Beyond the Weekend

November 7 | Converted

November 7, 2014

Text: Philippians 3.4-9

John doesn’t tell us, in John 3, what happens to Nicodemus. The story abruptly ends with, apparently, no decision by Nicodemus. At this point we’re not sure which way he goes.

But Nicodemus doesn’t totally disappear. We see him again (John 7.50-51) challenging his fellow Pharisees and we see him one last time (John 19.39) helping prepare Jesus’ body for burial. From this record we can confidently infer that sometime after meeting Jesus, he believed. All of his “old” became “new” when he trusted Jesus (2 Corinthians 5.17).

While we don’t have a record of what Nicodemus would have considered his “old” life—in comparison to the “new” he received from Jesus—we do have the Apostle Paul’s record. In Philippians 3.4-9 Paul gives us his religious resume, all of those things he did to try to earn God’s favor. He summarizes all of his “righteousness” in one word: garbage. Trash. Refuse. Headed to the dump.

Like Paul, we need to understand we don’t earn God’s favor and forgiveness, we receive it when we move from “lost” to “found.”  Today, as you spend time alone with God, thank him for his “Amazing Grace” in your life—grace freely given and not earned.

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