One is not reborn or born again by water baptism. The term "Born of the water " does not mean water baptism, as the literal water in it cannot change a person's heart/mind. The water in water baptism is only symbolic of Christ, or the word of God, and is not the actual thing that saves the person or transforms the heart.
The term "born of the water" is similar in symbolism to water baptism, however they are not one and the same. Being "born of the water" is a symbolic way of describing the spiritual reality of being morally renewed in the experience of the mind by God through His word, when one is truly repentant, while water baptism is a symbolic ritual done by man to symbolize the work that was done by God in renewing the mind. The symbolic term "born of the water" which refers to being re-born within by the word is not dependent on water baptism, as if to think water baptism initiated the born again experience. No action or work of man can initiate the work of God to transform a person. Furthermore only God alone knows if a person is truly repentant, that he may bestow renewing grace to that person. We are to understand that though we are commanded by God to do the ritual of water baptism, this is not what transforms us, it is the word of God preached to us in the gospel that converts our hearts.
In the same way as "water baptism" the ceremony of circumcision never saved a person or converted a person's heart/mind or made them righteous within. This Paul sought to prove by his arguments (in and around Rom.4:10,11; Gal.2:16; Gal.3:1-3; Rom.2:28) against the ideology of the Jews (Acts 15:1), it was always by the revealed word of God or the faith that a person was converted or born again (Eph.5:26, James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23) or made righteous (See Col. 3:9,10; Eph.4:23,24). Paul presses home this point when he asks the question as to when Abraham received righteousness through faith? (which in Rom.4:5 & 7 is expressed as justification or forgiveness), he asks, when he was in circumcision or un-circumcision? Paul answers by saying when he was in un-circumcision. And continues by saying he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the Righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being un-circumcised. Thus even before a repentant, believing person is water baptized they would also (as with circumcision) have the seal of the Righteousness of faith in being saved.
WHAT DOES "THE WATER" REPRESENT IN 'BORN OF THE WATER" IN JOHN 3:5, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BORN OF THE WATER.
The water in Jn 3:5 represents the word, Eph 5:25 & 26 tells us Christ sanctify and cleanse the church by the washing of water by the word. Here we see a "washing by the word" so the word washes spiritually, also Ezek. 36:25 tells us "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. Thus again we see a spiritual washing/cleansing by the water of the word. Furthermore we are told in Jn 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy word thy word is truth" confirming that sanctification is by the word, as we were also told in Eph.5:26. Jn 15:3 says "Now ye are clean through the word I have spoken unto you" this confirms that we are cleansed by the word, just as we were told before in Eph. 5:26 and also that the water that cleanses spiritually in Ezek.36:25 is the word. All these evidences show that the water represents the word of God which washes, cleanses and cleans a person spiritually from their filthiness and their idols. Thus to be born of the water is to be born of the word. This is consistent with 1Pet 1:23 which tells us "Be born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God,which liveth and abideth forever and Jam 1:18 which tells us that we are begotten by the word of truth. Identifying that "the word" is that thing that we are born of, so to be born--again which is to be born of the water is to be born of the word.
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