John 3:6-8

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.”

“Born of Water and the Spirit”

Flesh is flesh and spirit is spirit. It seems simple to understand, right? To us who are Christians in today’s world, it probably is easier for us to understand the difference. It really depends on who is hearing those words. Understanding is not the same for everyone. The words of Jesus in these verses were not simple to Nicodemus, when He came to see Jesus one night. But think about it. Why would Nicodemus understand spiritual things? Everything Nicodemus had ever been taught about following the law had been fleshly or physical. Think about it…..circumcision, sacrificing animals, having a man as high priest, the physical temple, ceremonial washing (remember the washing pots at the wedding at Cana), and there are many more examples. Now they wouldn’t need any of this any more because of Jesus. No more physical circumcision…..only a circumcision or cutting of the heart. No more sacrificing animals….Jesus would be the only sacrifice anyone would ever need again. No more human high priests….Jesus is the High Priest for all of us. No more physical temple…..Jesus is the symbolic temple that we are in when we become a Christian (in Christ). No more ceremonial washing to cleanse oneself…..Jesus blood would cleanse everyone forever…..forwards and backwards. Also, with the Jews it was all about how they looked on the outside. Their religion was superficial. Remember the story Jesus told about the Pharisee praying and the tax collector praying (Luke 18:9:14)? Which one prayed with humility? It was also about all the works of merit they did, and all the money they gave. Remember the woman who gave the two mites (Luke 21:1-4)? Who gave of their means in humility, and who gave to show off? In verse 7, Jesus tells Nicodemus not to be surprised that they will have to be born again. I mean….like he said….”flesh is flesh”…..weak and frail. Flesh can’t do anything on its own without God. Flesh decays. Spirit remains forever. 

In verse 8, He begins to talk about the wind. I didn’t understand this verse on the surface, but I did some research and I get it now. Wind is translated from Greek as “wind, breath, spirit”. The same word in Hebrew is found in Ezekiel 37:9 when God made the dry bones come to life with “breath” which is translated “wind, breath, spirit”. He put His Spirit in them to bring them to life. If we are “born of the Spirit” we understand this concept. But the world cannot see it, just like we physically can’t see the wind. We can’t tell where the wind comes from and where it is going. In the same way, the world does not understand how the Spirit of God works. Everything is physical to the world. They don’t comprehend the spiritual. The world does not know which way to go while here on earth, or where they are going after this life. But….as Christians, we do know these things, because we are truly “born of water and the Spirit”. The phrase “born of water” refers to baptism, but encompasses so much more. It is the beginning of a transformation of the heart…..a complete metamorphosis begins to happen when we are baptized, which then leads into the phrase “born of the Spirit”. Once we are born again in baptism, we allow the Holy Spirit to continually work on our transforming heart until we are truly born of that Spirit. The old man or woman of sin is gone, and the Spirit of Christ is within us, making us a brand new person. Will the transformation happen all at once as soon as we come up out of the water? No, it is only the beginning. We continue to learn, grow, and transform throughout our lives. Being “born of water and the Spirit” is obeying Jesus by repenting and being baptized for the remission of sins, and allowing the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, to guide us as we live a faithful Christian life. It is a lifelong commitment. Once we are “born of water and the Spirit”, then we can know where the “wind” or Spirit comes from…..which is God. We can also make decisions, know which way to turn, and what path to be on while we are here on earth. We go where the Spirit leads us. And how do we access the Holy Spirit? That is ultimately up to us, because it is our free will to either study and grow in God’s Word or not. The more that we are in God’s Word, the more that we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. If we don’t open His Word, and allow it to guide us, then we will not continue to grow and transform. And, if we are letting the Spirit guide us, then we can know where we are going when we leave this world, which is paradise or heaven depending on when Jesus returns. The world has no comprehension of spiritual things. Just like we can’t physically see the wind, the world cannot comprehend the Holy Spirit.

We aren’t saved by physical things that are seen. None of the works of merit that others see us do will matter. We cannot earn our salvation. It is the unseen things that God has done since the beginning of time through sending His Son, Jesus that will save us if we are truly “born of water and the Spirit”. This is why it was so hard for the Jews to understand this completely different concept that Jesus was speaking about, in regards to “Spirit”. Back to Ezekiel 37, God shows Ezekiel a vision of dead bones being brought to life. This is a visual image of what happens to us when we are born again in baptism. We are dead bones before we become Christians. In Ezekiel 37:14, God said, “I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live….” Isn’t this what Jesus has done for us? He has put His Spirit in us, and we will live for eternity! Keep the faith, Sisters! It will all be worth it someday! 

Like I said at the beginning of this post, understanding is not the same for everyone, and that is perfectly ok. God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! 

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)