritually born into the family of Almighty God! If you've been born into His family, you know you have. Believe me, my new grandson knew something had changed dramatically! He didn't understand it, but he knew it had happened!
If you don't know you've become God's child through a spiritual birth, then you probably haven't. You don't have to understand it all, most people don't when they're reborn, but you will know that it happened. A baby like our son or our grandson is born to a life that will last 80, 90, maybe even 100 years at best. When a person is born into God's family, they're born into eternal life. They get heaven forever!
The greatest miracle of all here is described in our word for today from the Word of God in John 1:12. It can help you understand exactly how spiritual birth really works. Speaking of Jesus Christ, God says, "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." Sometimes you'll hear people say, "We're all God's children." Not according to the Bible. We're all God's creation, but you have to be born spiritually to be His child. And you can't get into His presence; you can't get into heaven if you're not His child.
In fact, Jesus said, "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3:3). That's actually where the words "born again" originated - with Jesus Himself. How does it happen? John 1:12 tells us that you become a child of God when you "receive Christ" and when you "believe in His name." Receiving Him means consciously welcoming Jesus, realizing who He is; realizing why He came. You know if you've done that or not.
Jesus, this name you have to believe in, means "Jehovah saves." So when you "believe in His name," you're telling Jesus that you're taking Him as your personal Rescuer from the death penalty for your sins, because He's the only One who died for them. Which brings us to the eternal life-or-death question: has there been a time when you've done that? If not, do you want there to be? Would you like to go to bed tonight being able to say, "I belong to Jesus. I know I do. I've been born into God's family. I know I have. I'm going to heaven when I die. I know I am"? Then tell Jesus today that He's welcome to come in that you are pinning all your hopes for heaven on Him.
You want that? Well, then I would encourage you to go to our website, because it really is set up to help you walk through beginning a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and knowing that you've done it. That website is ANewStory.com. I think your new beginning maybe could happen there.
You've had one birthday obviously; that's why you're here. Today could be the day of your second birthday, your birth into the family of God.