Jn. 3:5-8 reads,
Jhn 3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Jhn 3:6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
Jhn 3:7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
Jhn 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Without spiritual birth,a person cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, There are different views on what this passages mean.
How do you understand these passages? When is a person born of the spirit? Please include scripture.
God bless,
jean8
We can go back to Ezekiel for this…
Then
will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36:25-27 KJV)
This is the New Covenant. I know that I am going to get railed on for this but the water in John 3:5 is not necessarily the baptismal although many seem to argue that this is indeed the case. The problem with that interpretation is that the Bible indicates that justification is by faith and that it PRECEEDS baptism…
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness (justification); and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10 KJV)
Justification of the sinner is based on the righteousness of Christ being imputed to the sinner while the sin of the sinner was imputed to Christ as He died on the cross to bear that sin. Not only this, it is illustrated in scripture in the conversion of those first Gentiles in Acts 10 that the Holy Spirit is residing within those who heard the gospel and believed PRIOR TO baptism. The rebirth is also explained in scripture as being by the Word of God (which is called water in the Scriptures)…
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:23 KJV)
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:18 KJV)
Citing the passage in Acts 10…
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (Acts 10:43-47 KJV)
It is also explained in Galatians 3:2 that the Spirit is received by the “hearing of faith”…
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Galatians 3:2 KJV)
AND…
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 KJV)
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14 KJV)
Justification is by faith…
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1 KJV)
And it involved the righteousness of Christ being imputed to us…at which point we are made to die to the law…Rom 7…and we are united to Christ by faith…
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto
whom God imputeth righteousness without works, (Romans 4:6 KJV)
Greek term for imputed is…
3049 λογίζομαι [logizomai /log·id·zom·ahee/] 41 occurrences; AV translates as “think” nine times, “impute” eight times, “reckon” six times, “count” five times, “account” four times, “suppose” twice, “reason” once, “number” once, and translated miscellaneously five times. 1 to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over. 1a to take into account, to make an account of. 1a1 metaph. to pass to one’s account, to impute. 1a2 a thing is reckoned as or to be something, i.e. as availing for or equivalent to something, as having the like force and weight. 1b to number among, reckon with. 1c to reckon or account. 2 to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, to deliberate. 3 by reckoning up all the reasons, to gather or infer. 3a to consider, take into account, weigh, meditate on. 3b to suppose, deem, judge. 3c to determine, purpose, decide. Additional Information: This word deals with reality. If I “logizomai” or reckon that my bank book has $25 in it, it has $25 in it. Otherwise I am deceiving myself. This word refers to facts not suppositions.
We could go on and on from here…but, the point at which we receive the faith from God and are regenerated…we are justified and have the Spirit of God. Baptism is the outward confession of that reality. Also…once justified, the chain continues…
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:30 KJV)
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1 KJV)
C2C
What’s even funnier, is that I’ve heard this as a factual explanation of what Jesus meant.