Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, He cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5
In this chapter Christ compares the New Birth with the natural birth. This is easily seen when we read the context with this in mind. Nicodemus came to Christ in the nighttime seeking to know who He was. Christ immediately began a discourse on the new birth. Nicodemus being spiritually blind asked, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” Now Christ did not overlook his frustrated question but gave answer to it by contrasting and comparing the heavenly and natural birth. Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” In other words Jesus was saying, “Nicodemus unless you have the natural birth—which is the water birth—and the spiritual birth, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. I am talking about a different birth, a greater birth; a birth of which the Holy Spirit is the author.” The water here does not have reference to baptism, the Word, or the Spirit. If it has reference to baptism, it contradicts Scripture elsewhere (a person may be baptized, as Simon Magus was, and yet not born again; see the case in point Acts 8:13-23). I am sure that the word translated “and” here will not bear the translation “even” in this case. Would Christ say you must be born of the Spirit, even of the Spirit? It would be as though a doctor would say, “You must be born of your mother, even of your mother.” The context seems to teach that Christ has in mind the natural birth when He spoke of the “water birth.” It is a known fact that the natural birth is called the “water birth.” In our daily life our thoughts are occupied with things that are most necessary for our existence. Of our spiritual life regeneration is one of the absolute and vital necessities. It is the hinge of the Gospel; it is the point upon which believers agree; it is the very groundwork of our hope for heaven. As we need to be very careful of the foundation of a structure, so should we be very diligent to take heed that we are really born again, and that we have made sure work of our spiritual foundation which is regeneration. There are many who think they are born again who are not. It is good then to examine ourselves; and it is the pastor’s duty to bring forward this subject which leads to self-examination and search of the heart. Men will die arguing as to what the “water” has reference to. But this is not the important thing. The thing that you must not miss in this is that “You must be born again (or from above), to see the kingdom of God.”