Born of Water and the Spirit (2)
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May 10, 2026 |
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“Jesus answered and said to him,
‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”
John 3:3
3. What It Means to Be Born Again of Water and the Spirit
How, then, did man’s spirit come to die, and how can one be born again of water and the Spirit? Although the first man, Adam, was formed from the dust of the ground, he became a spiritual being when the breath of life?God’s original power?entered him. That is, he became a living spirit. However, because he sinned by disobeying God, his spirit died according to the spiritual law that "the wages of sin is death."
Once the spirit died, communication with God was severed, and humans became men of flesh. In other words, because they could no longer receive spiritual knowledge from God, they instead accepted the untruth planted by the enemy devil and began to live according to worldly desires. The death of the spirit refers to a state in which, as communication with God is cut off, spiritual knowledge?the truth?leaks out and untruth enters, leaving the spirit unable to function, as if it were dead.
Because the spirit of the first man, Adam, died, his descendants were also born with their spirits dead. Living in darkness, they were destined for hell. However, God prepared a way to revive one’s dead spirit and allow him to enter the kingdom of heaven. That way is to receive Jesus Christ and be born again of water and the Spirit.
What, then, does it mean for one to be born again of water? It means to act according to the Word, circumcise his heart, and be transformed by the truth. "Water" signifies the living water?the Word of God, which is the truth?and it refers to Jesus, who came to this earth as the Word made flesh. In John 4:14, Jesus spoke about this living water, saying, “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
Water quenches thirst, sustains life, and washes away filth. Likewise, the Word of God washes away the foul and dirty evil within the heart. However, even if one knows the Word of God, which is the living water, it is of no use unless he obeys and practices it.
When we follow the ‘do not’ and ‘throw away’ commands and cast off the untruth such as hatred, jealousy, judgment, and condemnation, our hearts become clean. Furthermore, as we practice the ‘do’ and ‘keep’ commands, loving and serving others, and seeking their benefits, our hearts are filled with the truth. This process of casting off the untruth and filling ourselves with truth, the Word of God, is precisely what it means to be born again of water.
Next, what does it mean to be born again of the Spirit?
To receive salvation, we must not only be born again of water?the Word of God?but also be born again of the Spirit. The reason is, only by receiving the Holy Spirit as a gift by accepting Jesus Christ and repenting thoroughly, can our dead spirit revive and we can be transformed into men of spirit whom God desires.
The Holy Spirit revives the dead spirit, helps us understand the Word of truth so we can cast off sins, and transforms us into men of spirit. This process of having the dead spirit revived with the help of the Holy Spirit, casting off sin, and being transformed into a person of spirit is what it means to be born again of the Spirit. Therefore, for one to be born again of water and the Spirit and attain eternal life is possible solely due to the love of God; it is a gift given freely.
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