John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Did you ever wonder about this reference to water and the Spirit? We all talk about the Spirit...and we all know that we have to have God’s Spirit...but what did Jesus mean here when He mentioned water? Was He talking about water baptism? Is that important? Let’s look at the context of what Jesus was dealing with here and find what He meant when He said "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
We can see that Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This means that he was a very learned man in Biblical matters. It is said that the one had to commit the Old Testament to memory to become a Pharisee, or leader of the Jewish religion. It doesn’t tell us, but I am sure that we can deduce that Nicodemus had at least heard of John the Baptist, even though I’m sure he would not have been baptised by him. So I think we can safely assume that Jesus was talking about a different type of water here than the water involved in water baptism. If we look closer, we see that Jesus instead is talking about being "born-again". He says so in vs 7.....
We have all talked about being "born-again" for years....it’s the first thing we all learn as baby christians...but what does it really mean to be born of water and the Spirit? I thought about this for a long time. I studied it. I mulled it over. I asked God for revelation on this subject. Here’s what God gave me to tell you.
Water is largely used in the Bible to signify cleansing. In LEV 1 you will find that the priests were commanded by God to wash the animal sacrifices before they could offer them. It was to purify the sacrifice before offering it to God. It was also used to symbolize innocence...Psalms 26:6 I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O LORD. Remember even Pontius Pilate tried to wash his hands of any involvement with the death of Christ. We still use the term today, don’t we? "I’ve just washed my hands of it".....
We certainly need to wash our hands of sin, don’t we? How do we do that? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! Then we truly do become innocent and without blame whenever we have repented of our sins. That is how we must come to God; having washed our hands of sin. We can do nothing to recieve salvation except turn from sin and let Jesus wash us in His blood...Titus 3:4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. We can’t become "good" and then go to God for salvation. It is only by the washing of the blood and the regeneration or rebirth (born-again) of our spirit and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.
PSALMS 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
It is the washing of the water of the God that sanctifies us...Jesus desires that after we are washed and clean, we stay that way. He tells us to come out from the world and be a seperate people. God gives us a promise if we will stay clean...EZEK 36:24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations.
He will give us a new heart and a new spirit...one that desires to walk in His statutes. Vs 29 says He will deliver us from our uncleanness...and then if we allow His cleansing, He promises us increase. Now that’s prosperity doctrine! See, we not only have to be washed by the water of God, but we have to walk in His stautes....and how do we do that? Glad you asked! EPH 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
There’s the answer. Jesus wants a bride (the church) that is "without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish". We cannot continue to live our lives as though we are part of this world whenever we have been reborn and washed clean. How do we get clean and holy? By the washing of water by.....the Word. What’s the Word? The Bible? Yes....Where else do we get the Word? In church! The very church that Jesus wants to be spotless and holy! This text says that this water will sanctify and cleanse us! By the way, what happens to any life if it doesn’t get watered? We need the water of the Word! It is this water that is the true water of life...It is this water that truly satisfies....and, it is this water that the world is thirsting for.
JOHN 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst.....
That’s living water! What does living water signify? Living means it keeps growing...just as we keep growing in the sanctification process. Better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today. Holier and holier as we mature and become transformed into the image of Jesus...learning to be citizens of Heaven!
We must be washed with this water to be cleansed before God. Jesus said this water will become a fountain springing up inot everlasting life! WOW! Gimme some of that water! Of this water He gives freely. He doesn’t without, it is not like bottled water that’s for sale. It is freely given.....it’s already paid for!
REV 21:6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
Anyone! Come and drink of the water of life, the water of regeneration, the water of rebirth. REV 22 is the last book of the Bible. I want us all to read this whole chapter together........REV 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. 6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. 7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
