What Does It Mean to Be Born Again of Water and the Spirit?

To be born again of water and the Spirit is to have all sins washed away through belief in the baptism Jesus received from John the Baptist. It is through this baptism that Jesus took upon Himself the sins of humanity and paid for them with His blood, and resurrected on the third day affirming that He is God.

 

To be born again, one must first acknowledge their inherent sinfulness as descendants of Adam (Romans 5:12). Jesus stated that all human beings are born with 12 kinds of evil thoughts, which are sins found in their hearts. These sins make them candidates for hell because they cannot help but continue sinning throughout their lives. Recognizing this, the next step is to turn to Jesus for salvation, as He is the way, the truth, and the giver of everlasting life. Jesus presents the beautiful gospel of the water and the Spirit to all who acknowledge that their sins condemn them to the lake of fire.

 

What Does It Mean to Be Born Again of Water and the Spirit in John 3:5?

The gospel of the water and the Spirit is the means by which Jesus Christ provided a path for all humanity to enter the kingdom of heaven. In John 3:5, Jesus told Nicodemus that unless one is born again of water and the Spirit, they cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.

 

According to this perspective, the water and the Spirit are both essential elements of being born again, as taught by Jesus in John 3:5. The water refers to Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist, where He took upon Himself the sins of the world, acting as a substitute for all sinners. Jesus' baptism represents three crucial aspects of our salvation. First, the laying of hands by John the Baptist symbolically passes on the sins. Second, the immersion in the water signifies Jesus' vicarious death in our place, paying for all the sins He took upon Himself during baptism. Third, emerging from the water symbolizes Jesus' resurrection as the 100% God.

 

This viewpoint is based on various passages from the Old and New Testaments that reveal God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ (Leviticus 1,4,16). The Old Testament contains many types and shadows of Jesus' righteous act, such as the sacrificial system, the tabernacle, and the Day of Atonement. These foreshadowed how Jesus would take away all the sins of humanity through His baptism by John the Baptist and His crucifixion on the cross.

 

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

John the Baptist, a descendant of Aaron, the high priest, was sent by God as Elijah to prepare the way for Jesus. He baptized people with water for repentance and testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. When Jesus came to be baptized by John, He stated that it was necessary to fulfill all righteousness. This meant that Jesus had to receive the sins of humanity through His baptism, in accordance with God's law and covenant. When John laid his hands on Jesus' head, all the sins of the world were transferred to Him (Mathew 3:13-17).

 

Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?

Jesus bore all the sins taken at baptism to the cross and shed His blood as the payment for the sin. He died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and He rose again on the third day, fulfilling the Scriptures. Through His baptism and blood, He completed His righteous act, completely erasing all our sins. As 1 John 5:6 states, He came by water and blood.

 

How Can All the Sins of Humankind Be Blotted Out?

One can have all their sins blotted out by believing in the gospel of water and the Spirit, which says that when Jesus received baptism from John, He was receiving all the sins of the world, that when He went to the Cross and shed His blood He was paying for those sins, and then resurrected on the third day because He is God.

Anyone who believes in this gospel can be saved from their sins and receive eternal life. This is what it means to be born again of water and the Spirit, as Jesus said in John 3:5. This is also what Paul meant when he stated that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Similarly, Peter affirmed that baptism now saves us in 1 Peter 3:21. Therefore, the gospel of the water and the Spirit is the true gospel that reveals God's righteousness and grace. It is not a doctrine lacking sufficient scriptural support, but a faithful interpretation of God's word. It is not a lawless and empty belief, but a lawful and valid faith. It is not a partial aspect of Jesus' righteous act, but the entirety of His gospel. It is not a shadow of good things to come, but a realized good thing.