Lesson 3508

 (Lesson 3508)(08-11-21) John 3:1-6

    “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 of water and of the 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.”

    In today’s quote, Jesus told Nicodemus that in order to be eternally saved and freed from all sin, one must be “born again.” 

    Knowing that we cannot be physically reborn of our mothers, we must accept that the rebirth Jesus was referring to is a rebirth of the spirit. He made that clear in the last verse of the quote when he said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

    There are many who erroneously contend that when Jesus said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit”, He meant that one must be baptized (immersed) into water. That is a non starter if we note what Jesus actually said and how He said it. In the acknowledgement Jesus made, He placed the “water” birth before the birth of the “spirit”. There are only two births mentioned in the quote, NOT three. That tells us that when Jesus made the reference to a water birth, He was referring to one’s original physical birth. (Important to note that a woman’s “water” must break before giving birth). Jesus was making the point that there are two distinctly different births as they pertain to attaining eternal life. one physical, and one spiritual.

    In order for there to be a requirement for water baptism, (Immersion), in what Jesus said, in order to be eternally saved, there would need to be three births, one natural, physical birth, one rebirth in water, and a rebirth of the spirit. We know that can’t be true. As the quote is written, there is ONLY the natural physical birth, and the rebirth of one’s spirit.~