If anyone in Jerusalem looked like a man of God, it was Nicodemus. He knew the Scriptures by heart. He prayed, fasted and gave. He sat on the council that governed the religious life of the nation. People came to him for answers.

And yet he came to Jesus at night, with a question he could not ask in daylight.

Jesus did not compliment his credentials. He went straight to the point: no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. Nicodemus was confused. He had done everything right. What more could there be?

“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” John 3:6

The people in the pews

In more than 40 years of ministry I have met many people like Nicodemus. They were baptized as babies, raised in church, and have attended faithfully for decades. They are kind, generous and sincere. But when I ask them how they know they belong to God, they talk about what they do, not about who they have met.

I don’t say this to judge anyone. I was there myself, a young diplomat in Milan who believed in God but had never met Jesus. The problem is not sincerity. The problem is that religion can become a substitute for a relationship, and you can sit in church for years without anyone asking you the question Jesus asked Nicodemus.

The foundation

Hebrews 6 lists what it calls the elementary teachings: repentance, faith toward God, baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection and eternal judgment. These are the foundation. The writer wants believers to move beyond them, but you cannot move beyond a foundation that was never laid.

If you are not sure where you stand, that uncertainty is not a failure. It is an invitation. Nicodemus came at night, with questions. Later we see him defending Jesus before the council, and at the end, carrying spices to His tomb. His journey took time, and it began with honesty.

Yours can begin the same way.

Not sure where you are on the journey? Find your next step with eight honest questions.