JOHN 3:5

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Biology question: how long does it take for a human baby to fully develop in the womb?   Did everyone say "Nine months"?  Good!   Give yourself a gold star.   Second question:  What happens to that baby if, at the end of 9 months, it is not born or delivered into the world?   Answer: it dies.   You don't have a appy ending unless the developed life is delivered alive into the world.  

That is really what we are reading about in John 3:5.   We learned in the last Blotter that the Holy Spirit creates life (faith) in a person when they hear the Gospel message.   Very often that person is not ready to commit to Jesus Christ at that moment.   Sometimes much time passes as that person's faith grows.  Finally though, that person has to be "born" into Jesus Christ or faith becomes stillborn and dies.  Part of being born again involves a Spirit birth.   It also involves a water birth.  Some people say that the water referred to in John 3:5 is the "water" or albumin that surrounds the human fetus in the womb.  I disagree.  If there is no baby in the womb there isn't going to be a birth of any kind.  Jesus is speaking of something else.  He is speaking of baptism.   

Baptism is the point of commitment.   When a baby leaves the womb, there is no going back: he's in the world and the only way to go is on to maturity.  A person may "believe" in Jesus (that is, they may mentally assent to the fact that He is God's Son).   But that is not what Christ is looking for.  He wants followers.  He wants Disciples. People who will commit to Him and follow where He leads: go where He says to go.   Our baptism is the point where we die to self, die to all that is in our past and commit to Jesus.   It is our way of saying, "There is no going back."  

Here are a few Scriptures to consider:

Romans 6:3
Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  (HE died physically, we die to sin)

Galatians 3:27
for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  (we have committed to putting on/imitating His character‚)

Being born again is a serious matter.   It is not to be entered into lightly.  

More about that next time.   Till then.....

God bless and see you soon!

Bill