What does it mean to be born of water? | GotQuestions.org

Hi there. Many others, like yourself, have asked, what does it mean to be born of water?

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In John 3, Jesus uses the phrase born of water in answer to Nicodemus' question about how to enter the kingdom of heaven, saying that he must be born again.

Nicodemus questioned how such a thing could happen when he was a grown man. Jesus answered,

Very, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the

Spirit. Being born of the Spirit is easily interpreted. Salvation involves a new life that only the

Holy Spirit can produce. But there are a couple of different schools of thought on what

Jesus meant when he said born of water. One perspective is that born of water refers to physical birth.

Unborn babies float in fluid in the amniotic sac for nine months. When the time for birth arrives, the amniotic sac bursts, and the baby is born in a rush of water, entering the world as a new creature.

This birth parallels being born of the Spirit, as a similar new birth occurs within our hearts.

A person once born has physical life. A person twice born has eternal life.

All the work is done by the mother during the birth process. So it is with spiritual birth.

We are merely the recipients of God's grace. According to this view, Jesus was using a teaching technique, comparing a spiritual truth with a physical reality.

Nicodemus did not understand spiritual birth, but he could understand physical birth. So that was where Jesus took him.

The other perspective is that born of water refers to spiritual cleansing, and that Nicodemus would have naturally understood it that way.

According to this view, born of water and born of Spirit are different ways of saying the same thing, one metaphorically and one literally.

Jesus' words describe different aspects of the same spiritual birth. So, when

Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born of water, he was referring to his need for spiritual cleansing.

An example in Ezekiel says, I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.

I will cleanse you from all your impurities. Nicodemus, a teacher of the law, would have been familiar with the concept of physical water and spiritual purification.

The New Testament, as well, uses water as a figure of the new birth. Regeneration is called a washing, brought about by the

Holy Spirit through the Word of God at the moment of salvation. Paul notes that Christians are spiritually washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the

Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. In conclusion, whichever perspective is correct, one thing is certain,

Jesus was not teaching that one must be baptized in water to be saved. Baptism isn't mentioned in the context, nor did

Jesus ever imply anything except having faith to inherit eternal life. The emphasis of Jesus' words is on repentance and spiritual renewal.

Water baptism is not a requirement for salvation. Alright, that answers your question.

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