During our meditation yesterday, we discussed Jesus' teaching that no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born again of the Spirit of God. That is, we must receive the forgiveness of God for our sin and the gift of new life that God provides. Jesus also mentioned being born of water. What did He mean? Here is the key passage:
“I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:5-6).
There are four possible interpretations:
1) Water may refer to physical birth. During the first nine months of life, we develop in a fluid-filled amniotic sac within our mother's womb. Those who support this interpretation believe that Jesus is saying a person needs not only a physical birth but also a spiritual one. This understanding of water is a literal interpretation, and few scholars agree with it.
2) The second interpretation is that water represents the Word of God. The Scriptures tell us that Christ cleanses the Church “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word…” (Ephesians 5:26). In another place, Jesus states: "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:5). It may be that Jesus is saying that the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to convict of sin and to cleanse us. Water symbolizes the cleansing power of the Word of God to purify our path—by living according to the Word of God (Psalm 119:9).
3) Another view is that water symbolizes the regeneration and cleansing power of the Holy Spirit in a person's life when they turn to Christ. Here's what the apostle Paul wrote to Titus:
4“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5; emphasis added).
4) The fourth interpretation is that water symbolizes repentance. Some believe that being baptized was what Jesus intended, but baptism is an outward sign of an inward heart change. It is what happens inside that really matters. At the time when Nicodemus was encountered, John the Baptist was still preaching a baptism of repentance (Mark 1:4; Acts 19:4). Being immersed in water was a way of telling the world that someone had repented (repentance means to change one's mind and direction), died to their past life, and was awaiting the coming of the Spirit with the Messiah (Christ). Today, the word "repent" is less popular. Some teach that believing in Christ is enough, but the message of Christ is that unless people repent and believe, they will perish (Luke 13:3-5). During a recent search, I found the word “repent” seventy-five times in the Bible on biblegateway.com, clearly showing that it is an important topic that should not be ignored or underestimated.
All four interpretations are valid, so we should avoid being dogmatic about any of them. The key is to examine your heart and ask whether you have truly practiced biblical repentance from sin. Have you requested the Holy Spirit to cleanse and renew you? Do you genuinely desire freedom from habits that tarnish your character and soul and cause pain to yourself and others? If we have sincerely repented of all known sins, the Spirit of God will reveal what we need to let go of, give up, or change. Spiritual awakening or spiritual rebirth is essential for each of us. The life from God is given through His Word and the Holy Spirit, not by our works of righteousness.
This meditation is a shortened version of the in-depth study: You Must Be Born Again.
We also have a video study on YouTube with subtitles in 70 languages. Hit the link below: