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Devotions from Gospel Chapel Ministries HOME SERMONS SERMON NOTES
CLEANSING WATER
"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," JOH 3:5.
Water is the instrument needed to effect the new birth. What does that mean? It is very important to understand it. Look at JOH 3:5 where, "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."
Water is a scriptural symbol of the Word of God when it is used for cleansing. The Word of God is the instrument used of the Spirit for purifying to perform the new birth. The new birth is worked by the Holy Spirit unto sanctification. It is the Word of God that is used as the instrument for purifying unto sanctification.
Let's look at Scripture to understand how purifying becomes the work of the new birth. 1PE 1:22-23 says, "Seeing ye have purified your souls [How?] in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again [How are we being born again? It is by purifying of our souls], not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
The Word of God is the actual instrument that the Holy Spirit uses in working the new birth. Why? It is for the purifying of our souls, the purging out of all things that are unclean: wrong attitudes, wrong desires, all iniquity. The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace in the Holy Ghost.
Righteousness is a right attitude toward our brother. It is purifying our souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit. Read the verses above again and consider their meaning.
David attributed the quickening of the Spirit to the Word of God in PSA 119:49-50, "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me." Do you understand now where the new birth lies? It is when the power of the Word of God becomes our authority. The soul is purified by obeying the Word of truth. It is by the act of obeying, i.e., through the obedience of faith, that we become filled with the Word, and as we become filled with the Word, it becomes our greatest joy to do the Lord's will.
The Apostle Paul was referring to this new birth when he said in 1CO 4:15, "For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you [your spiritual birth took place] through the gospel." In other words Paul is saying your new birth took place through the gospel.
This same word begotten or begat refers to the new birth by the Word in JAM 1:18, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." It is by the Word of God that the new birth is affected in our souls. It happens when the Word of God comes in with authority-- when we come to reverence His will. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. What is the fear of the Lord? PRO 8:13 says, "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate." That is the work of the Holy Spirit working the new birth in the soul.
The Word is likened unto water because it has cleansing properties. 1PE 1:22-23 says, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
PSA 119:9 says, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." That is why the symbol of water is used by our Saviour when He says we must be born of the Spirit and of water. It is the washing of the water of the Word; the working of regeneration is a process of cleansing our old heart. It is cleansing our souls, cleansing our minds, and cleansing our attitudes. This makes us meet or fit in character to be inheritors with the saints in light, cf., COL 1:12. That is the work of the new birth. Being born of water means being sanctified by the cleansing power of the Word.
JOH 15:3 tells us, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." When are we clean through the Word? It happens when we have experienced the work of regeneration, the new birth. It is a cleansing, and that is why the Word is referred to as water.
Look at EPH 5:26-27 to see what Christ came to do. He came to prepare His bride for the great wedding day, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
How does Christ wash and cleanse? It is by the Word becoming our highest authority and His will our greatest delight. PSA 112:1 says, "Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments." When the Holy Word of God has authority in our hearts, we begin living by the Word of God. That is how He cleanses that He might present us to Himself as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle. The Lord is not going to take a bride unto Himself who is defiled. The process of the new birth is to redeem us from all iniquity (TIT 2:14), wrong attitudes, and bring us to the point where we love our brothers. It brings us to righteousness and peace in the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Christ has for sin atonement made
What a wonderful Savior!
We are redeemed, the price is paid
What a wonderful Savior!
I praise Him for the cleansing blood
What a wonderful Savior!
That reconciled my soul to God
What a wonderful Savior!
He cleansed my heart from all its sin
What a wonderful Savior!
And now He reigns and rules there in
What a wonderful Savior!
He gives me overcoming power
What a wonderful Savior!
And triumph in each trying hour
What a wonderful Savior!
To Him I’ve given all my heart
What a wonderful Savior!
The world shall never share a part
What a wonderful Savior!
Our sermons and devotions are a ministry of Gospel Chapel located in Conrad, Montana. We also have a daily devotion and sermon notes on-line. We pray this devotion has been a blessing to those who read it. Thank you.