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.
—John 3:5 (KJV)
Water and Spirit — they track together as vital components in conversion and the new birth throughout the New Testament (Acts 2:38-41; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Titus 3:3-7). One is an act of submission and surrender. The other is a gift and reminder that only God can make us new by his power poured into our lives through the Holy Spirit. Neither is something we can accomplish on our own. So, Jesus and John connected these two moves of grace into one new birth event grammatically — "born of water and Spirit." No wonder Jesus made them crucial to entering into his Kingdom life: we offer ourselves to faith to him, and the Spirit gives us new birth into God's family.
Holy and righteous Father. I acknowledge that my best efforts often fail, and my consistency isn't always consistent. I'm so thankful you gave me your grace in Jesus and made me new by my spiritual birth into your family. In Jesus' name, I thank you. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
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—John 3:5 (KJV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Water and Spirit — they track together as vital components in conversion and the new birth throughout the New Testament (Acts 2:38-41; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Titus 3:3-7). One is an act of submission and surrender. The other is a gift and reminder that only God can make us new by his power poured into our lives through the Holy Spirit. Neither is something we can accomplish on our own. So, Jesus and John connected these two moves of grace into one new birth event grammatically — "born of water and Spirit." No wonder Jesus made them crucial to entering into his Kingdom life: we offer ourselves to faith to him, and the Spirit gives us new birth into God's family.
My Prayer...
Holy and righteous Father. I acknowledge that my best efforts often fail, and my consistency isn't always consistent. I'm so thankful you gave me your grace in Jesus and made me new by my spiritual birth into your family. In Jesus' name, I thank you. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Continue reading...
