Nicodemus was a respectable man. He was a Pharisee; we meet him in John chapter 3 coming at night to Jesus. He was a seeker. He comes in the politeness in which he’s been trained and addresses Jesus, Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. (John 3:2)
Jesus ignores the protocol and answers the question that is in Nicodemus’ heart. Mind you, he didn’t really know the question that was in his heart. Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
In our modern vernacular, Nicodemus responds with something like, “What!?” Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? (John 3:4) Jesus had blown his mind.
What I love about this interchange is that God knows our heart. He knows what we need. When He gives us what we need, like Nicodemus, we find ourselves standing with our mouths gaping open, batting our eyes, and scratching our heads. “What!?”
Nicodemus has, like many believers, failed to see from God’s perspective. He is looking at the outer man, the body. From that perspective, what Jesus says is impossible. Jesus is speaking from God’s perspective. God is spirit. Man is spirit. At the time of John 3, all men were spiritually dead having been cut off from the life of God because of Adam’s sin.
So, we’ll go easy on Nicodemus. For one thing, we can see (John 7:50; 19:39) that he eventually got it; he was the one who prepared Jesus’ body for burial. I see great love in his doing that. For another thing, men are still pondering the new birth and wondering, “how can this be?”
Someone recently suggested to me, when reading John 3, replace the word born with the word conceive. When you go to the Greek, it is a valid choice.
He gave the illustration of a child in the womb. When we make Jesus our Lord, we are conceived, life comes into us. We continue to grow until we are “born” and move to heaven; the end of this life is the beginning of our true life. I really like that picture. His conversation got me thinking and reminded me of another illustration I’ve seen demonstrated.
Think about the process of a human birth. A child is conceived. In that child is all of the DNA needed to be a human being. After conception, God does not add any DNA, it is simply that the cell multiplies and the child develops. The expression of its DNA becomes visible.
So it is with every believer. Jesus explained to Nicodemus, What is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6). God is Spirit. (John 4:24) Man is spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing… (Ephesians 1:3) Our spirit DNA is complete.
The other illustration I have seen is the making of a 2-liter soda bottle. It starts with a plastic preform.
A plastic preform looks like a test tube with a bottle cap on it.Whether or not it becomes a 20 ounce bottle or a 2-liter bottle depends on the manufacturing process. What I love about this illustration is (it is much more effective in person than it is in written form, by the way) – it shows that all the plastic required to make a 2-liter is in the preform. However, some preforms are expanded to only the 20 ounce size. Same amount of plastic, smaller capacity.
So it is with us.
All of the Spirit of God we need has been placed in us at our new birth. We do not need more Holy Spirit DNA, we need to enlarge our capacity for Him. Make room! But, wait. I’m getting ahead of myself.
The devil is a liar. He’s very good at it too. Many believers go through life with a 20 ounce capacity or simply stay a preform because they don’t understand their design and potential in the Spirit. The enemy is very good at redefining our lives based on our sin. He keeps our attention on what we’ve done and how we’ve failed in order to keep us from expanding and growing in God.
Yes, we have all sinned. Spend a day with me and you’ll know that I know the weakness of human flesh! But God does not define me by my experience of sin. His perspective never focuses on the limitations of my flesh. He understands His design and knows my potential: it is Christ in me the hope of glory! (Colossians 1:27)
And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
I feel very blessed that I was taught at a young age to read through the New Testament and find all of the “In Him” verses. It is as I look into the mirror of God’s word and see Christ in me that I begin to develop into His image. Jesus explained it in John 15:4, Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.
One of my favorite books is The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee. I read it every year or two. He tells a story that illustrates this point of Christ in us. He was visiting America and staying in the home of a saved couple who, soon after his arrival, asked for prayer. They were struggling with a lack of patience for their children. Brother Nee refused to pray for them to have patience, explaining: “It is not patience you have need of. It is Christ. And this is the truth. God will not give me humility or patience or holiness or love as separate gifts of his grace. He is not a retailer dispensing grace to us in packets, measuring out some patience to the impatient, some love to the unloving, some meekness to the proud, in quantities that we take and work on as a kind of capital. He has given only one gift to meet all our need: His Son Christ Jesus.”
Love, patience, and the rest are fruit that will grow and be revealed in us as we abide in Him. Fruit is the expression of our Spirit-DNA in full bloom. Our DNA is complete; we may, however, have stunted growth if we are not abiding in the Vine.
A few years ago I heard a statement that caught my attention and changed the course of my walk with God. 
I immediately asked the Lord to show me how to make room, enlarge my capacity for Him. So how do we make room? How do we expand our spiritual capacity?
It starts by asking the Lord. There is no step-by-step formula because my weakness may not be the same as your weakness. God knows. However, for the sake of organizing my thoughts, here are a few guidelines to get started.
Stop:
- Stop doing what hasn’t worked
- Stop thinking according to the world, the flesh, or the devil
- Stop seeing only from your limited earthly, natural, carnal perspective
Time:
- Make time to be alone with God
- Make time for prayer
- Make time to read and study scripture
Listen:
- Practice hearing God’s voice
- Expect to hear Him speak to you
- It takes time to tune your spiritual ear and you will make mistakes as your are learning
Obey:
- Make a promise to the Lord that what He shows you in His word or speaks to your spirit you will do
- Just do it!
Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto [completed] salvation, (1 Peter 2:2)
To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory. (Colossians 1:27)
For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. (Colossians 2:9)
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you. (1 Peter 5:10)
And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], (Ephesians 4:23)
When God created the heavens and the earth, he looked at what He had made and said, “It is very good.” He is still an excellent creator. You are some of His best handiwork! Look in the mirror and see what He has done!
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