The dialogue in verses 1 through 21 between Christ and Nicodemus revolves around our receiving a new nature when we believe on Christ. We must be born again, and this rebirth is the process of our receiving a new nature through the Holy Spirit. The flesh does not die, but self-will and the sin nature do die. There is no rebirth unless something dies. It is through our new nature that we are enabled to live righteously and engage in righteous conduct.
Here, we can recall Genesis 2:16-17, “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.’”
Sin causes death. In Genesis 2, God was referring to a spiritual death and separation from God. Born again, then, signals a spiritual resurrection and new life. The chasm between us and God is bridged through the Spirit of God offering rebirth. Christ’s requirement of spiritual rebirth early in John’s gospel brings to our attention the central importance of rebirth. Through our rebirth, the Holy Spirit imparts to us a new nature. Romans 6:1-11, 1 John 3:9-10
While not quoting the verses directly, Jesus seems to be referring back to the Old Testament in John chapter 3. See:
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants.
Ezekiel 36:25-27 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
The concept of rebirth, baptism by water, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and living unto holiness is rooted firmly in the Old Testament.
In John chapter 3, water does not refer to natural birth. Rather, Christ is referring here to baptism by water, the outward symbol of inward regeneration and cleansing. As I have written more fully in other posts, baptism prepares us for worship in the presence of God by making us outwardly clean. Outward cleansing is an indication that God is holy and requires purity before we approach Him in worship. The ritual purification was reserved for priests in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, John the baptist is baptizing seemingly indiscriminately, and Christ indicates that baptism is required for salvation through the blood of Christ. The shift signifies that we are all priests and must all be purified to be in God’s presence.
In a high-level view, Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea represented a baptism, and it was not limited to the priests. Baptism represents death – death to the filth which God finds abhorrent.
Outward purification is symbolic of inward purification, justification by faith, and regeneration. Baptism is only a sign of the change wrought in the heart. There must also be a change of heart. Regeneration is new life, and we live now unto the Spirit. As Ezekiel 36 tells us, regeneration brings about a change which leads to walking in God’s statutes and observing God’s ordinances.
We should not put a great deal of emphasis on “cause” in Ezekiel 36. The context does not endorse the force of action against human will. Rather, we should understand this to be an effect of rebirth through the Spirit. In other words, when we believe on Christ, the outcome will be obedience to God’s statutes and ordinances which is enabled through the power of the Holy Spirit; nonetheless, we can interrupt the process. The natural progression of a person born again is spiritual growth in righteousness and faith. However, we can undermine and hinder that growth.
We will be as Nicodemus and fight against the death of self, pride, and the will. To be born of the Spirit of God is to be controlled by the Spirit and live according to His nature. Romans 8:6-17 To live according to the Spirit, we must not fight against the death of the sin nature and instead allow the Holy Spirit to transform and renew our minds and hearts. Romans 12:1-2
This passage is a call to acknowledge our sin and that our souls are sick with sin, mortally wounded by the fall back in Genesis. God gives a way out of sickness through the healing power of the cross. Our task is to believe and rest in the work of the Holy Spirit through rebirth.
Self and pride do more to keep us from surrendering to Christ than anything else.
Verses 1 through 21 are illustrated through 1 John 3:9, “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sign, because he is born of God.” Here again is the “born again” which Jesus introduces to Nicodemus.
The focus, however, is on the seed. Life springs from a seed. Death to self and new life in Christ are only possible through the seed of God. In other words, new life in God springs from God and the seed which He plants in us. In John 1:12, Christ gives us “the right to become children of God” which represents His seed being in us.
Just as a tomato seed brings forth a tomato plant which yields tomatoes as fruit, the seed of God brings forth a righteous person who produces righteous deeds. This is the whole meaning of being born again. Self, pride, and sin must die, and the result is new life in Christ enabled through the Holy Spirit.
John the baptist said in verse 36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” There must be belief and obedience, and the new nature imparted through the Holy Spirit enables the required obedience.
The focal point of John chapter 3 is belief. We are born again only through belief. Christ references belief 9 times in His dialogue with Nicodemus. Then, John the Baptist refers to belief at the end of chapter 3. We must believe on Christ to be born again.
Belief springs from faith. We are born again only through faith. Belief is giving credence to Christ’s message and exercising faith to accept His message. Faith, as defined in Hebrews 11:1, is a conviction of truth, and this conviction occurs both through the heart’s agreement with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin and of our need for rebirth. In essence, Christ is teaching salvation by faith, and this salvation leads unto rebirth in the Spirit leading to purification of the heart, being regenerated unto the good works of righteousness. The promise is everlasting life, and everlasting life is only available to those who are born again in the Spirit.
We cannot separate new birth from a regenerated heart. When the heart has been regenerated, the practice of our lives will be righteous. This is just as true as baptism is a symbol of the inward change. We place a great deal of emphasis on baptism, believing that we’re now good. However, there is a walk to be performed as a proof of inward regeneration. Both are necessary, as Christ plainly instructs Nicodemus. We must be baptized by water and by the Spirit, and the Spirit will bring about rebirth and a progression unto Christian perfection.
It is unfortunate that so many among us resist purification through the Holy Spirit, because John chapter 3 plainly instructs that it is a necessary component for inheriting everlasting life. If we resist inward purification which is manifested by outward righteousness, are we still sinning? Are we resisting the Holy Spirit? How can such a one receive everlasting life?
Like this post? Subscribe to stay up to date on new posts.