Born Again Into The Kingdom
The church is the people who are "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an
holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9). The
kingdom includes only those who are "delivered us from the power of darkness,
and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Col. 1:13). One enters
the kingdom by the birth of water and of the Spirit and not by a physical birth
(John 3:5).
Among religious people it is almost universally accepted that one must be "born
again" in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is the means by which one
gets into the kingdom of God. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and acknowledged
him to be a great teacher from God. Jesus came directly to the point by saying
unto him, "...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). That is explicit! He further said,
"...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" (vs. 5). This language is plain
and to the point. The word "Except" is used in both verses and it allows no
alternative if one enters into the kingdom of God. He MUST be "born again" or
"born of water and the Spirit" in order to SEE or ENTER into the kingdom of God.
The context of John 3:3-13 shows that Jesus was speaking of entering the kingdom
of God upon this earth, and Nicodemus so understood that. He did not understand
the nature of the birth of water and the Spirit, but he understood that Jesus
was talking about entering the kingdom here upon earth while man lives. Jesus
distinguished this from a physical birth and that is what confused Nicodemus.
One must be born again to enter the kingdom. "Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5). "Being born again,
not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth
and abideth for ever" (1 Pet. 1:23).
The inspired John said that Jesus came to his own and they received him not, but
as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God.
"...Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13). Jesus spoke of ONE birth, not two. One birth
of water and the Spirit, not a physical birth.
Other expressions in the New Testament help us understand the significance of
the birth of water and the Spirit into the kingdom of God. The germ of life is
in the seed. Jesus said, "...the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit,
and they are life" (John 6:63). Peter said, "Being born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and
abideth forever" (1 Pet. 1:23). The seed is the word of God (Luke 8:11). "Of his
own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of
firstfruits of his creatures" (James 1:18). Paul said to the Corinthians, "...I
have begotten you through the gospel" (1 Cor. 4:15).
There are parallel passages to John 3:3-5 which make the meaning clear. Christ
loved the church and gave himself for it, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the word" (Eph. 5:26). That statement is equal to
"birth of water and of the Spirit." In the New Testament there is no cleansing
or sanctifying by washing of water except by baptism of a penitent believer.
Another is Titus 3:5, "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing
of the Holy Ghost." The washing of regeneration is the washing of rebirth. The
renewing of the Holy Spirit is the effect of the work of the Spirit through the
word. "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind..." (Rom. 12:2). The renewing of the mind comes from the teaching of
the Spirit by the word. Stating it plainly: "He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). The
word is the work of the Spirit which produces faith (Rom. 10:17), and baptism is
the only washing of water authorized in the New Testament for cleansing anyone.
"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins,
calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). The new birth which inducts one
into the kingdom of God is exactly the same as that which brings one to be added
to the church. It all occurs in the same way and brings the individual to the
same place in relation to Christ and the remission of sins (Acts 2:38,47;
16:31-34; Rom. 6:3-6; Col. 2:12,13). These conditions reconcile one to God
through Christ in one body (Eph. 2:15,16). We get into one body by baptism as
directed by one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). Since there is only one Spirit, one
baptism and one body (Eph. 4:3,4), the only way to get into that one body is by
baptism as directed by that one Spirit through the word of God. That equals "he
that believeth and is baptized" (Mark 16:16), and "born again of water and of
the Spirit" (John 3:5).
-- Via Searching the Scriptures, February 1992,
Volume 33, Number 2
By H.E. Phillips
From Expository Files 17.1; January 2010
