What does it mean to be born of water and the Spirit?

There's three ways that this statement is interpreted about being born of water and spirit. Some say the water represents baptism. Others say the water represents natural childbirth, right? The water breaks, the baby comes out.

Natural Birth and Baptism as Interpretations of Water

Being born of water is natural childbirth. You need to be born once according to the flesh and born again, according to the spirit. Listen, that that's a possible interpretation and of course that is what has to happen.

But remember, Jesus, he's not speaking in a literal sense, just as being born again doesn't mean entering a second time into your mother's womb. So the water I believe is also symbolic based on the fact that Nicodemus was expected to know this.

I believe based on Ezekiel chapter 36. So the water appears to be symbolic for spiritual cleansing. I mentioned a moment ago that there's a lot of people, I would say this, that the majority of professing Christians in the world, the largest institutional churches, they teach Many of the large denominations teach that being born again, that's when you get baptized.

That is probably the majority report. But is that the case? Let me ask you this. How could Nicodemus be expected to know about Christian baptism in the name of the father, son, and Holy Spirit when that didn't even exist yet?

Doesn't make sense. And there's a problem with this. You cannot automatically. Here's one problem. You cannot automatically associate water with baptism. Some people, this is what they do. They read water in the Bible and that's baptism.

Water, Baptism, and Spiritual Cleansing

Is that true? You can make a note of these verses, Ephesians 5, 25 through 27 husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.

That's not talking about baptism. It's not even talking about literal water. You're washed by what? The word of God. It's a spiritual cleansing. We see this in Titus chapter three, verse five, which says what?

Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. It's not talking about water. It's talking about spiritual cleansing through the Holy ghost.

Born of Water and the Spirit in John 3

So when Jesus says in John chapter three, verse five, unless one is born of water and spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God or cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is Jesus saying? It's another way of saying you must be cleansed, regenerated, given a new life born from above.

Which is a work. Jesus explains. It's a work of the Holy ghost. Holy ghost is like the wind. The wind blows. You don't, you don't see it. You don't know where it comes from or where it goes. That's the way the Holy spirit works.

Jesus says in verse eight, let's just read that the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the spirit.

The Holy Spirit, the Image of God, and the Problem of Idolatry

And as far as this working of the spirit, what's the Holy spirit's job? It's in the name. That's a hint to make one Holy, the Holy spirit imparts spiritual life and sets you apart in works to conform you to the image of the son of God.

Remember when God made man, he did what he made man in his own image, but that image has been marred by sin. But for the one who has been born of God, the Holy spirit is in the process of clearing up that image.

And remember idolatry. That's what was mentioned in Ezekiel 36, the sin of idolatry. Why is idolatry so offensive to God? Because it is an insult. Think about this. A block of wood carved stone that is supposed to represent or display the glory of God, a block of wood.

That's the glory of God. That's an insult. That's supposed to be your job to reflect the image of God. Mankind is made in God's image. We are to reflect that glory, but our nature has to change. We need to be conformed to the image of Christ and only the spirit of God can do that.

Water can't do it. Only the spirit of God can do that.