Granites and diamonds

Jesus said to Nicodemus, unless a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God. The problem with our lives is not only the filth and sin but the substance. The natural man can never be subject to God's law because he is born of the flesh and God is Spirit. If I were to a piece of granite to a jeweller and asked him accept it he would take one look at it and send me away. He has no use for granite. He may as a result of my objection show me a perfect brilliant multi-carated diamond in order to show what his requirements are. But it would be no use for me to go away and try and "perfect" my granite. I may have it worked on by the greatest craftsmen alive but it would still be worthless to the jeweller. However if I were to find a rough, dirty and seemlingly "worthless" diamond, he would in contrast be more than happy to take it off my hands. Although it may not be as perfect as the afore-mentioned, it is of the same substance. It has a perfection, based not upon its immediate beauty but upon it's potential. Pastor Mike Wagner