Are you a born again Christian? The phrase “born again Christian” originates in the words of Jesus calling for those who follow Him to be born again. What does it mean to be born again? The answer has been muddied for some time. Beware of those who muddy the water for a little confusion. They use doubt to push people to believe that God will accept any form of godliness even that without the power (1 Tim. 3:1-5). Now, let’s simply look at the words of Christ and consider Jesus’ interpretation of what it means to be born again.
Jesus said in John 3:5, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Being born again is essential to salvation. To born of the water and the Spirit in John 3:5 is actually paralleled by a phrase in Titus 3:4-5. Titus 3:4-5 says,
“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”
The Greek for “regeneration” literally means “born again”. Here, believers are saved “through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Spirit”. The washing is clearly the same as being born of water. Likewise, 1 Corinthians 6:11 says, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” Again, the washing of water is the state of the Christians at Corinth. At this birth in water, believers are sanctified meaning they are made holy by God’s love and mercy. It is very important to point out that this washing in water is also clearly “in the name of the Lord Jesus”.
Another defining passage is also Ephesians 5:25b-26, which says, “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word“. Here the Holy Spirit is certainly still involved specifically through the word, which is a little further described as “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17). Christ’s love is shown at this point because Jesus washes His Church by water to cleanse and make her holy. This is the point where sins are forgiven and believers are saved.
Another passage that brings these points together is 1 Peter 1:22-23. First Peter 1:22-23 says,
“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”.
Again, the rebirth is through the Spirit and through the Word of God. The Spirit works upon believers through God’s Word. Remember that this is a rebirth, and Christians are begotten through the Gospel (1 Cor. 4:15). It is through the Gospel that believers are born again. There is no other way. Add to this more insight from 1 Peter 1:22-23. See, the rebirth is a purification done by “obeying” for which people purify their souls, and yet “not by works of righteousness which we have done” (Titus 3:5). For the truth is that salvation is given to believers by God’s grace, which is His favor, and that obedience is necessary to be in God’s gracious favor. Yet, obedience does not earn that grace being a gift. For Christ’s words teach that Jesus is the source of salvation to those who obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9). What is clearly seen from all these Scriptures is that this rebirth is of water and the Spirit is that it is a washing by Christ in water and in Jesus’ name by which the Spirit sanctifies believers through the Word of God.
What is this being born of water and the Spirit, which is a washing in water and in the name of Jesus Christ? There is only one practice instituted by Christ that is a regeneration in Jesus’ name. Where do water and Jesus’ name come together? Acts 10:47-48 says, “‘Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (cf. 10:43). This is the washing. Acts 22:16 says, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” This is the exact moment of salvation for the forgiveness of sins. Acts 2:38 says, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ unto the forgiveness of sins” (also Matt. 26:28). Remember also Jesus’ words in Mark 16:16, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” This is baptism in the Spirit’s name and to be born of the Spirit in Jesus’ name. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit“. This baptism is in the name of the Holy Spirit. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body [the Church]” (1 Cor. 12:13). Therefore, to be born of the water and the Spirit is to be born again by baptism in Jesus’ name. Baptism in Jesus’ name is moment when one is born again.
Also see the article, “The Water and the Blood”.
We need a personal relationship with God, our heavenly Father, who’s the universal creator because we are his creation. In this present world it’s comforting to know who we are in God, as there shouldn’t be doubt or confusion, as given in ‘I Corinthians 14:10: There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification’. We know this to be true because it also states in ‘I Corinthians 14:33: For god is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.’
Suzanne McMillen-Fallon, Published Author
http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/Mommy’s Writings – Mommy, would you like a sandwich?
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This is a very good study, Scott. The entire NT clearly speaks of water baptism in the Name of our Lord Jesus. However, I have some additional points to make. In studying the application of blood in the Old Testament sacrificial system, one notices clearly that blood was never applied to the bronze laver, which is symbolic of NT water baptism. The blood of Jesus is therefore applied at repentance, not water baptism. It is the blood of Jesus that saves us and cleanses our souls. Without shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness, which essentially means one cannot be forgiven until one confesses his or her sins and admits to being a sinner and in need of salvation. Water baptism should immediately follow, of course, and did in the early community. But the act of baptism is actually a sign for the community and for one’s own conscience, in that he or she chooses to reveal him or herself as a full-fledged follower of the Lord Jesus, since he or she invoked the Name. Repentance is indicative of sacrificial death, and baptism of burial. What follows is a resurrection to new life, or being born again. The baptism issue has become confused in the centuries since, and has even appropriated mere titles instead of the glorious Name above all names. This is a sad reality. Even a study of Acts rarely changes the minds of those who insist on title baptism. I believe God’s grace covers those who are walking in all the light they have. It is for those who see and still insist on error who sin. Thank you. Keep up the good work.
RJ
Baptism is in the death as much as the burial (Rom. 6:3-7). One is saved being raising from the dead to newness of life with Christ. One must be buried to be resurrected. Also, a person baptized into Christ’s death where He shed His blood and both water and blood came from Christ’s side. See my article on the water and the blood. Sins are washed by the blood in baptism (Acts 22:16). Also for one to enter the church, the sacrifice and washing were essential. When the priests washed, they washed before the sacrifice and after to enter the temple. Remember that these types foreshadow the Gospel and do not set the Truth.
The Bible never calls baptism a sign. It is the initial moment of submission. Repentance is nothing without Christ and submission.
Confession of faith in Jesus as the resurrected Lord is essential to salvation (Rom. 10:9-10). Confession of sins comes after baptism when one is walking in the light (1 John 1:7-9).
The Water and the Blood
You said, “The Bible never calls baptism a sign….”
Not in those words but 1 Peter 3:21, And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ…”
Water does not save but is a symbol by which we are saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You are still giving value to water that was never intended. In a wedding the ring represents the love that connects the man and woman. Likewise, baptism represents the relationship that has already been created by faith. I think you have put water baptism in the realm it was never intended. Water does not create the relationship that it represents. So what’s more important, the relationship or that which represents relationship? In my mind and understanding of the entire essence on NT Truth it is the Spiritual relationship (using grace via faith) that creates the salvation. Again, the new covenant is of the Spirit and not the letter. The letter (law) represents the “physical” and the Spirit/spirit represents the “invisible.” In your theory the letter trumps the Spirit as that which defines a NT Christian. This is false and puts the superficial action as that which is hyper important.
Water baptism is ceremonial and is an outward sign of an inner conviction. Everyone knows this. It is an effect, not a cause. It cannot be anything but an effect because it does not create the relationship that it represents.
Faith is Spiritual, water baptism is physical. How can physical water be that which places one into a Spiritual Kingdom. Under spiritual principles it cannot. You’ve simply put the cart ahead of the horse. You’ve placed the physical in the position of “cause,” and it just doesn’t work that way in the NT.
First, you lie applying assertions of things I’ve never said.
You say that baptism is an anti-type of salvation, and yet 1 Peter 3:20-21 say something else. An anti-type, antitupos, is anti meaning corresponding tupos meaning form, model, example, or pattern (type). Within context, 1 Peter 3:21 speaks of the anti-type, not “symbol”, of eight persons being saved by the waters of the flood having a corresponding example (etc.) being our baptism that saves us. Baptism is not a symbol or anti-type of salvation. Baptism is a anti-type of Noah’s salvation by water to our salvation by baptism in Jesus’ name.
First Peter 3:21 specifically says in Greek that our baptism saves us. We are purified by our obedience (1 Pet. 1:22-23) and therefore we are born again (1 Pet. 1:3). This is when we died to our sins (1 Pet. 2:24). Baptism is the point of resurrection (1 Pet. 3:21). Baptism is the corresponding model of the Gospel in us, which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 3:18, cf. 1 Cor. 15:1-4).
“Now the anti-type also saves us being baptism”, which is a direct transliteration of the Greek text.
Your approach to the scriptures is not Spiritual, it is analytical, and leads you to conclusions that are false. You don’t seem to understand the spiritual aspects of Truth but instead concentrate of word de-coding and processing and this is where you miss the Spiritual truth.
I have read many theories on this subject, most being by Bible Scholars, and the fact is that most Bible Scholars disagree with your understanding of baptism. It depends on how you approach the subject of baptism. If you approach baptism from a literal sense then your argument could have some merit, but approaching a Spiritual covenant from a literal mindset will lead you into a conclusions that are a erroneous.
I have had discussions with many preachers in many different religions on this subject and yours and other coC preachers conclusions are by and far in the minority. The ironic thing is that The physical baptism would seem like something the Jews would embrace since they also put most emphasis on the outer more than the inner. Look at how they embraced circumcision and Paul strongly corrected them on this subject. You are putting the same emphasis on water baptism that the Jews put on circumcision. Your hype-focus on literal word processing of the NT causes you to miss this fact. The fact is that the essence of the NT is about the inner aspects of Christianity as being that which is puts one into Christ since Christ reside within the inner consciousness of Man. I don’t know how you can miss this point.
I also find it telling about your ethics and you as a person that you remove posts that you don’t like. My response your post about me lying about my involvement in the coC was removed while yours remains. Is this why you have a site like this….so you can control everything and take your ball and go home when you don’t like the way the game is going?
you have my email address and can contact me anytime you want regarding personal issues that you don’t want on this forum. Please don’t refer to me as lying on a public site and then refuse to post my response. That breaks every human relation principle known to civil man.
Not true. It is not removed.
Water baptism is part of conforming to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Water baptism is obedience that comes from an inner conviction.
Phil,
Again, which congregation do you assemble with and do they hold your beliefs?
Don’t forget what I said,
“Phil,
Were the Samaritan converts in Acts 8:12 saved when they believed and were baptized in water or until the new got the Apostles to go down and lay hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-18)?
I have to be blunt with you. Your “Spirit” is your ego, Phil. I plead with you in the name of Chris to test the Spirits to see the spirit of truth and error according the to the APOSTLES (1 John 4:1, 6).
Clearly, you did not grow up in the church of Christ. You don’t know what we believe! The fact that you admit living in fear, guilt, and shame shows that you were practicing sin when left that church. Or do you not have your own conscience? All you do is come on here, dispute, and argue obscurity and ambiguity. Where do you assemble now and do they hold your beliefs?
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us” (1 John 2:19, cf. 2:29).”
“Be Filled with the Holy Spirit“