The concept of being Born again speaks of the process of passing out of darkness to God’s marvelous Light and out of death to life. A man’s spirit before regeneration is separated from God and is considered dead. This death means dissociation from God and the fountain of life. At this stage man’s spirit cannot commune with God because of this blackout. His soul controls and plunges him into a life of lust and habits that reduces him to servitude. Man’s spirit needed to be made alive because it is born dead. Therefore the new birth which the Lord spoke about to Nicodemus is the new birth of the spirit. It is in our spirit we first experience the resurrection life. New birth is an experience which happens entirely within our spirit. It does not relate to our soul or our body.
Jesus states in John 3:3, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God and John 3:5 states that Except a man be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. We all came into this world through natural birth. This is the first birth. Jesus is inviting us to the second birth which is spiritual that is why He said that except a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. No unregenerate man can see the kingdom of God because the thick veil is still blinding his eyes. As soon as we are born again, God unveils our eyes to see the kingdom of God. Congratulations. We can see the kingdom of God, just like we can see the houses of our friends in the neighborhood but in reality we are not in the kingdom even as we see our friend’s houses but we are not in their homes. So our being born again only offers us the privilege of only seeing the kingdom. We have to take the next line of faith to enter the kingdom of God.
There are two processes we must pass through in order to enter into the kingdom of God. Jesus told Nicodemus that we must be born of water and be born of the Spirit. Without these two certificates we cannot enter the kingdom of God though born again. This explains the reasons why we have many billions of Born again believers but very few are yet to be Born of Water and Born of Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. What does it mean to be Born of Water and Born of the Spirit?
THE CONCEPT OF BIRTH: Before we explain the concept of being Born of water. We have to realize that the Lord is talking about Birth and not Death. This takes our mind out of the concept of water baptism because baptism is coined from the word baptizo which means immersion. Here we are immersed and buried in water, well covered then raised up into a new and living way. Birth takes place after a woman in labor has delivered successfully. This pregnancy came as a result of an insemination that took place in the womb of the woman. During the period of nine months for normal delivery, the fetus experiences growth in the womb of the mother. In the womb, the mother feeds the child through the umbilical cord and for safety and to ensure normal growth, the child must stay within the environment of the womb well connected such that any where the mother goes the child in her womb goes .They become inseparable until birth takes place. At this stage the child is said to be born of the mother.
BORN OF WATER/WORD: Similarly, we cannot be Born of water except we pass through this same process. In Ephesians 5:26, the scripture states That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. Also in John 15:3 Jesus states: Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. By these scriptures, Water spiritually means the Word of God. Therefore when Jesus was asking us to be Born of Water, He meant that we should be Born of the Word. Immediately, we are Born again(John 3:3) the Lord expects us to move further into the womb of the word like a fetus in the womb of the mother, where we are nourished and well fed for normal spiritual growth. Any where the Word goes, we must go. Any thing the Word says, we must say and do. We must ensure that we keep ourselves within the environment of the Word. The Word and us should be inseparable to ensure proper spiritual growth. At an appointed time prescribed by God the Word delivers us thus we become spiritual men and women Born of the Word.
BORN OF THE SPIRIT: The same principle and process applies to being Born of the Spirit. We must get into the womb of the Spirit to be nourished and fed by the Spirit. At this stage of spiritual growth we see ourselves learning to walk and be in total obedience to the Spirit of God. At God’s appointed time the Spirit of God delivers us hence we are being described as one being Born of the Spirit. Beloved as we yield our lives to being Born of Water/Word and of the Spirit, God gives us the right to entering the kingdom of God. The Word and the Spirit are the two witnesses to approve of us not as children anymore but as Son of God. This is why the scripture in Romans 8:14 states : For as many as are led by the Spirit of God , they are the sons of God. Beloved I believe that the Lord will give us understanding to this realm of knowledge.
By Bassey Okokon