From the ministry archive
The Water and the Spirit
Today I would like to address something that is commonly misunderstood about the new birth experience. I had a few responses from someone a couple of days ago about a post that I put up about the holy Ghost baptism, and about water baptism. This individual has a particular doctrine that he observes quite zealously, called “The Water and The Spirit.” What this teaching is about actually, is putting a top level priority on water baptism in regard to salvation. I did a post on this subject last year, but since I got these responses from this individual, I would like to clarify the truth of the scriptures on the matter once again. The basis of this common school of thought comes from a misunderstanding of the discussion that Jesus had with the believing Pharisee Nicodemus in John chapter 3. So let’s just copy the core of that conversation here and look at it as it is stated: “The same [Nicodemus] came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Jn. 3:2-6). Okay, the thinking among many is that in verse 5 Jesus is telling Nicodemus that one must be water baptized and born of the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God. Once more that verse goes like this: “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t see anything about water baptism there at all. And I don’t see it anywhere else in the discussion either. That’s because it isn’t there. What IS in the context of the passage is that Jesus was merely answering the question that Nicodemus presented, in regard to HOW Nicodemus asked it. Jesus told him that he had to be born again, and Nicodemus didn’t get it. We wouldn’t have gotten it either if we had been in his place.
At that point Nicodemus was thinking about the ONLY THING he knew about being born - from a mother’s womb. And when he asked if he would have to go back into his mother’s womb to be born again, Jesus addressed what he said, as well as what HE [Jesus] had said TO him about the new birth. If you want to know what Jesus meant in verse 5, then look at verse 6, because IN verse 6 he was STILL explaining this thing to Nicodemus, in regard to what each of them had said. And verse 6 again: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Okay, let’s really get this down to simple math, because that is all it is in reality. “Born of water” = “Born of the flesh.” “Born of the Spirit” = “Born of the Spirit.” It really is that simple. Jesus addressed what was asked in simple terms ABOUT what was asked. Nicodemus did not ask anything about water baptism. Jesus did not answer anything about water baptism. Nicodemus asked about going back into his mother’s womb, and Jesus addressed the issue of being born of one’s mother’s womb. Everyone knows that a fetus is preserved in a sack of water in the mother’s womb, and when that water ‘breaks’ the baby is born [of water]. That is the birth of the fleshly man [born of the flesh]. And obviously the spirit man has to be born of God’s Spirit, which is what Jesus came to make the way for. So all that Jesus was telling Nicodemus is that one does have to be born of the womb, as Nicodemus had alluded to, but one must also be “born again” of the Spirit of God. Now that is the totality of the issue of being “born of water and of the Spirit.” That is what is there. What is NOT there is ANYTHING about water baptism. If you want to understand scripture, you have to first read what IS THERE, and not READ INTO IT what is NOT THERE! Secondly you must stay in the context of what you are reading, and not wander somewhere else and put something into the text that is totally OUT OF the context. To put water baptism into that passage of scripture is just reading something into it that simply is not there. For those who do subscribe to that doctrine, meaning water baptism being in that passage, I have to ask this question: How many new births are there? Or how many times must a man be born again? Must we be born again AND again, or just born again? Because if “born of water” means water baptism, then we have a problem. Jesus said that we must be “BORN of water AND of the Spirit,” so if the “born of water” part there is referring to water baptism, then we have TWO NEW BIRTHS on our hands.
There is really no other way to slice that pie. If “born of water” takes place with water baptism, then when we are “born of the Spirit” we are born again for the second time. Sound confusing? Of course it does! When you break down ANY erroneous doctrine for what it is really trying to say, it is ALWAYS a mess. No friend, there is ONE new birth, and it is by receiving the Spirit of God, AS JESUS SAID! The ironic thing here is, that at the time that this discussion took place, everyone who expected to receive the new birth experience DID have to be water baptized first. John the Baptist was ordained by God to baptize in water for the express purpose of giving the people the opportunity to repent of their sins, so that they would be prepared to be baptized by Jesus with the holy Ghost (Mk. 1:7,8). But after Jesus paid the price for our sins with his life, and rose again the third day, he went back to heaven to begin baptizing with the holy Ghost, as God ordained for HIM to do (Acts 1:4,5; Acts 2:1-4). That is the ONE new birth experience that Jesus purchased with his blood. There is no birth of any kind in water baptism. The baptism for the inner man that came as the result of “the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” and truly washes away sin; fulfilled the symbolic baptism for the outer man, which was only given to lead the way to Jesus and his baptism that he administers from heaven (I Pet. 3:21; I Cor. 6:11). The baptism that Jesus suffered, died, and rose again to give, is the ONLY experience that makes anyone a member of the one body of Christ, which one must be born into (I Cor. 12:13; II Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:4,5). And as the great apostle Paul plainly affirmed in Ephesians 4:5, there is ONLY “one baptism” now. The same apostle clearly said in another place, “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Gal. 5:18). Water baptism was clearly of the law (Mat. 3:15; Mat. 5:17). The traditions and doctrines of modern Christianity that include and often require that one must be baptized in water, are CONTRARY to what Jesus lived, suffered, died, and rose again for. Period. And anyone who is crusading for and exalting a long dead carnal ordinance of the old covenant, is promoting death rather than life, and is favoring a non-living symbol over the only begotten Son of God, who is “alive for evermore” (II Cor. 3:6; Heb. 8:13; Rev. 1:18). Yes friend, Jesus came that we “might have LIFE, and have it more abundantly,” and that life is his blessed “Spirit OF LIFE” (Jn. 10:10; Rom. 8:2). We simply are not exalting Jesus fully as long as we observe and have regard for ANYTHING that is NOT what he died and rose again to provide (Philip. 3:3). And so I conclude with the admonition of Moses of old: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deut. 30:19). Amen friend, and may God bless.
