March 9, 2025
Introduction
Once a Pharisee paid Jesus a night visit. We do not know why he came to see Jesus as, as he was acknowledging his belief that Jesus had “come from God as a teacher,” Jesus interrupted him with some vital information that the Pharisee, Nicodemus, needed to hear but apparently was not expecting.
Jesus’ first recorded words to Nicodemus were, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). When he expressed his confusion with the idea of being “born again,” Jesus explained, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Jesus was not talking about natural birth, but spiritual birth. Notice three words that Jesus uses: Water, Spirit, and Kingdom (of God).
Paul and the New Birth
Paul makes a similar statement in Titus 3:5-7:
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Notice Paul’s pertinent terms here: Holy Spirit, washing of regeneration, and saved. It is important to emphasize here that our salvation is not “on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy…” but, notice what Paul says next, “by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” We cannot do enough works to earn salvation. Salvation is not based on works of obedience but according to His mercy (v. 5) and grace (v. 7). Because of our sin, only the mercy and grace of God can save us. Paul says He does so “by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” “whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (v. 6).
The Holy Spirit revealed the Gospel (the Good News, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). by which we are saved, we believe and obey the Gospel and are saved by the grace of God. Again, notice that Paul places washing among the things one must have done before he can be saved. He also mentions regeneration. He ties the washing and regeneration together: “the washing of regeneration.” All of this results in salvation
through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Paul, then, speaks of a new birth (regeneration) involving the Holy Spirit and a washing. Jesus also points this out.
A Closer Look Into Jesus’ Teaching in John 3
Back to John 3. Jesus says one must be born of Water and spirit before he can enter into the Kingdom. He goes on to explain to Nicodemus why He was sent by the Father to earth. He says in John 3:13-18:
No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
Paul’s Teaching in 1 Corinthians 12:13
So, Jesus connects water, the Holy Spirit, and Himself with salvation. Paul also connects water, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus (the “body”) with salvation (Tit. 3:5-7; 1 Cor. 12:13). But, notice the word that Paul uses. He says, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Cor 12:13).
What Does It Mean to Be Born Again?
Paul writes in Romans 6:2-7:
How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
Notice Paul’s words in verse 4, “…so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” Here is the new birth! He clarifies it further in verses 6-7, “…knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.” When we are born again, we put away our body of sin and put on a new body in which we are no longer slaves to sin.
But when and how does the new birth happen? Remember the passages we have studied where it is taught that the water and the Spirit are involved in salvation. Here, the inspired apostle says (v. 3), “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” Remember, Paul connects salvation with baptism in 1 Corinthians 12:13. Here, he says that we are “…baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death.” He continues, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” So, we are born again when we are baptized into Christ and rise to walk in the newness of life – we are born again!
The new birth is a change in which one ceases to be a slave to sin and becomes a slave to Christ, putting away his old man of sin and putting on a new man of righteousness. It happens when he is baptized into Christ. Paul says is like when Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. In baptism, we die to sin, are buried in water, and rise again to a new life of service to Christ.
Paul writes
Conclusion
Paul writes in Romans 6:16-19:
Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
That is what it means to be born again!
