John 3:21

"On the other hand, people who do the right thing don't need to hide; they walk in the light of day with no hesitation at all, since those who know them best can clearly see the things they do are a product of their relationship with God." John 3:21 EFP

At first glance this statement seems almost anticlimactic in light of the powerful declarations made by Jesus during this evening conversation with Nicodemus.  On the other hand it is a mirror summation of the previous verse, and I doubt that it is anything but a deliberate closing statement by Jesus. John is inspired to include it in the narrative.  I choose to consider it in light of what Jesus has been trying to communicate to Nicodemus all along.  These are his parting words as Nicodemus prepares to leave him for the safety of the city.

I remember this conversation begins as a challenge by Jesus to Nicodemus to enter into a new birth experience.  Jesus explains this is a pre-requisite to enter into the Kingdom of God.  That must have perked up Nicodemus' attention, since he was a Pharisee-- a protector of the law, the measure of righteousness and thus the basis for entering into the Kingdom.  But Jesus rapidly removes any human effort from the salvation equation and subsequently states the new birth experience is an initiative of the Spirit of God.  It is something that is done by God to and in us; not something that we do for or with God.

With no human by-product, salvation is clearly a gift given freely to all mankind.  All of humanity is a beneficiary of the inheritance of salvation.  Yet some will choose darkness over light-- death over life.  Why?  The obvious answer is because they are comfortable in spiritual darkness and blindness.  For some this might be the case because their lives are clearly in opposition to the will of God, but others may resist because their righteousness is a product of their own determination and spiritual grit, and not a product of the workings of the Holy Spirit.  Light will reveal the quality of the work, or the poor workmanship.  Only the work of God in me can stand the scrutiny.  My feeble efforts, as laudable as they may seem from a human perspective, fall short of the divine standard and are revealed as nothing more than "filthy rags" of human righteousness.  How sad that many will choose to live their lives satisfied with the praise of people who cannot see the heart, and miss out on the free gift of salvation given by the One who knows us best (and also knows the worst of us), but loves us most.