Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). This is speaking of the new birth.
Oft time man will say that a man is "born again of the Spirit and not of water." But when we look at verse five, we note Jesus said, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The fact of the new birth is stated in verse 3; the details are given in verses 5-7. Note in verse 3: In order to enter into the kingdom, one must be born of the water and the Spirit. Since things equal to the same thing are equal to each other, in order for a man to be "born again" (v. 3, 7), he must be born of the water and the Spirit. Therefore, it is false to say one is "born of the Spirit and not of the water."
But one might ask: "What is the kingdom?" In Paul's letter to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colosse (Col. 1:2a), we read: "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Col. 1:13).
Note: "Who hath delivered us (Christians) from the power of darkness (sin)." That is past action, they had already been delivered. "And hath translated us into the kingdom," again, this past action. Thayer defines the word translate as: "transpose, transfer, or remove from one place to another."
Man teaches that we are now in the church age; that the kingdom will be set up when Christ comes again and that he will reign one thousand years.
But study carefully: Paul said we have been (past tense) translated (removed from one place to another) into the kingdom. It is not possible that the kingdom was not in existence at that time. Therefore, it is false that the kingdom is yet to come. Look at verse 14: "In whom [in Christ or in his kingdom] we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." The forgiveness of sins is in Christ. To be in Christ is to be in the church. "And he is the head of the body the church . . ." (Col. 1:18, 24).
There is one birth; but there are two elements: "water" and "the Spirit." In a human birth two things are necessary: (1) the father begets, (2) the mother brings forth. Jesus is using the physical birth to illustrate the spiritual birth into the kingdom.
In the new birth it is the Holy Spirit who begets. The seed is the word of God. Notice these words: "Of his own will begot he us with the word of truth..." (Jas. 1:18, I Pet. 1:23). "For by one Spirit [that is, the Spirit's instructions through the word] are we all baptized into one body" (I Cor. 12:13).
Paul said we are "baptized into Christ" (Gal. 3:27). To be in Christ is to be in his church, his kingdom.
Jesus said, in order to enter the kingdom, one must be "born of the water and the Spirit." Paul said in order to enter the church or the kingdom, one must be baptized by "one Spirit . . . into one body."
The new birth, therefore, is to be baptized "into Christ"--"for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38).
"If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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