Remember in this post how I didn't want to get into the hermeneutical intricacies of water? (And aren't big words fun?)
Well, it has come to my attention through my study in the Gospel of John that water seems to be a recurring theme. Think about it. In John 2, Jesus turns the water into wine. Notice that Jesus tells the servants to fill the water pots with... water. Notice how they filled the water to the brim.
In John 3, Jesus says that "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter the Kingdom of God." (John 3:5).
In John 4, Jesus asks the Samaritan woman for some water, before offering her water that if she drinks it, she'll never thirst again.
John 5, the impotent man is trying to get into the water, being the first one in after the angel troubles the water.
In John 6... Okay... you got me there. Jesus did cross the water to get away from the crowds, though. (He even walked on water (John 6:19)).
John 7, Jesus says whosoever believes in Him, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. John 7:39 goes on to explain that the water signifies the Holy Spirit... which sheds a lot of light on the waters of the Gospel of John. Remember those geysers we discussed in John 4? That water Jesus offered the Samaritan woman was symbolic of the Holy Spirit, which when she received Him (upon Salvation), she would never be without Him again (Security of the believer, once saved always saved.)
A smooth preacher could have fun equating the water in the waterpots of John 2 to the Holy Spirit filling believers. But the thing that struck me the most in this is the light John 7:39 sheds on John 3:5. (And yes, I know the third year class at TBI is probably laughing at me right now... I can hear them saying, "Leland went to school here two years and pastored 19 months and he's just now noticed this?" Yep, my next visit to the student lounge promises to be a good one.)
Okay. John 3:5 is used by many religious organizations to teach that Baptism is required for salvation. We Baptists know that teaching violates the doctrine of salvation by grace apart from works. (Ephesians 2:8-9 ring a bell?) That being said, what was Jesus talking about when He said, "Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven."
If being born of water means Baptism, then Ephesians 2:8-9 falls short of describing how a person is saved. Furthermore, Paul neglected to inform the Philippian jailer of this step of salvation in Acts 16:31 (even if he did baptize the jailer later). No, being born of water can not mean Baptism.
Does it mean physical birth. Hey, I've witnessed labor. I've seen my wife's water break. There is a lot of water there... and a birth. But, if a child dies in the womb, and is not born (of water), does that mean they don't go to Heaven? No, being born of water does not mean physical birth.
So what does it mean?
What does water represent? The Spirit. So, Jesus is not talking about two births when he says a man must be born of water and of the Spirit. He is talking about one birth... the spiritual birth. This also fits when you plug John 3:5 back into context of the chapter. Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again. Nicodemus asked, "How?" to which Jesus responded by explaining the second birth. Read the passage. Nicodemus understood the first birth... he asked if a man could get back into his mother's womb. John 3:5 is about the second birth, and only the second birth.
So the question becomes... have I wasted the last two nights of study only to figure out a deep theological truth that has no real bearing on what people need to hear? No, in no wise. What this study teaches us that unless someone is reborn, spiritually born, they are not saved. Jesus goes on to compare salvation to looking upon the serpent raised in the wilderness... Those who are to be saved must look to Him like those Jews in the wilderness looked to that serpent. It was a move of repentance. It was remembering God's perfection and their sinfulness. Jesus goes on to talk about belief and repentance in John 3:16-21.
You see, salvation does not come with a simple act in an undersized swimming pool. It does not come with a form-letter (insert your name here) prayer, and it does not come with getting the right answers at the end of a pre-scripted witnessing tract. It comes with a total change of mind and heart (repentance) and faith (trust) in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The effect should be the emergence of a new person (a rebirth).
If change has not happened in your life since you were "saved," if you are still the same person now that you were before you were "saved," did you really repent and trust Christ? Is there a change in your life? I can tell you my life, attitude, decision making and actions are much different now than they were before I was saved.
I praise God, because the water is portrayed in scripture as giving life... and now I have a life, whereas I didn't before.
Do you want a life? Do you need to be saved? Pray to God, tell Him you are sorry for your sins, make the decision to turn away from your sins, and trust Christ as your Savior today.
Amen!
4 comments:
It would be simple if the "and" in "water and the Spirit" could be translated as "even" (water, even the Spirit) though I've checked something like 50 million translations and it's not translated that way. Calvin did interpret it to read, "water, which the spirit." But here's an idea for you to chew on, if you haven't: carefully study out the waters of separation in Numbers 19. Nicodemus would have been familiar with it.
The waters of seperation from Numbers 19 have to do with purification from sin (at least, that's what I gather from a quick reading), which is made possible only by the blood of Jesus, in which case, the water of John 3 still applies to the Spiritual birth.
Thanks for the input. I'll study this some more.
Hey, when you get this one nailed down completely, let me know. In this case I actually like "water which is the spirit," but this particular verse has always left me with a list of "could be's" rather than something definite.
Back to some earlier comments in the orginal post, I obviously agree that it can't mean water baptism. And if it means physical birth (in its strictest literal interpretation, "this is a spiritual truth applicable to all men") it seems true that the unborn/aborted are excluded from the kingdom of God (dare we mention Adam and Eve who were not born from the womb?). But I have thought before that if we don't force any meaning on it whatsoever, it looks like it could be a reference to physical birth. A question was just asked about physical birth. An answer was given: a physical birth (water) and a spiritual birth (Spirit). If we assume (yeah, I know...assume) that this reply was simply a reply to Nicodemus' question AND the intention was not to state a truth that's binding upon all humans, it might be physical birth. And after all that...I still doubt somehow that Jesus meant physical birth. But I don't know.
The water of separation? I also noticed how it's typical of Christ. But what stood out was its use to cleanse someone when they had been in contact with death. "Except a man be born of water (purified and separated from death by the blood of Christ) and the Spirit (indwelling & sealing) he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Is it stretching it to think that there may a veiled reference here? Jesus goes on to make another clear reference to OT teachings (Moses/brass serpent).
Anyway, I think Eze. 36:25-27 supports the water = Spirit interpretation. Water is symbolic of the Spirit, of course, but not every time. For instance, John 1:26 "John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;" John was not baptizing people with the Holy Spirit.
Thanks for the thought provocation. And by the way, people (employers) are sad when they lose a man like you. I'm praying for Mission Brownwood. Bro. Bobby
Thanks for your kind words, and prayers for Mission: Brownwood. I am actually being encouraged more every day.
Rules of Bible interpretation say that if the literal understanding makes sense, then you accept that. If the literal understanding doesn't make sense, you fall back on hermeneutics, hence, John baptizing with water meant just that... he baptized with water, not the Holy Spirit (which he expressly denied doing).
I like how you interpreted the water of seperations dealing with cleansing from the contact of death. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death. However, the cleansing of the waters of seperation (i.e. the purification that would come by the death of Christ on the cross) purifies us and seperates us from death. Numbers 19 is definitely typical of Christ, which Christ knew as He spoke with Nicodemus. Whether He was making an explicit reference to Numbers 19, we won't know till He comes back. However Numbers 19, like all types and shadows of Christ, gets fulfilled in the New Testament.
And thank you for the devotional thoughts on your blog/Web site.
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