John 3:5–6 — Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Water is essential to life, as we discover quite dramatically when we visit a desert region or experience a time of severe drought or go to a place where the water is not fit to drink. As the Divine Agent of spiritual life, then, it is not surprising to find that the Holy Spirit is often pictured for us in terms of water. He is "poured out" on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:33). He is pictured as a falling shower or as refreshing rain, bringing spiritual blessing (Hosea 6:3).
In addition, water is very much a part of our physical birth - so much so that Jesus in our passage can say we are "born of water" as we begin to live in this world. In the same way, the Holy Spirit plays an essential part in our New Birth when we become Christians. He it is Who applies the work of Christ to a soul that is dead in sin, bringing that soul to life and granting saving faith in Jesus.
Finally, as we saw in #9 of this series, baptism is a sign of cleansing. The water that we use represents the Holy Spirit as He applies the work of Christ to a soul that is filthy and corrupt on account of sin, to bring about a complete cleansing.
Birth, Life, Cleansing. All of these are laid out before our gaze when someone is baptized. All are the result of the work of the Holy Spirit. All of these things, pictured outwardly in baptism, are truly experienced and possessed by believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is something wholesome and rich for you to dwell upon, Christian! Think of your baptism and reflect on what was accomplished in you by the power of God. Planned by the Father, executed by Jesus, the Son, and applied to you personally by the gracious Holy Spirit, this is life from the dead, this is true cleansing from the guilt and power of sin.
As we close, though, let's return in our minds to the image of a desert that has seen no rain for years. Everything is dry, dead and barren. Without water, there is not the slightest hope of life springing up. If you are not a Christian, this is an accurate image of your soul as you make your way through this world. And because of your unforgiven, uncleansed sins, the future is even worse than the lifeless spiritual wilderness you are in today. Jesus came so that you might know showers of blessing and new life bursting up within your soul. Reach out to Him now, then, turning from your sin, and ask Him to save you and to grant you new birth and eternal life!
