BORN OF WATER,
BORN AGAIN
John 3:5-7
v5 Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water (for this present day, this was 2,000
years
ago with John’s water baptism) and of the Spirit (2,000
years
later to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” Acts 16:32), he cannot
enter
into the kingdom of God.
v6 That
which is born of the flesh is flesh (John);
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (Paul).
v7 Marvel
not that I said unto thee, Ye must be
born again. (1Peter 1:23)
This best
explained against the background of the
following:
And I knew
him not: but he that sent me (John the
Baptist) to baptize with water, the same
said unto me, Upon whom (Christ) thou
shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him (Christ),
the same
is he (Christ) which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
John
1:33
John had a
gospel of water baptism for the remission of sins.
Paul has the waterless gospel of Spirit baptism for the redemption of sins, for the unsaved in the modern church age of 2,000 years.
John 3:5-7 5 Jesus
answered, 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. 6 That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel
not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. |
|
5 Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born of water |
This is
John’s water baptism of Luke 3:3 “And he came into all the country
about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission
of sins:” |
and of
the Spirit, |
This is
Spirit baptism. Christians
have been baptised by or with (not in) the Spirit into Christ
who is the kingdom of God (1Cor 12:13) |
he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God. |
We can as
Christians. Nicodemus
couldn’t. The best he could hope for was Abraham’s bosom. But after
the cross, he could enter the kingdom of God. The only
way for a Jew to enter the kingdom of God was via the kingdom of heaven
which then gave him the right to go to Abraham’s bosom on death. |
6 That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; |
John’s
baptism was that of the flesh which only gave remission of sins. And he
came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of
repentance (water) for
the remission of sins (not redemption); Luke 3:3 |
and that which
is born of the Spirit is spirit. |
This is
the Christian (1Cor 12:13) |
7 Marvel
not that I said unto thee, Ye must be
born again. |
Jesus says
“Of course Nicodemus, to enter the kingdom of God, you first
must be born (NOT BORN AGAIN! 1Peter 1:23) of John’s water
baptism, then you can go to Abraham’s bosom on death, and then I’ll
collect you and take you into heaven where the kingdom of God is. Then
you will be born again and see and enter the kingdom of God |
Christ when talking to Nicodemus, it is a space of time
that happened over 2,000 years ago from Abraham’s bosom to believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).
****
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Harley Hitchcock
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
Australian
Bible Ministries, PO
Box 5058 Mt. Gravatt East 4122 Qld, Australia
www.AustralianBibleMinistries.com