Born of Water and of the Spirit
Born of Water and of the Spirit: A Deeper Look at John 3
The first time I saw this passage was when I was born again in 1980. You cannot see, much less enter, God's Kingdom unless these experiences are genuinely yours. "Born again" connotes a re-start or "reboot" of your life and get a chance at living a brand new one. It's not a repaired or patched up life, or a mere change of lifestyle. It's getting a totally brand new life, which Paul the apostle describes as a new creation---the old is past, gone. The new has come. It is all new. It's not a combination of old and new. It's NEW.
Photo above by Kirsten Frank on Unsplash.
The phrase “born of water and of the Spirit” in John 3:5 has stirred much discussion across Christian traditions. Different denominations and faith persuasions have offered varying interpretations of what Jesus meant when He told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Some understand “water” as referring to baptism, pointing to passages like Acts 2:38 where Peter exhorts, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” In this view, water baptism is the outward sign of repentance and initiation into the life of faith. Others suggest “water” refers to natural birth, noting that a child emerges from the womb surrounded by amniotic fluid, a water-like substance. Still others connect “water” to the ritual cleansings familiar in Jewish tradition, where water symbolized purification before entering God’s presence.
All of these interpretations carry a certain plausibility. Yet, I believe the most compelling understanding is that “water” in John 3 refers to the Word of God—the living, cleansing Word that washes and renews the believer.
Paul affirms this in Ephesians 5:26, describing how Christ sanctifies the church (true believers)“by the washing of water with the word.” Here, water is not literal but symbolic of the cleansing power of God’s Word. Jesus Himself echoes this in John 15:3: “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” The Word spoken by Christ purifies hearts, renews minds, and sets believers apart for God’s purposes.
Thus, to be “born of water” is to be spiritually cleansed by the Word of God. It is not merely about external ritual or physical birth, but about the inner transformation that comes when the Word penetrates the heart and breaks our spiritual bondage. As Jesus declares in John 6:63, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” His Word is alive, infused with the Spirit, bringing new birth to all who receive it in faith.
Born of the Spirit
If “water” points to the cleansing Word, then “Spirit” points to the dynamic, life-giving work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus explains this in John 3:8: “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
The Spirit’s work is mysterious, sovereign, and uncontainable. Just as the wind cannot be controlled or predicted, so the Spirit moves freely, bringing new life in ways that defy human expectation. Those born of the Spirit are led by Him, not by human programs, traditions, or theological boxes. They may appear unusual—even “strange”—to those who lack the Spirit, because spiritual realities are discerned only through the Spirit. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
Thus, Nicodemus asked Jesus, "How can this be?" Nicodemus was used to Pharisaical religious programs, rituals, rules and manuals. The Spirit's freedom and leading was something quite new to him and even impossible. He asked, how can this be possible? And even today, many in church cannot imagine the Holy Spirit's supernatural leading outside of man's religious programs, agenda, plans and strategies, and the like.
To be born of the Spirit is to live under His guidance, empowered to walk in obedience and freedom. It is to be animated by the very breath of God, moving in step with His purposes, even when the world (even the worldly church) cannot comprehend.
The Necessity of Both
Jesus’ words are clear: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Both dimensions are essential. The Word cleanses, instructs, and reveals God’s truth. The Spirit empowers, transforms, and leads into new life. Together, they bring about the miracle of rebirth. They radically transform believers to be like Jesus Christ.
Without the Word, there is no cleansing, no foundation of truth. Without the Spirit, there is no power, no living reality of God’s presence. But when the Word and Spirit work together, the believer is reborn—washed clean, filled with life, and ushered into the kingdom of God.
Living It Out
For us today, this means that rebirth is not simply about outward rituals or intellectual assent. It's not even attending church on Sundays, not with the kind of "church" we have today which is worlds apart from the church we see in the bible. All you see in church today is man and his programs and capabilties. But what God genuinely gives is about encountering the living Word and yielding to the Spirit’s transforming work. As we hear and receive the Word, our hearts are cleansed. As we walk in the Spirit, our lives are directed by His unseen yet undeniable power.
This rebirth is both a gift and a calling. It's by God's grace and mercy alone, activated by the faith of Jesus in us. It is God’s supernatural work in us, and it is our invitation to live as Spirit-led people—strangers to the world, yet witnesses of the kingdom. In this way, being “born of water and of the Spirit” is not just a theological concept but a lived reality, shaping how we think, act, and relate to others.
JESUS' 11 MUST TEACHINGS ON HOW TO BE SAVED AND ENTER HEAVEN
- Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [John 3.16]
- Receive Jesus. [John 1.12]
- Be born of water and Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God. [John 3.3-8]
- Deny self, pick up your cross and follow Him. [Matthew 16.24]
- Give up everything you have. [Luke 14.33]
- Sell all you have and give to the poor. [Matthew 19.21]
- Do good to the needy, hungry, thirsty and the stranger. [Matthew 25.34-46]
- Obedience [Matthew 7.21]
- Enter the narrow door. [Luke 13.24]
- Become like little children. [Matthew 18.3]
- Relationship with Jesus. [John 14.6]
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