When Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be "born of water and the Spirit," he's not making a casual suggestion. He's declaring the non-negotiable requirement for entering the kingdom of God. Today, we'll explore what this phrase means and why it matters so profoundly for your spiritual life.
John 3:5-6 "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.'"
Sadly, many people today are victim to a superficial Christianity - they might be tempted to gloss over these verses. But don't miss what Jesus is saying: unless you're born of water and the Spirit, you will quite literally not go to heaven. Heaven and hell hang in the balance of understanding what this means.
To grasp what Jesus is talking about, we need to look at Ezekiel 36, a passage that Nicodemus (as a teacher of Israel) would have been intimately familiar with. There, God promises two things for His people: cleansing and renewal.
First, you need to be cleansed. "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" (Ezekiel 36:25). The water Jesus mentions refers to your need for cleansing from sin.
But what is sin? Biblically, sin means missing the mark, unrighteousness, transgression, rebellion, iniquity, perversion, and abomination. It's not just the bad things we do; those are mere manifestations of the real problem—who we are.
We sin because we are internally corrupt, not externally corrupted. The world thinks people are sinful because they have rough upbringings, but the Bible says people are sinful because that is who they are at their very core. In theological terms, we aren't sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.
And here's something shocking: it's not only your worst works and worst motives that need to be cleansed, but your best works and best motives. Romans 8:8 says, "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." You have an inability to please God outside of God. This is what theologians call radical or total depravity—not that everyone is as wicked as they could be, but that depravity has affected the entire person.
Second, you need to be renewed. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; 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" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Not only are you radically depraved outside of Christ, but you're radically dead. You're not spiritually sick; you're spiritually dead. Ezekiel 37 paints this picture vividly with the valley of dry bones—not just dead bodies, but bones so dry and scattered that there's no semblance of life left.
This is why you don't just need reformation; you need regeneration. A man can reform himself and steer clear of lust, greed, and indulgence, but be no more a child of God than before. You don't need a new start; you need a new heart.
What's wrong with you? Your heart is hard (Ephesians 4:18), hostile toward God (Romans 8:7), unable to accept spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14), enslaved to sin (Romans 6:17), and under Satan's influence (Ephesians 2:1). That's why you need a miracle—new life breathed into your spiritual corpse.
And here's the beautiful truth: God is the one who does this work. In Ezekiel 36, notice the repeated phrase "I will." God says, "I will cleanse you... I will give you a new heart... I will put My Spirit within you... I will cause you to walk in My statutes." Salvation is entirely a work of God. You contribute as much to your spiritual rebirth as Lazarus did to his physical resurrection—absolutely nothing.
So when Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born of water and the Spirit, He's saying, "You need to be cleansed from sin and given a new heart by the supernatural power of God." This isn't about religious ritual or moral improvement; it's about divine intervention in your dead spiritual state.
How has your understanding of sin been influenced by cultural definitions rather than biblical ones?
In what ways might you be relying on religious activities or moral behavior rather than recognizing your need for God's supernatural work?
If salvation is entirely God's work, how does that impact your view of yourself and your relationship with Him?
Stay dialed in,
Jonny Ardavanis