Baptism (part 8) - Born Again of Water and the Spirit
Introduction. Although Nicodemus was “the teacher in Israel”, he was not prepared to understand Jesus’ opening words to him: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” With the solemn repetition of “Amen, amen,” (a synonym for “truly”), Jesus gave special emphasis to His words, not only for Nicodemus, but since John recorded it, for all mankind. While everyone else only used amen to end a prayer or confirm a scripture (Deut. 27:15-26; 1Cor. 14:27), Jesus often prefaced a very important statement with it. Jesus solemnly affirmed the necessity of being born again with these two amens! When Nicodemus expressed his ignorance by asking how, Jesus again repeated the amen, amen, adding “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3-7). Obviously, Jesus wanted to give him a greater insight about the kingdom of God and the power that would be necessary to “see” and experience it. Today, as we read His words, we must also give it careful thought. Have I been born again? What did I do to be born again? If I have not been born again, I have neither seen or entered the kingdom of heaven.
Even today the words of Jesus are difficult to fully understand. Yet since even our first birth is an amazing example of God’s power that is beyond our ability to understand or explain, it should not surprise us that a new birth is also difficult. How God enabled the process of conception and growth of a single cell into our material bodies and placed an eternal spirit into it is still a great mystery: “You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb,” “I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.” While we simply accept an infant slowly growing in the womb and being born, the actual process is beyond our comprehension (Ps. 139:13-16; Ecc. 11:5).
Hence, it is no wonder that the new birth would also be exceedingly complicated. We are fortunate today that the steps of obedience to the gospel conveying us into the kingdom have been revealed. Like our first birth, we can at least understand the means, though the actual events will continue to exceed our comprehension.
The simplest thing Jesus said was that when we see and enter the kingdom of God we have been born again. While throughout both John’s and Jesus’ ministry, they preached “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Jesus promised to give “the keys to the kingdom” to Peter. So when Peter preached his first sermon, the doors were opened and the new birth accomplished. Jesus had warned Israel that “the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it,” again revealing the “kingdom of God” would begin after they rejected Him. Jesus also told His disciples, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” This kingdom would begin and the new birth revealed after the power He described came (Mt. 16:19; 21:43; Mk. 9:1).
On the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus was rejected and crucified, the power Jesus promised for the kingdom to come was revealed by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Peter then revealed that Jesus had been “exalted to the right hand of God,” as both “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:22-39). This is the direct fulfillment of the words of Daniel: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed.” and “I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; Dan. 2:44; Ps. 2:6).
As the sermon reached its conclusion of “let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ”, those who believed stopped Peter to ask him what they could do. Peter’s answer revealed the mystery of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus. “Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:36-39).
How is baptism being born of water and the Spirit? First, Peter was preaching words inspired by the Holy Spirit and was quoting the Holy Spirit’s prophecies. Nothing done on that day was done by Peter. Everything spoken and done was via power that came with the Holy Spirit. When Peter commanded baptism wherein is the water, it was clearly “of the Spirit.” The simplicity of this is amazing. When “those who received his word were baptized,” everything Jesus described to Nicodemus was fulfilled and they were born again. At that moment they were “delivered from the power of darkness: and “conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13-14), Hence “there were added that day about three thousand souls.“(Acts 2:41).
So, the same water in which we die with Him, are buried with Him and are raised with Him is the same water of the new birth. The same water that saved Noah and his house through the ark, and saves us through baptism, is also the water allowing us to be born again of water and the Spirit. The same water that delivered Israel from the slavery of Egypt, and delivered us from the slavery of sin in baptism is also the water to be born again. Lastly, the same water that created the circumcision of Christ by being baptized is also the water allowing us to be born again of water and the Spirit. Every one of these things was accomplished when we submitted to the commands of the Holy Spirit to be baptized in water.
Can we prove these conclusions with other evidence? First, when the Eunuch heard Philip preaching these things and he saw water he said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” Why would he ask that question? The Holy Spirit had inspired Philip to “preach Jesus” to him and clearly baptism was part of that preaching. Second, instead of correcting the Eunuch, he agreed with him, saying “if you believe you may.” Then, “both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.” Third, as soon as “they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more” (Acts 8:38-39). Why would the Spirit do that unless the Eunuch had been born again of water and the Spirit? Philip was finished. As soon as the Eunuch was baptized, the gospel had been obeyed and the eunuch was saved and born again! He was born of the Spirit because he obeyed the words inspired of the Holy Spirit and he was born of water when he went down into the water, was buried, and came out.
As Peter described his use of the keys for the Gentiles, he said: “God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.” (Acts 15:7). He was sent by the Holy Spirit to preach “words by which you and all your household will be saved.” These “words” ended abruptly when the Spirit fell upon them. Since they were clearly candidates for the new birth, Peter said: “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized” and he “commanded them to be baptized” (Acts 11:14; 10:47-48). Thus, just like Israel, the Gentiles were also born again of water and the Spirit when they were baptized.
Conclusion. There can be no doubt that being born again is another amazing thing that baptism confers upon us. Jesus knew that this would be the case and to describe what actually occurred when we are buried with Him in baptism, He said, “amen, amen, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” and “amen, amen, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” He solemnly assured each of us that after we were baptized into Christ, we were born again of both water and the Spirit. So only after baptism have we entered the kingdom of God.
Next week, we will complete this series of articles by looking at the following:
Even today the words of Jesus are difficult to fully understand. Yet since even our first birth is an amazing example of God’s power that is beyond our ability to understand or explain, it should not surprise us that a new birth is also difficult. How God enabled the process of conception and growth of a single cell into our material bodies and placed an eternal spirit into it is still a great mystery: “You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb,” “I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.” While we simply accept an infant slowly growing in the womb and being born, the actual process is beyond our comprehension (Ps. 139:13-16; Ecc. 11:5).
Hence, it is no wonder that the new birth would also be exceedingly complicated. We are fortunate today that the steps of obedience to the gospel conveying us into the kingdom have been revealed. Like our first birth, we can at least understand the means, though the actual events will continue to exceed our comprehension.
The simplest thing Jesus said was that when we see and enter the kingdom of God we have been born again. While throughout both John’s and Jesus’ ministry, they preached “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Jesus promised to give “the keys to the kingdom” to Peter. So when Peter preached his first sermon, the doors were opened and the new birth accomplished. Jesus had warned Israel that “the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it,” again revealing the “kingdom of God” would begin after they rejected Him. Jesus also told His disciples, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” This kingdom would begin and the new birth revealed after the power He described came (Mt. 16:19; 21:43; Mk. 9:1).
On the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus was rejected and crucified, the power Jesus promised for the kingdom to come was revealed by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Peter then revealed that Jesus had been “exalted to the right hand of God,” as both “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:22-39). This is the direct fulfillment of the words of Daniel: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed.” and “I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; Dan. 2:44; Ps. 2:6).
As the sermon reached its conclusion of “let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ”, those who believed stopped Peter to ask him what they could do. Peter’s answer revealed the mystery of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus. “Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:36-39).
How is baptism being born of water and the Spirit? First, Peter was preaching words inspired by the Holy Spirit and was quoting the Holy Spirit’s prophecies. Nothing done on that day was done by Peter. Everything spoken and done was via power that came with the Holy Spirit. When Peter commanded baptism wherein is the water, it was clearly “of the Spirit.” The simplicity of this is amazing. When “those who received his word were baptized,” everything Jesus described to Nicodemus was fulfilled and they were born again. At that moment they were “delivered from the power of darkness: and “conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13-14), Hence “there were added that day about three thousand souls.“(Acts 2:41).
So, the same water in which we die with Him, are buried with Him and are raised with Him is the same water of the new birth. The same water that saved Noah and his house through the ark, and saves us through baptism, is also the water allowing us to be born again of water and the Spirit. The same water that delivered Israel from the slavery of Egypt, and delivered us from the slavery of sin in baptism is also the water to be born again. Lastly, the same water that created the circumcision of Christ by being baptized is also the water allowing us to be born again of water and the Spirit. Every one of these things was accomplished when we submitted to the commands of the Holy Spirit to be baptized in water.
Can we prove these conclusions with other evidence? First, when the Eunuch heard Philip preaching these things and he saw water he said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” Why would he ask that question? The Holy Spirit had inspired Philip to “preach Jesus” to him and clearly baptism was part of that preaching. Second, instead of correcting the Eunuch, he agreed with him, saying “if you believe you may.” Then, “both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.” Third, as soon as “they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more” (Acts 8:38-39). Why would the Spirit do that unless the Eunuch had been born again of water and the Spirit? Philip was finished. As soon as the Eunuch was baptized, the gospel had been obeyed and the eunuch was saved and born again! He was born of the Spirit because he obeyed the words inspired of the Holy Spirit and he was born of water when he went down into the water, was buried, and came out.
As Peter described his use of the keys for the Gentiles, he said: “God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.” (Acts 15:7). He was sent by the Holy Spirit to preach “words by which you and all your household will be saved.” These “words” ended abruptly when the Spirit fell upon them. Since they were clearly candidates for the new birth, Peter said: “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized” and he “commanded them to be baptized” (Acts 11:14; 10:47-48). Thus, just like Israel, the Gentiles were also born again of water and the Spirit when they were baptized.
Conclusion. There can be no doubt that being born again is another amazing thing that baptism confers upon us. Jesus knew that this would be the case and to describe what actually occurred when we are buried with Him in baptism, He said, “amen, amen, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” and “amen, amen, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” He solemnly assured each of us that after we were baptized into Christ, we were born again of both water and the Spirit. So only after baptism have we entered the kingdom of God.
Next week, we will complete this series of articles by looking at the following:
- “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,... (1 Pet 1:23).
- Jesus gave “Himself for her (the church), that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word” (Eph 5:25-26).
- It was “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1Cor 12:13).
- “in Christ Jesus I begat you through the gospel (1Cor 12:13), and Luke speaking of the same event said, “hearing, they believed and were baptized.” (Acts 18:8)
- “of his own will he brought us forth(gave birth to us) by the word of truth” (Jas 1:18).
- God “saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-7).