“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

In the conversation with Jesus, Nicodemus thought of new birth as starting over by entering a mother's womb a second time. The phrase “born again” can also be translated “born from above”.  Jesus tells him this is something that happens of the Spirit. It is a new spirit. There is the spirit of man, his will, his desires and hopes and dream, but there is also the Spirit of God that makes him entirely new.

In John 3 it says “Unless a man is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit give birth to spirit.”

This verse has been the subject of debate for centuries. Many take that passage and state it refers to two births, the physical and the spiritual, meaning that physical birth from the womb involves born of water. I like that explanation. It is true, but John never uses water in that way nor does the Bible.

 Some interpret it to refer to the Word of God - the washing of the Word and the cleansing of the Word. That's a possibility, but typically, when someone interprets the Bible, you look at the words, how they are used by the writer, the context of the passage and, if possible, use the most natural or common interpretation. Referring to water baptism is the most common suggestion, but scripture is clear, we are not born again by baptism. Ephesians 2:8,9 “For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith and it is gift of God not of works lest any man should boast." 

Paul further tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

With further, deeper study, I think this relates to baptism, but if you read it in context you need to be aware of an important difference. Baptism at this time and place was a reference to what John the Baptist was doing, which is a baptism of repentance. If you repent, the Spirit makes you spiritually alive. Now, lest I be misunderstood, you can be a Christian without water baptism, but you are not an obedient one, but you cannot be a Christian without repentance, which is what baptism of John represented to Nicodemus. If you have repented of your sins and accept Christ into your life, then you should be baptized as a witness and in obedience to Christ.

Jesus goes on to ask who can explain the wind. Likewise, who can explain God's part of salvation? Who can understand the Lord's work?  I do not understand how many things work, but I use them. These include computers, telephones, electricity, etc. These are mysteries which I have accepted by faith and use.

So, what human can explain the work of the Spirit which is heavenly, but people can recognize such spiritual things are of God. So much around us and within us is His doing and His works. We are born into God's family by the Holy Spirit that comes into our lives and gives us life that is eternal. We simply trust Him at His word.

 

Dale