At one time Jesus was asked by Nicodemus what he meant when He said that a person should be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God:
John 3:5 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.
Let’s start by explaining what Jesus meant when He said we must be born of water.To be born of water simply means to be baptized by water.
According to the Bible a person must be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, this is in accordance with Acts 2:38.
When Jesus told his disciples on Matthew 28:19 to baptize in the NAME of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost, he meant the NAME which was of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, one NAME!not in the NAMES of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
So what is this NAME??
The NAME is Jesus Christ!!
HE (Jesus Christ) is the One who is described here by Isaiah 9:6:
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Jesus Christ was God in human form, no wonder why He told his disciples that if you saw Him you had seen the Father:
How did Jesus answer Philip’s question?
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
God himself created himself a body in the womb of Mary, which He was going to dwell in so that He would be able to die for our sins on Calvary.
He could not do this in Spirit form, hence the creation of a body in Mary’s womb which He could dwell in:
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the HOLY GHOST hath made you overseers, to feed the church of GOD, which he hath purchased with his OWN blood.
The Lord Jesus Christ is GOD:
John 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
How could Jesus say that to Nicodemus if He wasn’t God in human form?Only God is the one who’s omnipotent and omnipresent.
Jesus said that to Nicodemus so that he would realise that he was speaking to God himself.
The Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ in Spirit form:
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I AM with YOU alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Lord Jesus Christ of the New Testament:
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, BEFORE Abraham was, I AM.
That is why everyone should be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is very important to be baptized according to Acts 2:38 because that is the only baptism which is recognized by God. That is the reason why Paul had to rebaptize the disciples who were at Corinth:
Acts 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
The Bible shows us that a person is baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by immersing:
Acts 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Acts 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down BOTH INTO the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Acts 8:39 And when they were come up OUT OF the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
To be born of the Spirit is to be baptized by Jesus Christ with the Holy Ghost:
Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
8:15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
8:17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Spirit is the Life of God coming into a believer to guide him into ALL TRUTH:
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
The Baptism of the Holy Ghost seals us into the mystical Body of Jesus Christ:
1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Do you want to share this truth with others?