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NASB | John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 4:14 "But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life." |
Subject: Must we be Baptized to enter Heaven |
Bible Note: Hi Ray :) Quoting you, "For example, I would want to talk to you about why you would put in caps the word baptism and spiritual baptism. Also, I would have talked about Nicodemus and spiritual things and spiritual baptism. That is just my interest and don't let it bother you if I go overboard sometime." LOL Sometimes we all get passionate about the Word that we love so dearly, after all it gives Life :) Like Nicodemuswe we'll still find those today who are convinced of the outward miracles the Lord performs and of the history that the Word reveals, but they have not received the very thing that would make them acceptable to God's Devine Presence whereby He could receive them into the Kingdom. Not accepting God on earth, how could these pharisees be prepared to receive of the Spiritual God in heaven. Are these not one in the same God? Therefore the natural man can not be reborn of the flesh, but the spirit of a man can be renewed and must be to receive what is from God. There being many things spiritual, it would stand to reason in my heart, that this must not be just any spiritual rebirth, but the only Spirit that could regenerate a man's spirit, giving him reconcilliation to God would be God's Own Spirit of Grace. So truly the words Jesus spoke, "to be Baptized of water and spirit", was of a total rengeration of the spirit of a man. (A spiritual rebirth, if you will) If I would look at the fact that neither the words "spirit or water" are capitalized, then I look at this verse in the natural sense, and deem that Christ is telling Nicodemus that in order to be born again, that his spirit (Nicodemus') must be cleansed or washed. Therefore to be born again or to become "NEW" there must be a New baptizing with a "NEW WATER" which I believe is The Spirit of Grace, and then the old spirit must be baptized in this LIVING WATER, to be regenerated, thus one's spirit is renewed through a baptism of the spirit, that takes place through the Living Waters. (I hope that made sense) This I agree with when I use it in the context of a man and what he is and what he needs. No caps would be needed because we are only speaking in terms that a man's "spirit needs" to be "cleansed". Yet on the other hand it is by "God's Cleansing Spirit" that it takes place. Darby ***Seeing Jesus, and hearing His testimony, had produced a sense of need in the heart of Nicodemus. It is not the knowledge of grace, but it is with respect to man's condition a total change. He knows nothing of the truth, but he has seen that it is in Jesus, and he desires it. He has also at once an instinctive sense that the world will be against him; and he comes by night. The heart fears the world as soon as it has to do with God; for the world is opposed to Him. The friendship of the world is enmity against God. This sense of need made the difference in the case of Nicodemus. He had been convinced like the others. And the source of this conviction was the miracles. But Jesus stops him short; and on account of the true need felt in the heart of Nicodemus. The work of blessing was not to be wrought by teaching the old man. Man needed to be renewed in the source of his nature, without which he could not see the kingdom. The things of God are spiritually discerned; and man is carnal, he has not the Spirit. The Lord does not go beyond the kingdom-which, moreover, was not the law-for Nicodemus ought to have known something about the kingdom. But He does not begin to teach the Jews as a prophet under the law. He presents the kingdom itself; but to see it, according to His testimony, a man must be born again. But the kingdom as thus come in the carpenter's Son could not be seen without a wholly new nature, it struck no chord of man's comprehension or Jews' expectation, though testimony to it was amply given in word and work: as to entering and having a part in it there is more development as to the how. Nicodemus sees no farther than the flesh.*** Isn't God Awesome?!! -Kathy |