QUESTION
200:
What do you make of the verse, “Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit he cannot see the kingdom of God in John 3. ? ” Is it not
inconsistent to make water a symbol of something, and in the same
sentence make the Holy Spirit an actual entity “The Spirit?”
ANSWER: There are too many that believe in baptismal regeneration
and take practically every mention of water in the Bible to say
it means water baptism. This is their main verse.
Nicodemus was a ruler (teacher) of the Jews. He would be
very familiar with Ezek.36:25,,26 Then will I
sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your
filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart
also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I
will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you
an heart of flesh. Jesus is using language with him that he
should understand. In these verses the Nation of
Israel is promised a cleaning and spiritual birth. Jesus is
telling this teacher that he needed that life to get into the
kingdom.
Now to the question, there is no inconsistency with using the
figurative and literal language in any verses. It is used above in the
quote from Ezekiel. (Underlined) It is also used of the church in
Ephesians 5:26, That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word, The water here is figurative and the Word
is literal. Water is symbolical of cleansing. However, it is not water
baptism, which is symbolic, but the precious blood of Christ
that cleanses us from all sin (See 1 John 1:7) The figurative
cannot be the literal. It is quite easy to see the difference
when you look for other references to being born again. 1 Peter
1:23, makes it clear that we are born again by the Word of God.
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. James adds to
this, 1:18, Of his own will begat he us with the word of
truth.
In comparing any scripture with other scriptures you can separate
the figurative from the literal.
There is no problem with John 3:16. It is all literal. God is saying
here exactly what He means. If you are not saved then believing
this verse is the essence of salvation. For God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He is saying
what He means and He means what He says. Faith in Him is just
believing He means what He says.
Do you believe Him? If not do not believe Him, then you are an
unbeliever and headed toward hell. Is that where you want
to go?