In the previous article, we left off with the insight which Jesus Himself declared to Nicodemus (John 3:1-21 for the whole conversation) that in order to be able to see and enter the kingdom of God, one must be born again of water and spirit. As we move forward, we will consult the Holy Scriptures for clear understanding as to what Jesus meant by this instruction told to Nicodemus. We will pursue what in scripture provides a new beginning that involves both water and spirit in the process.
There are numerous places we could start, and it is hard to pick what verse to lead with, but we must start somewhere, so let’s turn to 1 Peter 1:22-23. “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever…” Two key realities that Peter enlightens the reader about in this passage both stims from the truth or the word of God, which are both interchangeable terms that reference God’s inspired Scriptures. The first is that by obeying the truth, one’s soul is purified, which is a step beyond simply believing. We obey because we believe God, Jesus, and the Scriptures speak the truth and thus we obey the truth that is revealed. The second is that the word of God contains what is necessary for an individual to be born again. Just like with the purification of the soul, the Scriptures contain the necessary information that, when obeyed, brings about this new birth. Note the inspired words written by Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15; “…and that from childhood you have know the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
So, what wisdom do the scriptures reveal about salvation or being born again? As noted in the last article, Jesus clearly informed Nicodemus that in order to see and enter the kingdom of God, he needed to be born again, and since the ultimate hope of our salvation is the entrance into God’s eternal kingdom, these two are tightly interwoven and insertable. There are multiple elements associated with and attributing to our being born again, which all collide in a single instance in a believer’s life. One of those elements is highlighted by Peter in 1 Peter 1:3; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” While we have already established in previous articles in this series as well as noted above, the elements noted so far have been water, spirit, obeying the truth, and now add to this list the resurrection of Jesus.
Another associated element found throughout the New Testament is expressed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17; Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Here Paul uses some interesting language to express that one must be in Christ in order to be a new creation. The interesting part is the passing away of the old things, that is to say, the old self, since it is the individual that is becoming a new creation in Christ. Thus, a type of death must likewise take place to bring about the new birth…out with the old and in with the new.
While there are many more passages that speak to these elements’ presence in the rebirth process of the individual, those provided over the past several articles should suffice to establish their involvement. In the next article, we will explore what event the word of God attributes these elements to. In the next article or two, we will close out this study, and if there is a particular topic you would like explored next, please go to cogitations.net, click on the ‘Talk Back’ tab, and submit your request there or any other comments or questions you might have.
(Carl Hartman is the Minister at Main Street Church of Christ in Lockney)
