What Does it Mean to be Born Again?

1. Read: John 3:1-7 “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same 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 out of water and 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. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

2. About the Text:

1) Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to ask a question.

2) Jesus told Nicodemus what he needed to hear to be saved (vs.3).

3) Nicodemus asked Jesus to clarify (vs.4).

4) Jesus gave the clarification (vs.5-7).

3. Grammatical note.

1) In verse 3, “born again” can be translated “born anew” or “born from above.”

2) In verse 5, we have in most versions the words, “except a man be born of water and of the Spirit.”

3) Note that this is NOT how the original Greek reads.

4) The original says, “except a man be born out of water and Spirit.”

5) The phrase EXCEPT is exclusive. In other words, if and only if.

6) There is a preposition before water–EX–it means, “out of” or “from.”

7) In addition, in the Greek, there is no definite article “the” before the word “spirit.”

8) This will become important as we study what this passage means.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. What the denominational world says.

i. Some say that this is physical birth.

1) This puts Jesus in the position of saying to Nicodemus that physical birth is important for salvation.

2) Jesus plainly says that this is not talking about physical birth in verse 6 that fleshly birth renders only the flesh.

3) He is not talking about physical birth, but spiritual.

4) This is clear from the first statement he makes in 3:3. “Except a man be born again” is equivalent to “Except a man be born of water and Spirit.”

5) This passage cannot be referring to physical birth.

ii. Some say that this is just symbolic of the work of the Spirit.

1) That because water is used symbolically in the Bible to represent the Spirit, that this just means one has to be born of the Spirit ONLY–that water really means Spirit and therefore Jesus simply said, born of the Spirit.

2) But that is not what the text says.

3) In fact the as we noted, the Greek says, “out of water and Spirit.”

4) But if water means “Spirit” then Jesus is in the position of saying “born of Spirit and Spirit” an absurdity to say the least.

2. What the context demands.

i. What about the immediate context?

1) There is nothing within the immediate context to indicate that water means anything other than plain ordinary water.

i) One rule of proper interpretation is that you take the simplest explanation first.

ii) Those who do not take this explanation first change the meaning to fit their doctrine. In fact, one commentator that I read said that this can’t mean baptism because we know we are saved by “faith only.”

2) What is the next reference to water in the immediate text? Notice 3:22 and 4:2.

3) How would Nicodemus have understood this statement? In light of John the Baptizer’s baptism.

4) How would John (the apostle) have understood this statement? In light of Christian baptism.

5) Either way, it is in reference to water baptism.

ii. How about the remote context?

1) Acts 2:38–be baptized

2) Acts 22:16–WASH away your sins

3. What does scholarship say about this verse?

i. How did early non-inspired Christians understand this text?

1) The First Apology of Justin Martyr (A.D. 100 – 165). Wrote after 130 A.D. Chapter 61 — Christian Baptism “I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God when we had been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to be unfair in the explanation we are making. As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live accordingly, are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting, for the remission of their sins that are past, we praying and fasting with them. Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated. For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water. For Christ also said, “Except ye be born again, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

2) Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus (125?-190?) Chapter 34 “For as we are lepers in sin, we are made clean, by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord, from our old transgressions; being spiritually regenerated as new-born babes, even as the Lord has declared: “Except a man be born again through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

ii. What do some modern scholars say about this text?

1) Albert Barnes (who was a noted Calvinist) said, “By water, here, is evidently signified baptism. Thus the word is used in Eph.v.26; Tit.iii.5.”

i) Eph.5:26 says in reference to the church, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”

ii) Titus 3:5 says “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

2) The Lutheran R.C.H. Lenski says concerning this verse, “…the one preposition has as its one object the concept ‘water and Spirit,’ which describes Baptism, its earthly element and its divine agency….”

3) Lenski also says, “…water is joined with the Spirit, the former being the divinely chosen earthly medium (necessary on that account), the latter being the regenerating agent who uses that medium. . . .”

4) He further states, “Therefore Jesus also continued to require the Baptist’s sacrament (baptism), 3:22 and 4:2, and after his resurrection extended it to all nations by means of his great commission.”

5) He finally says, “Jesus tells Nicodemus just what he asks, namely the “how” of regeneration. How is it possible? By Baptism! But Jesus cuts off a second how: How by Baptism? By using the description of Baptism, ‘water and Spirit.’ Because not merely water but God’s Spirit is effective in the sacrament, therefore it works the new birth.”

iii. The truth is that this passage was reinterpreted by those who wish to eliminate baptism from God’s plan for man’s salvation.

1. Water alone will not cut it.

i. Titus 3:5 says “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

ii. 1 Corinthians 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

2. Being born of the Spirit means letting the Spirit of God take control of your life through His word.

i. It was the Holy Spirit that inspired the apostles into all truth. John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

ii. When we are obedient to that word we are born of the Spirit.

1) John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

2) 1 Peter 1:22, 23 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

3) James 1:18 “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

3. When we are baptized, the Spirit of God operates on our hearts to make them clean and puts His mark upon us for salvation.

1) Col.2:11-13 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”

2) Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

4. Subsequent to baptism, the Spirit dwells in us as Christians.

i. Romans 8:9-11 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

ii. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

iii. Ephesians 2:22 “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

1. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born out of water and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” This means, “One may enter the kingdom of God if and only if he is born of the water and Spirit.”

2. What is the kingdom of God?

i. Matthew 16:18, 19 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

ii. Jesus said the kingdom would come with power. Mark 9:1 “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”

iii. Jesus said that the power would come with the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

iv. The Holy Spirit came; the power came; the kingdom came! Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

v. The kingdom of God is the church–the place of the saved. Acts 2:47b ” And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

3. We see that those preaching the gospel understood the relationship between the two. Acts 8:12 “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” Why were they baptized if not to enter that kingdom of which Philip preached?

1. We have looked at being born again. Being born again means

i. Being born of water.

ii. Being born of the Spirit.

iii. Being born into the kingdom of God.

2. Invitation

i. If you are a Christian but have fallen away

1) Have you forgotten your birth?

2) You were born again to live a new life, to be a new man.

3) Don’t go back to that old man of sin.

ii. If you are not a Christian this morning . . .

1) You need to be in God’s kingdom to be saved today!

2) There is only one way into the kingdom.

i) Hear the word; Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing . . .”

ii) Believe with all your heart; Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible . . . .”

iii) Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).

iv) Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matt.16:16).

v) Be baptized for the remission of your sins–be born again!