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smnelson717

He Came By Blood and Water

Updated: Jan 9, 2024

I wanted to post this one because it completely defines why I chose to name this blog what it is. The Water of Christ is just as much a part of our salvation as is his blood. We need BOTH alongside our Father's Spirit if we are to experience the newness of life Christ promises those who love the Father.


1 John 5:5-8

5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.


To begin, we need to understand who an enemy of our Father is. Only then can we understand why blood, water and Spirit are all necessary in our salvation journey. The following shows us that an enemy are those who love the lusts and pleasures of the world and want to make the world their friend.


1 John 2:15-17

15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.


James 4:1-4

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? 2 You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.


Indulging in our worldly lusts and pleasures is symbolically represented as feeding our stomachs. Enemies of our Father make their bellies their god.


Philippians 3:17-19

17 Brothers and sisters, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things.


Romans 16:17-18

17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such people are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.


1 Corinthians 6:12-13

12 All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, however God will do away with both of them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.


This is how the enemies of our Father fatten themselves up for the day of slaughter at the end of the age.


James 5:5

You have lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.


To be an enemy of our Father, it begins in our attitude. We can choose to set our minds on heavenly things or on earthly things. Placing our minds on earthly things makes us hostile toward our Father, but the mind set on the heavenly things is life and peace. Without a heavenly oriented attitude, we cannot please our Father.


Romans 8:5-8

5 For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.


Before our born again moment, all we can do is set our minds on earthly things, being darkened in our understanding and excluded from the life of God..


Ephesians 4:17-19

17 So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, that you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their minds, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.


From our born again moment, we are then called to rid ourselves of our old sin-driven selves to no longer walk in accordance with our sinful lusts and pleasures as enemies of God. We are to learn Christ-likeness as we begin the process of being renewed in righteousness and holiness.


Ephesians 4:20-24

20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.


And this is where the blood and water of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit come into play. Jesus died to shift us from living as enemies of God to living in peace with Him by walking in accordance with the Spirit of life. My hope is to show, through scripture, that this sanctification is much more than a simple instant exchange of our dirtiness for Christ’s perfection.


Let's begin with the blood of Christ. Most obviously, his blood gives us forgiveness of sins.


Hebrews 9:22

22 And almost all things are cleansed with blood, according to the Law, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.


Not only does it give us forgiveness, but it allows us to be born again to see the kingdom of God. That born again moment frees us from our darkened and calloused state and allows us to begin the process of being made new.


Hebrews 9:13-14

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?


In other words, we are born again unto a living hope - a hope of being renewed.


1 Peter 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,


His blood frees us from being helplessly enslaved to our sin nature as with an evil conscience, turning us into spiritual "priests" who are able to then serve our Father instead of our lusts and pleasures.


Revelation 1:5-6

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6 and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.


Hebrews 10:21-22

21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.


The purpose of his blood is for our sanctification from old to new.


Hebrews 13:12

12 Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood.


All this is what it means to be reconciled back to our Father. By the blood of Jesus, we can now have a relationship with Him and walk according to His Word.


Romans 5:10

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.


This reconciliation is for the sole purpose of presenting us before our Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach. This process can only be completed IF we continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel.


Colossians 1:21-23

21 And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.


The blood of Jesus opens the way for sanctification but is not the end all in itself. If a born again believer decides to continue in the works of the flesh willingly, without any intention of overcoming that sin, then they again crucify to themselves Jesus and put him to an open shame. There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins as they trampled underfoot the Son of God, and regard as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and have insulted the Spirit of grace. These are the Judas' within the camp.


Hebrews 6:4-8

4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.


Hebrews 10:26-31

26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.


So we have a choice to make. We can continue to serve our sin nature, leading to eternal spiritual death, or learn to become enslaved to God, obeying Him as our master instead. Only when we learn to walk this way has the blood of Christ done its job in this sanctifying process. The outcome of sanctification is then eternal life.


Romans 6:20-22

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in relation to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.


1 John 1:7

7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.


This leads us into the purpose of the "water." From this reconciliation and the beginning of our renewal journey, we look to partake in the "water", which is defined as the Word of God. This is used to wash away the dead works of our flesh we defile ourselves with. By this, we wouldn't be those born again believers who insult the Spirit of grace by remaining in our sins.


Ephesians 5:25-27

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless


The way sin works is first by attacking the mind. From the mind it works its way into the heart then through our actions which leads to eternal death.


James 1:13-15

13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.


Now that we are freed from our enslavement to sin, the water of the Word teaches us how to overcome these various lusts. In this way, they can no longer manifest in our minds, hearts, and actions.


Being washed by the Word takes time. Once we are born again we begin drinking in the milk of the Word. These are the elementary teachings of repentance, faith in Jesus, the resurrection, etc. As we mature and grow in familiarity with the Word, we move into feasting on the meat of the Word. Only then can we distinguish the difference between righteousness and wickedness the way our Father sees it.


Hebrews 5:11-14

11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become poor listeners. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil.


As we learn the difference between good and evil, we have a responsibility to choose the good over the evil. If we take our newfound freedom and don't overcome living according to our flesh, born again or not, we will face an eternal death.


Romans 8:12-14

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God.


And this is where being saved by grace through faith comes into play. However, in order to stay on the topic I will post a link to discover how we overcome our sin nature by the grace of God.



Our job is to learn from the water of the Word so we would walk in a manner worthy of our calling to be saints.


Ephesians 4:1

1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called


2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

11 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will consider you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, in accordance with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Romans 1:7

to all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


This is why John the Baptist came - to baptize for the repentance of sins in order to walk in a manner worthy of our calling.


Matthew 3:11

11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you [k]with the Holy Spirit and fire.


Each physical baptism is a declaration of that believer to drown the old self in the water of the Word and arise as the new self, or Christ-like. It's an appeal to God for a good conscience. This spiritual baptism plays its role in saving the soul.


1 Peter 3:18-22

18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience —through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (manifestation of Christ in us), 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.


Matthew 16:16

16 The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned.


This concept is on full display in the Old Testament when Naaman, a man plagued with leprosy (aka defilement of flesh) was cleansed through a repetitive washing in the waters of the Promised Land.


2 Kings 5:1-14

1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in the view of his master, and eminent, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but afflicted with leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “The girl who is from the land of Israel spoke such and such.” Then the king of Aram said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothes. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, “And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” But when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to keep alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But consider now, and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me.” Now it happened, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why did you tear your clothes? Just have him come to me, and he shall learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman was furious and went away, and he said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will certainly come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the site and cure the leprosy.’ 12 Are Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, not better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 Then his servants approached and spoke to him, saying, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, in accordance with the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.


We also see this in the New Testament as Jesus, the Word of God, consistently cleanses the defilement of flesh.


Matthew 8:1-4

1 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2 And a man with leprosy came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus *said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”


As we consume the Word and practice it, we begin to see what defiles us be washed away. We gauge this process when we take a look at our hearts and pay attention to what we do and say.


Mark 7:21-23

21 For from within, out of the hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery, 22 deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile the person.”


Matthew 12:33-37

33 “Either assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. 35 The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things. 36 But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”


And these "bad fruits" are then exchanged for "good fruits" thus proving we are true and not false.


Matthew 7:15-20

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.


Galatians 5:16-24

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.


John 15:8

My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.


And in this exchange of bad fruit for good, we grow up in respect to our eternal salvation.


1 Peter 2:1-3

1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.


Only through persevering in repentance (aka the washing of the Word) can this exchange from wickedness to righteousness happen. Once it does, we must remain in that repentant state in order to bear good fruits to maturity and keep them.


Luke 8:15

15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.


Matthew 3:8-10

8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance; 9 and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10 And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.


John 15:1-4

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.


John 15:16

16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.


For these good fruits of righteousness come from obedience.


Romans 6:16

16 Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?


And obedience to the Word cleanses the soul of the bad fruits.


1 Peter 1:22-23

22 Since you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.


Psalm 19:7

7 The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.


Psalm 119:9

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.


Psalm 37:31

31 The Law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.


Thanks be to God and His perfect patience as this process takes place.


Luke 13:6-9

6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Look! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”


2 peter 3:14-15

14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation...


Jesus yet again demonstrates this cleansing as he washes the disciples feet. Only 3.5 years after being called does Jesus now declare Peter clean from intentional wickedness. However, Jesus must still wash the only parts of Peter that were still dwelling on "earthy things" - his feet. Otherwise Peter could have no part in him. Judas, on the other hand, is declared unclean because of the intentional practice of thievery.


John 13:5-15

5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with the towel which He had tied around Himself. 6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, You are washing my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not realize right now, but you will understand later.” 8 Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no place with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; otherwise he is completely clean. And you are clean—but not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him (Judas); it was for this reason that He said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 Then, when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’; and you are correct, for so I am. 14 So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example, so that you also would do just as I did for you.


For a deeper study on the difference between Peter and Judas and why Peter was declared clean but Judas not, see the study, "The Mystery of Lawlessness."


And this was Paul's sole purpose as an apostle - to present the churches as pure virgins to our Father through the cleansing of lawlessness.


1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.


2 Corinthians 11:2

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.


All this lends itself to one crucial fact. Being born again to see the kingdom of God is very different than being born of water and Spirit to enter the kingdom.


John 3:1-6

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.


Our Father has promised us that He would give us that water and Spirit to enter His kingdom. Like we've been discussing, they're for the cleansing of our lawless deeds so we would walk in newness of life with Him.


Ezekiel 36:25-27

25 Then 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. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances.


The power of the Holy Spirit is necessary because our Father's Spirit works in tandem with the water of His Word for the cleansing of our lawless deeds.


Titus 3:5

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit


For more on how our Father infills us with His Spirit to not only work around us but within us, see the post, "Sealed in Christ."


To be born of Spirit is the same as being born of God, since God is Spirit.


John 4:24

24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”


Those born of God no longer practice lawless deeds.


1 John 3:4-8

4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in Him sins continually; no one who sins continually has seen Him or knows Him. 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother and sister  


1 John 2:29

29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also has been born of Him.


1 John 5:4

For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.


1 John 5:18

18 We know that no one who has been born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.


And to no longer walk in the practices of our sins, we must take after Jesus, and have our flesh put to death (spiritually speaking, not physically). Then we can be made alive in the spirit.


1 Peter 3:18

18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;


1 Corinthians 15:42-49

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written: “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” The last Adam was a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy one, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly one, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.


Once we have been born of Spirit to become spirit, God truly then becomes our Father. He is the Father, not of the earthy but of the heavenly - the spirit.


Hebrews 12:9

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?


To conclude what this entire post is about, we take the words of Peter, who summarized all these things in a few verses.


1 Peter 1:1-2

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as strangers, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.


Thanks be to the Father that we are not in this alone. He who promised is faithful and will get the sanctification process done.


Hebrews 10:22-23

22 let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;


1 Peter 5:10

10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.


1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.

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